Exposed to the CEO Behind the Mafia Mask

Chapter 495: Chapter 91 Stolen Baby Secret

Daniel’s POV

The moment Lila drifted into sleep, I slipped back into the living room. An important discussion with her brother couldn’t wait any longer.

”I’ve witnessed plenty of brutal things in my years working between the police and our families, but what this woman does to Lila crosses every line,” I stated firmly, settling into the leather couch in Beckett’s penthouse office.

”It was even more savage before,” Beckett replied, his voice heavy with old pain. ”Lila would receive vicious beatings for the smallest infractions against Claire’s twisted rules. When she was young, Claire thrashed her with a leather belt for accidentally knocking over some antique piece during a family gathering. Her body was covered in buckle marks for an extended period. Claire always threatened worse punishment if she told our father about the family discipline. I’d already moved out to handle our overseas operations by then, only discovered it when I noticed Lila wearing long sleeves during summer heat at the compound. I nearly went after Claire myself when I found out, but my father returned from his business trip, and we had a massive confrontation. Lila begged me not to tell him anything.”

”That incident wasn’t isolated,” Katarina added softly from her position near the window. ”It wasn’t the first time, the last time, or even the worst. I’m constantly amazed that Lila grew into such a compassionate person despite everything she endured in that house.”

”Shortly before she finally escaped that compound, Claire had beaten her with a wooden cane from grandfather’s study. When she left for college, her back was still marked from the assault,” Beckett continued, lost in painful recollections of his family’s internal warfare.

Bile rose in my throat as disgust washed over me. ”Your father never discovered these beatings?” I asked incredulously.

”Never. His marriage to Claire is miserable, so he buries himself in managing our legitimate businesses across the city. Lila refused to tell him and wouldn’t let me say anything either. I was terrified of what Claire might do to her if I spoke up and she remained under that roof.”

”Why not report it to authorities?” I demanded, though I already suspected the answer in our world.

”Because the police captain’s wife is Claire’s closest friend from their charity circle. That captain would do anything his wife asked, including covering up any Sullivan family business or Justin’s messes with other families.” Beckett’s expression revealed his helplessness within the web of corruption.

”Tell me about your biological mother,” I pressed. ”She died during childbirth, but was there an autopsy by the family doctor?”

”No autopsy. My father couldn’t bear it. We had left the estate that morning for a meeting, with my mother staying home with the trusted housekeeper. The baby wasn’t expected for some time. When we returned from the negotiations, the housekeeper said mother went into labor suddenly. There wasn’t time to fetch our family physician from his practice downtown.”

Beckett paused, collecting himself. ”She called a midwife instead, someone Claire supposedly knew from her previous work in our money management operations. The baby was stillborn, and my mother died shortly after. My father contacted his doctor friend who determined she died from hemorrhaging. The baby apparently suffocated with the umbilical cord around its neck.”

”Nathaniel still blames himself for not being there during the family crisis,” Katarina murmured, squeezing her husband’s hand supportively.

”How did Claire enter the picture in your family’s organization?” I asked.

”She worked in our art acquisition division. My grandfather was still running everything then, managing all our legitimate fronts and underground operations. My parents had separated briefly because my mother suspected infidelity with someone from a rival family. During that time apart, Claire grew close to my father and they were together several times during business trips.”

Beckett’s gaze turned distant. ”Father eventually regretted it, ended things with Claire, and reconciled with my mother. He confessed everything, and mother forgave him. Soon after, mother discovered she was pregnant. Then Claire announced she was pregnant too.”

”My mother-in-law knew about Claire’s pregnancy,” Katarina interjected. ”Claire left the city, and periodically, Nathaniel’s father would visit her with money and check on her condition while maintaining family secrecy.”

”Soon after my mother died, father went to see Claire and discovered she’d given birth recently. When he returned home, he was already married to her. That’s when our nightmare began under her reign,” Beckett finished grimly.

”Did your father search for the midwife after the tragedy?” I asked, remembering they’d mentioned her absence when they arrived home.

