"So, my mother is missing? And I have no idea who my father is?" Hannah''s voice was strained. Her nose stung, and a wave of emotion churned inside her. She forced a brittle smile, took a deep breath, and tilted her head back. A single tear escaped and rolled down her cheek, but it was followed by augh that sounded almost like relief.


    "So I wasn''t abandoned after all," she whispered, her fists so tight that her nails dug into her palms, leaving deep crescents in her skin. She didn''t feel the pain. "I was stolen."


    At the orphanage, the director and the other caretakers had always told her a different story. They said her parents had left her on the doorstep, and when the director tried to give her back, they had refused. They''d called her ugly, skinny, a worthless girl. They''d threatened to kill her if the orphanage didn''t take her in.


    Because of that story, the director had always positioned himself as her savior. While the other children were there due to family crises, she was the only one who was simply unwanted. He had constantly reminded her of how her parents had despised her, even iming they had tried to strangle her in his presence.


    So, for her entire childhood, she had been torn. She was grateful to the director for saving her life, but as she grew older, she came to hate him for the things he did to her. She was trapped in a constant state of conflict, feeling like she was going insane.


    "After you were taken, the Temple familyunched a massive search," Peter exined. "We checked every orphanage, big and small, and even had people monitoring the roads, checking every newborn baby that passed through. But somehow, whoever took you managed to hide youpletely. We never found a trace. It wasn''t until I saw you in the elevator that day... you look so much like my sister. That''s when I asked Samuel to look into it."


    At the mention of this, Samuel swallowed hard and quickly poured Hannah a ss of wine.


    "Hannah, I''m so sorry," he said, his voiceced with guilt. "That day I brought you the cupcake... it was a pretext to get your DNA. I know it was a terrible thing to do, but... my uncle made me do it!" He pointed an using finger at Peter.


    Peter, unbothered by the betrayal, simply nodded in acknowledgment.


    Hannah just shook her head, still in a daze. She ran her fingers over the DNA report, the paper feeling unreal beneath her touch.


    "Can we do another test?" she asked, the wordsing out on their own. "In person. For confirmation."


    It wasn''t that she suspected them of fabricating the results for some hidden motive. She just needed to. see it for herself, to make it feel real.


    "Of course," Peter agreed immediately. "The hospital has my sister''s DNA on file.


    When would be a good time for you?"


    "Tomorrow at noon," she said without hesitation.


    "Done."


    Hannah asked more questions about her mother, and though she had never met the woman, listening to their stories made her feetas it she had known her off her life.


    "Hannah," Samuel said, his eyes shining with excitement, "if the test tomorrow confirms it, you''ll have toe home and be formally. weed into the family. Grandpa will be overjoyed when he finds out."