Chapter One
LOGAN
We’d been like that for over an hour.
I was sitting in a chair, my eyes darting between the letter in my hands and the two little girls sitting side-by-side on the king-size bed.
One of them—the one in blue—was looking around, seemingly curious about every detail of the room. The other, in pink, just stared at me with a frightened expression. She hadn’t said a word since they’d arrived.
“Is there any food in that little fridge?” asked the chatty one.
“There should be,” I replied. “Help yourself.”
“Cool!”
She jumped off the bed and went to the minibar.
She opened the door, peered inside, and selected two chocolate bars and two cans of soda.
After carrying them back to the bed, she handed one of each to her sister.
The two of them ate and drank in silence, continuing just as before: one watching me, the other scanning the room.
And I went back to staring at the letter, reading it for the hundredth time.
Logan,
I hope you still remember me. Eleanor Bean. You used to call me Ellie. We went to college together.
Actually, we did more than just go to college. You might not remember that part so well, since your focus was always on studying. But we had fun together during breaks, and some nights at your apartment.
Maybe you remember me from one scare in particular. When that busybody, Mia Silverstone, told you I was pregnant. You came looking for me in my dorm room, and man, Logan… I’d never seen anyone so pale and desperate in my entire life.
I told you what, at the time, was true: I still wasn’t sure.
I was feeling nauseous, and my period was late, but I didn’t want to take a drugstore test. I had a doctor’s appointment scheduled and was going to ask for a real one.
So, the following week, I gave you the definitive answer: it was a false alarm. I wasn’t having your child.
Well… that part wasn’t 100% true.
I was pregnant. But all I could remember was the sheer panic on your face when you asked me about it. All you could say was, “It has to be a false alarm. I can’t have a child right now. It would ruin my career. It would ruin my life.”
I, on the other hand… I really wanted to be a mother.
I always had. And I didn’t even care much about college; I was only there because my parents insisted.
My dream was a career in music. I told you that several times, and all you could say was that my parents were right, that “this music thing” doesn’t get anyone anywhere, and that I should focus on a “real profession.”
Honestly, I always found it ironic to hear that from the son of a super-successful actress.
So, when you were so visibly relieved by my lie, it just confirmed I was doing the right thing. I didn’t want my child to grow up feeling rejected by a father who never wanted them. Or worse, resented for arriving at the “wrong time.”
A month later, I said goodbye and went back to my hometown. I made a living singing in bars and at parties, and I had two beautiful baby girls on my own.
They look just like you, by the way. Have you noticed?
So, six years later, here they are: Anna and Aurora.
They only have my last name, since you weren’t there to register them.
But there’s still time to fix that, isn’t there?
You’re graduated now. I’ve seen that you’ve completed several specializations and become a highly regarded neurologist. The risk of them “ruining your life” is much lower now, I assume.
And you know what? They never ruined mine. It was hard, of course. An insane amount of responsibility, raising them alone with no family support and very little money. But I have never for a single second regretted it. They are the most precious creatures in the world.
Aurora—or Rory, as we call her—is sweet and affectionate, but also shy and insecure.
You’ll need to be patient with her. Anna is her polar opposite: courageous and determined.
She’s not overly affectionate, but she’s fiercely loving.
She’s also deeply suspicious, which will require a lot of patience on your part, too.
I love them more than anything, and I know you will love them, too. I know this feels like I’m abandoning them, but someday they’ll understand I did this out of love. I can’t keep them anymore, and I believe you’ll soon understand why.
Inside the suitcase is a folder with all their documents and everything you might need.
Take good care of them. And when they ask about me… just tell them I had to go on a trip, but that I love them more than my own life.
Yours sincerely,
Eleanor “Ellie” Bean
The next sheet was a power of attorney, signed by Ellie and a judge. It was valid for one month, authorizing me as the girls' legal guardian.
I remembered Ellie well. How could I forget the woman who’d given me the biggest scare of my life?
And according to this letter, it hadn't been a false alarm after all. Unless, of course, she was lying.
My eyes drifted back to the girls. Hell. The resemblance was uncanny. And their age lined up perfectly with that frantic end-of-college fling.
A sharp knock at the door jolted me from my thoughts. I’d already informed the front desk I was expecting someone and to send them right up.
