“I had them tested,” she admitted. “They contain a compound that prevents nerve regeneration. Someone wanted Ethan to stay paralyzed.”
Daniel’s chest tightened. “Impossible. Dr. Lewis prescribed them.”
“Yes,” Alicia whispered. “And Sophia made sure he took them every night.”
Her name cut through him like a knife. Sophia had always called Ethan “a burden,” sighing over how tragic his condition was. Could she really…?
That night, Alicia laid a folder on the dinner table. “I know what you did,” she said.
Inside were lab reports, receipts, evidence. Sophia’s smile faded.
“Daniel, she’s lying—”
But Alicia’s voice blazed. “Say it! Admit you poisoned his future because you saw him as an obstacle!”
For a moment, Sophia’s mask dropped. “Ethan was never going to walk. He was nothing but a weight holding us back.”
Daniel’s hands shook as he reached for his phone. “Leave, Sophia. The police will handle the rest.”
The fallout was swift—lawsuits, arrests, headlines. Sophia and Dr. Lewis were charged with fraud and abuse. Daniel ignored the chaos, focusing only on Ethan.
Under Alicia’s care, Ethan made progress. First a toe wiggled. Then he stood, clutching her hands. The day he took his first two shaky steps, Daniel broke down sobbing.
One evening in the garden, Daniel turned to Alicia. “I owe you an apology. I doubted you. I even hurt you. But you never gave up on him.”
Alicia’s eyes softened. “I did it because Ethan deserves a life.”
Daniel nodded. “And now he’ll have one—with you by his side, if you’ll stay.”
She smiled. “As long as he needs me.”
Years later, Ethan crossed the stage at his graduation—slow, unsteady, but walking on his own. Daniel watched through tears, while Alicia clapped the loudest.
His empire no longer defined him. His true legacy was the second chance given to his son—and the family reborn through loyalty, love, and truth.
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