She pulled open the drawer and found a lighter inside.
Once Ileana hadposed herself, she grabbed both the medical report and the lighter, heading straight for the bathroom. She watched as the report crumbled <b>into </b>ash, flushed away atst with a rush of water. Only then did she copse onto the sofa, limp with relief.
Her heart was pounding wildly, reminding her exactly what she’d just done.
“Did you bring back the test results?” Karen and Zachary had just returned home, immediately noticing the opened envelope on the table.
“Y–yeah… I did.”
Ileana had just stepped out of little Ivan’s room, her face a bit pale. She managed a weak smile and nodded in response.
Karen saw the look on her face and set aside the report, barely ncing at it before hurrying over. She reached out to feel lleana’s forehead.
“Sweetheart, you look a little under the weather. Are you feeling alright?”
“I’m fine… Ivan kept crying, and I just got him to sleep. I’m sorry, Mom….” As she spoke, two big tears rolled down her cheeks.
“What’s wrong? What happened, darling? Don’t cry, it’s alright.” Karen pulled her into a gentle hug, stroking her hair and wiping away her tears.
“What happened? Did Ivan give you a hard time?” Zachary came over, concern in
his voice.
“I didn’t watch him closely enough. I was distracted opening a package and he bumped his arm–it’s just a little bruise, but he wouldn’t stop crying. I tried reading the report to calm him down, but he tore it up…”
The more lleana exined, the more her voice trembled, her shoulders shaking with sobs. Karen’s heart ached to see her like this.
“It’s okay, sweetheart. We’ll just get a new er, Little kids trip and fall all the time–it’s not your fault.” Karen soothed her, rubbing her back gently.
“Exactly. There’s nothing to apologize for. You’re still a kid yourself, a
‘ou did great getting Ivan to sleep,” Zachary said, ruffling her hair with his usual kindness.
“When your dad gets home tonight, we’ll go out for a big dinner to reward our <ol start="12"><li>12. </li></ol>
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hard–<b>working </b>little princess<b>, </b>Karen said, yfully pinching Ileana’s cheek and brushing away thest of her tears.
“Wipe those tears, little crybaby, and go pick out your prettiest princess <b>dress</b>,” Zachary chimed in, grinning.
Between the two of them, their back–and–forth finally coaxed a smile from Ileana.
The next day, Ileana quietly slipped out and made her way to a private detective agency. Everything went smoothly–she’d saved up plenty of allowance from the Morton family, and although she tended to be a bit of a spender, most of her treats were gifts from Karen or her older brothers. Her own savings had added up over
time.
This kind of agency had connections in all sorts of fields, and catered specifically to wealthy clients. Once they epted a job, they always delivered results.
Ileana knew this, but waiting for answers was torture. She spent the next several days distracted and anxious, so much so that the Mortons worried she was upset about something and showered her with extra affection.
Thankfully, the agency worked quickly–less than a weekter, they contacted Ileana and told her they had uncovered the truth from all those years ago.
“Where is it?” she asked, her voice tight with nerves, ncing over her shoulder as if afraid someone she knew might spot her.
The man in charge slid a folder across the desk. “Everything’s in here.”
“Twelve years ago, both families were admitted to the same hospital. I checked the records from back then–turns out you and the other child were put in the same. room. It looks like a nurse mixed up your ID bracelets by mistake.”
Ileana’s face went white, her fingers crumpling the corner of the papers.
“And… what about their family?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.