Reclaiming the Throne

We pulled up to a rickety old house. I hurried myself to walk inside, standing in the corner of the living room, trying to make sense of the chaos unraveling around me. The place—it was functional, cold, and barren of the luxury I had thought defined him. Just four walls, a couch that looked like it belonged to a garage sale, and an air of suffocating tension.

Mom—no, Dr. Chelsea, because I wasn't even sure of what Calvin told me. I stood a few feet away, pacing furiously. Her sharp voice sliced through the silence like a whip.

I could remember in the car, they were arguing about what Calvin did. And now, Dr. Chelsea had the courage to confront him.

Of course, Dr. Chelsea won't ask if he's telling the truth. She knows he is. Calvin got her trust, that's what I noticed.

"Calvin, you’ve gone too far this time! You switched my baby? Who even does that?!"

Calvin leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his face unreadable. "I did what I had to do, Chelsea. You don’t understand the stakes here."

"I don’t understand?" she snapped, her voice rising. "You stole my child, Calvin! You let me believe Kristie was mine while you hid Kelsey away like some... some pawn in your twisted little game!"

I sat frozen, watching them go back and forth like a tennis match. My head felt like it was about to explode from all the revelations being thrown at me.

Calvin’s voice dropped, but it somehow felt even sharper. "Do you think I wanted to do this?" he said, gazing back at Dr. Chelsea, “Jerome—your ex, Kelsey's real father—was ready to kill Kelsey before she even took her first steps! I saved her life!"

Dr. Chelsea flinched as if she’d been slapped. For the first time since this nightmare started, she looked… shaken. "W-What? How did you know what he was planning?”

Calvin exhaled slowly, his gaze dropping to the floor. "Because I used to work for him."

The words sucked the air out of the room. I sat up straighter, my heart pounding.

“You what?!” Dr. Chelsea’s stern voice echoed.

He looked at me then, his expression softening just enough to make it worse. "It was a long time ago. Before Kelsey was born. I worked for Jerome, handling… things. Business. But I left the moment I realized what he was planning to do."

"Business?" Dr. Chelsea said bitterly. "You mean his drug empire? His mafia dealings? You worked for him, Calvin, and now you expect us to trust you? After everything?"

"I don’t expect you to trust me now. Yeah, I lied to you," he admitted, his voice quieter now. "But I do expect you to understand. Kelsey was never safe with Jerome. And when I found out Don Lucas,” he looked at me, “your grandfather wanted you to inherit the family’s fortune, I knew it was only a matter of time before Jerome acted. Jerome was Don Lucas's son. He couldn't accept that he was not the heir."

The words hung in the air like a noose. I hugged my knees tighter, my mind racing. "So, let me get this straight," I said, my voice trembling. "My biological father is some mafia prince who doesn’t want me alive because my grandfather wanted me to inherit… what? Blood money? A drug empire?!"

Calvin nodded grimly. "It’s more than just money, Kelsey. It’s power. Influence. And yes, the darker side of things. Jerome sees you as a threat to everything he’s built."

I looked at Dr. Chelsea, searching for some kind of anchor in all this. Her face was pale, her hands trembling as she pressed them to her temples. "I-I don’t even know what to say," she whispered. "don’t even know how… to fix this."

"You can’t fix it," Calvin said bluntly. "But you can protect her. We can protect her. Together."

"Protect me from what, exactly?" I demanded, standing up. "This isn’t my fight! I didn’t ask for any of this!"

Calvin’s eyes met mine, steady and unwavering. "No, you didn’t. But it’s your legacy, whether you like it or not. And if Jerome finds out you’re alive, he won’t stop until you’re gone."

The room fell into a heavy silence. I wanted to scream… to cry, to wake up from this nightmare, but all I could do was stand there, numb.

After a long pause, Dr. Chelsea straightened, her voice resolute. "But the birthmark you said, Calvin, it might be burned because of the... explosion. We need proof. If what you’re saying is true, then we’ll do a DNA test. We need to know for sure."

Calvin nodded, then walked towards me. He insisted on getting a few strands of our hair and carefully sealed it in separated plastics.

Calvin nodded. "The hair strands will prove. Let's wait for the results."

After a few days, Calvin got the result. He called us to the tiny living room, the envelope with the DNA results resting on the coffee table like a ticking time bomb.

NOBODY moved.

"Y-You open it," I finally said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Dr. Chelsea hesitated, then reached for the envelope with trembling hands. She tore it open, her eyes scanning the paper inside. The room felt like it was holding its breath.

Her voice broke the silence. "Probability of maternity: 99.99%."

She let out a shaky breath, her hands dropping to her lap as she turned to me. "Y-You’re my daughter, Kelsey. You’re really mine."

Something inside me cracked. I wanted to feel relief, joy, something, but all I felt was exhaustion. I nodded, my voice hoarse. "Okay."

Calvin leaned forward, his expression unreadable. "Now you understand what’s at stake. Jerome can’t find out about this. We need to figure out a plan."

Dr.Chel—Mom glared at him, her protective instincts flaring. "No. I need to figure out a plan. You’ve done enough damage, Calvin."

He didn’t argue, but his eyes flicked to me, as if silently reminding me that this wasn’t over.

And he was right…

Time was running TOO fast. I could remember, I was Kelsey Walton, a former Engineer who’s working with Montenegros’ Construction Company—owned by Gabriel. Now, suddenly, I am a freaking heiress of Don Lucas—said to be a fucking drug lord!