Julian froze entirely in the middle of the hallway.
The quiet sound of party music played far away.
His heart beat heavily against his ribs in silence.
Julian: My daughter?!
Elena: Yes, your real flesh and blood child.
Victoria grabbed Julian's velvet arm with tight fingers.
Victoria: She is lying to get money from our estate!
Julian: Do not speak another word to me, Victoria!
Julian turned back to Elena with wide eyes.
He felt a strange knot tighten inside his chest.
Julian: How could I have a daughter I never met?
Elena: Victoria paid off the hospital staff years ago.
Elena wiped away more tears with her sleeve.
Elena: She made everyone believe the baby did not survive.
Julian: That was four long years ago in summer.
Elena: The little girl lived and was raised in secret.
Julian felt the world spinning all around him fast.
He remembered the deep grief he felt back then.
He had spent months weeping over a lost child.
Now this maid was telling him a different story.
Julian: Why would anyone keep a child away from me?
Victoria: She is a crazy worker trying to ruin us!
Julian: Silence!
Julian glared at Victoria with boiling internal anger.
He saw guilt written all over his wife's face.
Victoria avoided his gaze and looked at the floor.
Elena: She has been drawing your face for three years, but she has never met you...
The words struck Julian like a sharp iron blade.
He thought of a lonely child drawing pictures of him.
Tears welled up in his own stern eyes now.
Julian: Where is she?!
Elena: She is out in the garden right now!
Julian did not wait another single second to act.
He turned away from the broken mirror on floor.
He rushed down the grand hallway toward the doors.