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“Victoria did her best to sway me,” said Dad. “She wanted to control me and make sure I belonged to her. I wish she gave me some time to accept my reality. Maybe, I’d have eventually accepted her as my wife. Instead, she got crueler. Every time she hurt me, I’d think of Eva. Eventually, I couldn’t hold back anymore and went to see her.”
“You cheated on our mom?” Corey asked.
“Yes,” Dad confessed. “It didn’t take long for Victoria to find out though. She punished me by declaring she was pregnant. You see, I never touched her. We both knew the child wasn’t mine.”
Pain leeched into his voice. “Victoria threatened to destroy Eva once and for all if I didn’t stop seeing her. By then, Eva was pregnant too. Knowing Victoria’s ruthlessness, I didn’t dare reach out to Eva.”
He turned tear-filled eyes on Milla. “Eva went through the pregnancy on her own. Victoria had people watching my every move. I wasn’t able to help your mother in any way. She worked hard to save money, so she could have everything you’d need after you were born.”
“I know,” Milla said, her voice breaking. “She didn’t have a friend or a relative to help out when I was younger.”
“Victoria used Eva to hold me hostage,” said Dad. “I couldn’t divorce her even when there was a legitimate reason to do so. At the same time, she made sure Amhurst Co. reached heights of success.”
“Is that the reason you hated us?” Corey asked. His lost expression mirrored my feelings perfectly.
“I never hated you,” said Dad. “You were always innocent in my eyes. From the moment you were born, I loved you. Victoria wouldn’t let me be a good father to you. She poisoned you against me from the very beginning. She made you see my flaws and portrayed me a villain in your eyes.”
“I couldn’t be in the same room with her anymore,” Dad continued in an anguished tone. “She paraded her children before my eyes while I was forced to stay away from Eva and my only daughter. This was during a time when they needed me most. Victoria understood that well but she wouldn’t even allow me to help them out financially. One wrong move could kill both Eva and my baby.”
Dad’s shoulders shook hard as he broke down.
Milla reached out and captured his hands. “Stop, Brian,” she said, her voice ringing with alarm. “You’ve got to calm down. Any kind of agitation can be dangerous for you.”
The beeping machines in the room grew louder.
“That’s the reason you avoided staying home,” said Caleb in a grim tone. “You hated our mother, not us.”
Dad took several deep breaths before meeting his gaze. “Victoria filled my heart with hatred and rage. She made sure we could never be anything but business partners.”
“Did she tell you who our father was?” I asked, feeling desperate to know my real identity.
He shook his head. “No. There were a few men she was close to that I suspected, so I got DNA tests done in secret. The results were worse than I could imagine.”
“Why?” I questioned. “You already knew we weren’t your kids.”
“Yes, but...”
Dad was hesitating. What else was there to hide?
“What are you trying to hide again?” Corey asked desperately. “What could be worse than not knowing who our real father is?
“You and Caleb don’t share the same father with Noah.”
“What?” The three of us gasped at the same time.
“The DNA results identified different fathers for Noah and the two of you,” said Dad. “The doctor back then told me something like this could happen if a woman slept with different partners within hours or a few days after the first ovulation.”
Something cracked inside me.
How was it possible that I didn’t even share a father with Corey and Caleb?
“I wanted to take the secret to my grave,” said Dad. “There was never any need for you boys to know. You’ve always loved your mother and for your sakes, I let you hold onto the pitiful image Victoria created of herself in your minds.”
Taking a deep breath, he gazed at us with a cold look. “There’s no way I can keep quiet anymore. You hurt Milla because you thought she and Eva were going to take everything away from you. Now you know the truth, Noah. Whatever you have, never belonged to you in the first place. They were all Milla’s.”
He was calmer now. “I didn’t tell you Milla was safe back then because that’s what she wanted,” said Dad in a grim tone. “She wanted to take everything that belonged to you. Milla didn’t know, of course. She had as much a claim to Amhurst Co. as you three. I wanted her to forget about revenge and live a safe, peaceful life. Seeing you would’ve only made her more desperate. That’s why I kept quiet, hoping she’d eventually move on and forget about you boys.”
“But you didn’t,” I said, glancing toward Milla. “You hated us with everything you had.”
