Chapter 10
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I left the guest room to find the apartment empty. Logan was probably still talking with Victoria. I poured myself a glass of water, wondering what to do next.
Just then, the doorbell rang. I hesitated, unsure whether to answer. Perhaps Logan had forgotten his key?
I approached the door and through the peephole saw Bianca standing outside. My heart raced as I instinctively stepped back.
"Zoe, I know you're in there," Bianca's voice came through the door. "We need to talk."
I didn't respond, hoping she'd think the apartment was empty.
"If you don't open the door, I'll tell everyone you broke into Logan's apartment," she threatened. "Imagine that scene: an obsessed cleaner breaking into her boss's home."
I knew she was serious. She was fully capable of creating such a lie, and people would believe her.
Taking a deep breath, I opened the door but remained cautious. "What do you want, Bianca?"
She pushed the door open and forced her way into the apartment. "We need to talk, privately."
I stepped back, keeping my distance. "We have nothing to discuss."
Bianca's expression turned serious. "Logan went to see Victoria, didn't he? He's trying to convince her you're Daphne."
I didn't answer, but my expression probably revealed the truth.
"Listen, Zoe," Bianca suddenly became surprisingly calm. "This has all gotten too complicated. Maybe it's time to end this farce."
"What do you mean?" I asked warily.
"I can give you money," she offered. "Enough to start a new life. You can leave this city, go anywhere you want."
I looked at her incredulously. "You think I'd accept a bribe?"
"It's not a bribe," Bianca defended. "It's a solution. You get the freedom you want, I get the life I want."
"And what about the truth?" I countered. "The truth just gets buried?"
Bianca's expression turned cold. "Truth? The truth is I'm the heiress, and you're a cleaner who'll be thrown out sooner or later. That's the truth."
Her words stung, but I was no longer hurt by them as before. "No, Bianca. The truth is you're lying. You're not Daphne Blackwood—I am."
Panic flashed in Bianca's eyes, but she quickly regained composure. "Prove it. Oh wait, you can't. Because DNA tests have proven I'm Victoria's daughter."
"Logan's test proves I am," I said firmly.
"Logan's test?" Bianca mocked. "No one will believe that. He's clearly been bewitched by you."
Just then, we heard keys in the lock. The door opened, and Logan and Victoria walked in.
Victoria saw Bianca and her expression turned serious. "Bianca, what are you doing here?"
Bianca instantly transformed, her coldness vanishing, replaced by feigned concern. "Mother! I was worried about you. Logan bringing you to this place..."
"Enough, Bianca," Victoria interrupted, her voice carrying a firmness I'd never heard before. "I've heard enough lies."
Bianca's expression froze. "What... what do you mean?"
Victoria walked toward me, her eyes filled with complex emotions—remorse, hope, and a deep longing. "Zoe... or should I call you Daphne?"
I felt my heart race, unsure how to respond.
"Logan showed me all the evidence," Victoria continued. "The scars on your back that perfectly match Daphne's injuries after the accident. The new DNA test results. And the investigation into your foster parents and Bianca."
Tears filled her eyes. "I thought I'd found my daughter, but I was blinded. Blinded by my own desperate hope."
Bianca looked as if she'd been struck. "Mother, you can't believe them! They're lying!"
"No, Bianca," Victoria said calmly. "The liar is you."
Bianca's expression changed from shock to anger. "You choose to believe a cleaner and a man blinded by love over your own daughter?"
"You're not my daughter," Victoria said firmly. "DNA doesn't lie, but people do. You manipulated the test and deceived me."
Bianca looked like she might collapse, but she quickly regained composure. A dangerous gleam flashed in her eyes.
Suddenly, she pulled a small knife from her bag and quickly grabbed me, pressing the cold blade against my throat.
"Don't move!" she screamed, her voice filled with desperation and madness.
Logan and Victoria froze, their faces showing shock and fear.
"Bianca, calm down," Logan said slowly, raising his hands to show he meant no harm. "Put down the knife. We can talk."
"Talk about what?" Bianca sneered, pressing the blade tighter against my skin. "About how you've ruined everything? About how I've lost everything?"
I felt the cold blade and her trembling arm, fear making it hard to breathe.
"Mother," Bianca turned to Victoria, her voice suddenly soft, almost pleading. "You can't do this to me. I'm your daughter, remember? The months we spent together, the laughter, the embraces..."