I opened the door to find a familiar, furious face.
Dr. Janet Rodriguez. Family lawyer. And my parents' longtime friend.
“It’s nine o’clock on a Friday night, Logan,” she said, her voice dripping with irritation. Having known me since I was in diapers, she’d never been one for formalities. “I simply can't believe you, of all people, made me run all the way out here to get you out of trouble like this.”
“What are you talking about, Janet? I didn’t even tell you why I called.”
“Maybe the internet did.”
She thrust her phone toward me, the screen displaying a headline from a notorious tabloid site.
“Secret Love Children?
The inside scoop on Dr. Logan Turner, son of actress Trinity Turner, and the two daughters he kept hidden. Click to understand the full story.”
I desperately wanted to click the link. There was nothing in the world I wanted more than to understand this damn situation.
“How did this get out?” I asked, my mind reeling.
“For now, it’s just on one website, and it’s not even a reliable one.
But it will spread. We need to get ahead of it.
” She swept into the room, stopping to scrutinize the girls.
“Damn, Logan… Did they have to look quite so much like you? The first step is a DNA test, but… let’s be honest, that’s just a formality. There’s no way they aren’t yours.”
The two girls just blinked, looking confused by the exchange.
Janet continued, “They even got the names. Can you believe it? So, which one is Aurora, and which one is Anna?”
“I’m Anna,” the one in blue said, her tone suspicious. “She’s Rory.”
“Wow. They’re identical. I remember you at that age, Logan. It’s like they made two carbon copies.”
“Can we have this conversation in private?” I asked Janet through gritted teeth.
I led her to a far corner of the spacious suite, where we could speak without being overheard. I handed my lawyer the letter, and she scanned it quickly.
“Logan, I’m a corporate lawyer. Not a family lawyer.”
“You’re the only one I can trust with this, Janet. I need your help.”
“Now that it’s hit the media? We schedule a DNA test, and you step up. You’ll have to take them home while their mother is missing. This power of attorney gives you temporary guardianship. Honestly, we could have handled this tomorrow. You didn’t need to drag me here in the middle of the night.”
“It’s not just that, Janet. This conference is critical for my career.
I’m in the running for director of the New York Medical Center.
Besides being a good doctor, the director of an institution like that needs to have an impeccable reputation.
You know what they’ll say, right? That I abandoned a pregnant woman. When I didn’t even know!”
“Well, this letter would be a great alibi,” she said. “Only…”
“Only what?”
“It doesn’t mean much without Eleanor here to verify it. Anyone could have written this to make you look better.”
“I can’t find Eleanor in two days. And I’m being introduced to the hospital board tomorrow. If they hear about this…”
She let out a tired sigh. I didn’t blame her; this was a disaster.
“You’re the father of two little girls, and it’s public now.
There’s no changing that. You’re a public figure, Logan, thanks to your family.
Even as the most reclusive of your brothers, no one will believe you’ve been raising them all along.
They’ll think you knew and rejected them.
The only thing that could salvage your reputation is proving you truly had no idea until today. ”
“And how am I supposed to prove that by tomorrow? If the letter isn’t enough, what is?”
She was quiet for a moment, thinking. “What if we had a woman come forward as their mother? Someone to confirm the story that you were completely in the dark.”
“A fake mother?”
“Yes. We officially present the story that she came to you and introduced you to the daughters you never knew you had.”
“I don’t know if I like the idea of a lie this big.”
“It’s only half a lie. You did just meet them. We’d just be providing someone to play the part and corroborate your story.”
At first, the idea seemed utterly absurd and riddled with risk. But the more I thought about it… it would only be for the duration of the conference.
For the CEO position, it would be worth it.
“And where are we supposed to find this person?” I asked.
“Ideally, we hire an actress. I can contact an agency first thing in the morning. If you’re willing to pay a premium, we might have someone by tomorrow afternoon.”
“I’ll pay whatever it costs. But tomorrow afternoon is too late.”
“That’s the best I can do, Logan. Until then, if anyone asks, you make up an excuse.
Or just stay in the room with the girls.
Your presentation isn’t until three. I’ll be here with the actress after lunch, and the four of you can walk in together—like a modern, happy family with two beautiful daughters. ”
The idea was still absurd and risky.
But at this point, what other choice did I have?