”He tried. But she’d vanished from the city completely. Disappeared without a trace, which is suspicious in our circles.”

”And the housekeeper? What else did she say about that day?”

”Nothing more. After the funeral, she told father she couldn’t continue working for our family—too traumatized by what happened—and she quit her position.”

”Do you know where she is now?”

”In the cemetery. Shortly after leaving the estate, she was found in the city river. Police ruled it an accidental drowning, but we know better.”

”How long had she worked for your family’s household?” The circumstances were becoming increasingly suspicious in typical family fashion.

”Not long, that’s all. Just long enough to gain trust.”

”What a twisted situation,” Jude commented, eyes wide. ”Nobody saw this midwife except the housekeeper who conveniently died afterward.”

”Want to hear something even more disturbing?” Katarina looked between us. ”Claire registered Lila with the exact same name as my mother-in-law’s deceased daughter.”

”Wait—the baby who died was going to be named Lila?” Jude looked horrified.

”Exactly. Nothing could persuade her to choose a different name. She insisted, and Lila received the name of her half-sister who died at birth,” Katarina confirmed.

”That woman has serious psychological issues,” Jude muttered, matching my own thoughts about Claire’s obsession.

”Indeed,” Beckett nodded. ”Lila grew up with this woman as her tormentor rather than her mother. I defended her whenever possible, but eventually, I couldn’t stand living in that compound anymore. Claire’s cruelty combined with Justin turning my father against me constantly drove me to move in with my grandparents’ estate upstate. I told them everything about the family situation.”

”That’s why when my grandfather died, he left nothing to Justin in his will. He believed bad people with money and power only become more dangerous people. He left substantial funds for Lila, plus shares in all our legitimate companies. The same for me, but nothing for Justin or my father. Claire was furious when she discovered this and intensified her mistreatment of Lila, constantly claiming that Lila’s inheritance rightfully belonged to Justin.”

”Their grandfather owned nearly all the family assets,” Katarina elaborated. ”The estate, companies, urban properties, art collection, and most of their wealth from both legitimate and underground sources. My father-in-law only has their city house, a portion of the art business, and whatever he earned working under his father. Everything else belongs to Beckett and Lila.”

”Are you saying that sweet, humble Lila is actually wealthy beyond measure?” Jude asked incredulously, mirroring my own surprise.

”She has enough money and assets to live luxuriously without ever working. You didn’t know?” Katarina responded.

”No. Lila lives simply. She doesn’t spend extravagantly and isn’t impressed by material wealth or family power,” I confirmed. ”This could explain why Claire wants to drag her back to the compound.”

”Without question,” Beckett agreed. ”The beating she gave Lila before she came here was to force her to sign power of attorney for her assets. I’d warned Lila, so she endured the beating but refused to sign. My grandfather named me guardian of Lila’s assets until she reached adulthood. Even after that, she asked me to continue managing her inheritance. I have her power of attorney and deposit business profits into her account regularly. It will stay this way as long as she wants.”

”That’s fortunate for her security,” I nodded. ”Beckett, show Jude those photographs.”

Beckett showed Jude the pictures of his mother and Claire, and Jude’s reaction matched my earlier astonishment.

”This woman definitely stole your mother’s baby. I don’t know how, but Lila isn’t Claire’s biological daughter,” Jude declared, voicing our shared suspicion.

”Daniel, how can we confirm this?” Beckett asked anxiously. ”Lila suffers tremendously because her supposed mother despises her.”

”DNA testing seems the obvious solution. But we’d need samples from both of them. I’m not sure how we’ll manage that without Lila discovering everything. Since your father doesn’t want her knowing this family history, legal channels are closed to us,” I explained.

”Exactly. Lila doesn’t know about father’s affair with Claire or that she shares a name with the baby who died. But the real challenge will be getting Claire to provide a DNA sample,” Beckett said grimly.

”We’ll find a way to obtain those samples,” I replied thoughtfully. ”I’m already formulating a plan that should work.”