Victoria's eyes filled with tears as she took a small step forward. "Bianca, please put down the knife. Don't hurt her."
"Why?" Bianca screamed. "Why is she more important than me? I'm the one who's been by your side!"
"I know," Victoria said softly, her voice trembling with emotion. "I know you've been there. But this isn't the solution, Bianca."
Bianca's hand pressed harder, and I felt a sting, knowing the blade had broken skin. "I need money," she finally said. "Enough to leave this country and start a new life."
Victoria nodded without hesitation. "Of course, as much as you want. Just let her go."
"Money first," Bianca insisted. "Transfer it to my account. Now."
Victoria took out her phone and began operating it. "I'm transferring it now, Bianca. Please stay calm."
Logan took advantage of Bianca's focus on Victoria to quietly move closer to us. His eyes told me to stay calm—he had a plan.
"Done," Victoria said, holding up her phone screen for Bianca to see. "One million dollars, transferred to your account."
Bianca's breathing quickened, greed and hesitation flickering in her eyes. "I need to confirm."
She released one hand to reach for her phone, and in that moment, Logan suddenly acted. He grabbed Bianca's knife-wielding wrist and twisted it upward while pulling me away from danger.
Bianca screamed as the knife fell from her hand. Logan quickly subdued her on the ground while Victoria rushed to me, holding me tightly.
"My daughter," she cried, her trembling hands checking the wound on my neck. "Are you alright?"
I nodded, though my whole body was still shaking. "I'm fine, just a scratch."
Logan used his tie to bind Bianca's hands behind her back, then took out his phone to call the police. Bianca lay on the floor, the madness in her eyes gone, replaced by a hollow despair.
"Why?" she asked softly, her voice broken. "Why am I never good enough?"
Victoria looked at her, complex emotions in her eyes—anger, compassion, and a deep sadness. "This isn't about being good enough, Bianca. This is about truth."
The police arrived quickly and took Bianca away. As she was led out, she looked back at me once, no longer with hatred in her eyes, but with a strange acceptance.
"It's over," Logan said, coming to my side and gently taking my hand. "It's finally over."
Victoria wiped away tears and nodded. "Yes, it's over. But our new life is just beginning."
Victoria gently held my hands, her fingers trembling slightly. "Zoe... no, Daphne, I owe you an apology. An apology words cannot express."
Her voice choked, tears flowing. "I should have recognized my own daughter. But I was blinded by fifteen years of waiting and hope."
My heart tumbled in my chest, emotions complex. Part of me wanted to embrace her; another part felt hurt by her distrust.
"When Bianca appeared, I was so desperate to believe a miracle had happened that I ignored all the doubts. I chose to believe a lie rather than listen to my heart," Victoria continued, tears falling.
I looked down at our clasped hands, my own tears beginning to flow. Fifteen years of loneliness and longing, fifteen years of questions and pain—all emotions surfaced in this moment.
"I refused to listen to Logan's doubts, refused to see the evidence. Worse, I hurt you, my real daughter. I tried to pay you off."
"That hurt," I said softly, my voice trembling. "When you handed me that envelope, I felt like nothing—just a nuisance that could be bought off."
Victoria's face twisted with pain. "I can't imagine what you've endured these fifteen years. Abused, living in lies, then rejected by your own mother."
I took a deep breath. "I always dreamed of finding my real family, being loved, being accepted. But when I finally found you, you chose to believe someone else."
"I don't expect you to forgive me immediately." Victoria gripped my hands as if afraid I'd disappear. "But from now on, I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you. If you'll give me that chance."
I looked at the sincerity and remorse in her eyes, feeling the ice in my heart begin to melt. Though the hurt remained, I could also feel her love and determination.
"I need time," I finally said, my voice soft but firm. "This has all happened so fast. But... I'm willing to try."
Victoria's face lit up with hope. "That's all I could ask for. We can take it slow, at your pace."
I nodded, feeling a strange peace. In this moment, I'd finally found belonging. I was no longer the abandoned orphan, no longer the cleaner no one cared about. I was Daphne Blackwood—I'd found my family, my identity.
Logan stood nearby, a warm smile on his face. When our eyes met, I saw understanding and support in his. He knew this path wouldn't be easy, but he would be there, accompanying me every step of the way.
