Chapter 66

Agnes

I blinked at Elijah in stunned, terrified silence for a long moment.

He knew. He knew the truth.

He knew about my lies.

I wasn’t sure if I should admit to it or not. If I did, I feared that it might alienate me from Thea for good—that perhaps he would accuse me of trying to take her away, have me finally locked up for good where I’d never see her again.

But on the other hand, I knew that Elijah was better than that. He would listen to me, hear me out at the very least. And I wanted to tell him and finally get it off my chest. I wanted to tell him so badly that I could feel the words claw at the back of my throat, desperate to get out.

But they stayed there, burning on my tongue. I couldn’t speak.

Elijah didn’t move. He stood a few feet away, his arms loosely crossed but his shoulders relaxed, like he was trying to keep himself open—like he wanted me to know he wasn’t angry. But the stern, distrusting weight behind his gaze was hard to meet.

I hated that. I could stand it when Elijah was frustrated or brooding or grumpy in the mornings. But this felt like something else entirely; it was as if he was just barely holding on, trying to be understanding and hear my side of the story while a protective sort of fury was bubbling just beneath his skin.

But I knew that I had to tell him, otherwise it would just make matters worse.

“I—” I cut myself off, exhaling hard as I tried to gather my thoughts. “Yes, it’s true. I tested Thea’s hair twice.”

The confession hung in the silent air for several long moments. Elijah’s eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn’t interrupt.

“I sent in an initial DNA test to see if she’s mine,” I added, forcing myself to continue. “A while ago. It came back negative, but… I did it again.” I swallowed, feeling my hands tremble. “I know it doesn’t make sense, but I couldn’t let it go. I feel—”

My voice broke off again, and I hated how raw my throat had become. But I bit down on the inside of my cheek, forcing the words out even though I wanted to shove them back down where they belonged.

“I feel like she’s mine,” I finished quietly. “Like she might be the daughter that was taken from me all those years ago.”

Elijah’s expression didn’t change. If he was surprised, then he was hiding it exceptionally well.

He didn’t speak right away, and I could feel my heart thudding painfully against my ribs in the silence that followed. I braced myself for the inevitable questions—accusations, even. Maybe he thought I was accusing him of stealing my baby, or that I was losing my grip on reality.

I wouldn’t have blamed him. Everyone else thought those things about me.

But Elijah’s voice was calm when he finally spoke.

“Agnes, I’m sorry, but I just don’t think Thea is your daughter.”

The words were gentle but firm, and I felt the ache in my chest crack wide open.

I nodded, trying to keep the tears from surfacing. I had expected that response, but somehow, hearing it aloud made it sting way worse than I had imagined.

“I know,” I managed, even though my throat felt tight. “I know it’s not logical. I know the first test came back negative, but—”

“No, I mean…” Elijah cut me off, raking a hand through his hair. “I know she’s my daughter. I did a paternity test when Olivia showed up with her as a baby. And I know I never…” He hesitated, glancing at me carefully. “I would remember if I slept with you, Agnes.”

His words were meant to be reassuring, but they felt like ice water down my spine. I dropped my gaze to the floor, gripping the edge of the counter so tightly that I thought I might crack the marble.

“I wasn’t saying that,” I said quietly. “I just—” I stopped, shaking my head. I wasn’t even sure what I was going to say.

Elijah stepped closer, his voice softer now. “Then what are you saying?”

I hesitated for a moment too long. I didn’t want to say it. I didn’t want to open that door.

But Elijah’s hand brushed my arm, just the barest hint of contact, and the dam broke.

“I think I was drugged,” I whispered. The words felt like lead as they slipped out. “The night my daughter was conceived. I don’t remember who it was. I never saw his face. But for a little bit, I wondered if maybe…”

I trailed off, shaking my head again as I fought to steady my voice.

“But then I thought that the most logical explanation was that maybe our children could have been switched at birth,” I admitted, barely above a whisper. “Or that somehow, by some horrible twist of fate, Olivia… stole her. I know it’s far-fetched and cruel of me to say, but I had to check. I had to know for sure.”

Elijah was silent for a long time. I could feel his eyes on me, reading between the lines of what I wasn’t saying.

Finally, he shifted, exhaling through his nose. “Agnes,” he said carefully, “Olivia had postpartum depression. Diagnosed by the doctor. It’s why she… It’s part of why things happened the way they did.”

I stiffened, feeling the familiar flicker of protectiveness stir deep in my gut. Thea’s abuse. The divorce. The reason why Thea hated her.

“Despite everything, she is Thea’s mother,” Elijah continued gently. “I didn’t witness the pregnancy, but the doctors confirmed it afterward. There’s no doubt about it.”

I tried to nod, but the movement felt jerky and disjointed. I forced myself to take a shaky breath.

“I’m sorry,” I said finally, my voice thin and fragile. “I shouldn’t have gone behind your back. I know I probably broke whatever trust we had left. I just…” I swallowed hard, feeling the tears welling up in my eyes despite my best efforts to keep them at bay.

“I’ve been looking for her for so long, Elijah,” I finally bit out, wrapping my arms around myself. “And no one ever believed me. Not the police. Not my family. Everyone thought I was insane for holding onto hope.”

Elijah’s posture shifted slightly, his gaze darkening. I could feel his quiet anger simmering just beneath the surface, but I knew it wasn’t directed at me.

“I don’t think you’re insane,” he said quietly.

I glanced up at him, startled by the certainty in his tone.

He gave a small, almost self-deprecating smile. “You’re persistent,” he added, “but not insane. And I understand why you did what you did. If I were in your position, I probably would’ve done the same.”

I stared at him, caught off guard by his words. “You’re not mad?”

“I’m not gonna sit here and say I’m exactly thrilled that you did this behind my back,” he admitted with a small shrug, “but I get it. I just want you to be honest with me from now on. Can you do that?”

I swallowed past the lump in my throat and nodded. “Yeah. I can.”

Elijah smiled faintly, his eyes softening as he stepped back. “Good. Now get some sleep.”

I started to turn toward the stairs, but Elijah’s hand suddenly caught mine, his fingers warm and steady as they curled around my palm.

“And,” he added softly, his voice hardly more than a whisper, “we’ll go to the police station to reopen the case on your daughter.”