Chapter 350

I sat on the bed shaking with frustration and anger when Victor rushed into the room. He sat on the bed and pulled me into his arms.

“Do they have fiction writers who get paid to make this stuff up!” I cried. “Everyone who knows me knows Betas raised me until I was seventeen.”

“That’s how we fight this lie,” Victor said. “We use the hundreds of people who know the truth.”

“There is also documentation of my Beta life,” I added. “My school report cards until my senior year say I’m a Beta. So do my identification cards.”

Victor poured a cup of coffee and handed me my cup. “Do you still have them?”

“Yep,” I replied and gulped my coffee. I needed the caffeine to deal with the latest propaganda.

“Do you want me to call Shane to help you interview people?” Victor asked.

“I’ll do it,” I said. “But let’s go downstairs for breakfast first. I’m starving.”

“No need, Miss,” Benson said from the doorway. He was carrying a tray loaded with eggs, sausage, fruit, and croissants.

Benson placed the tray in front of us and left the room.

The food was delicious. Victor and I finished everything before he returned the tray to the kitchen while I called Shane.

He was glad to hear from me. “Your speech at last night's peace rally was great,” he said.

“Thanks, but I shouldn’t have mentioned being raised as a Beta.” I sighed.

“Because now the faction is using it against you?” he guessed.

“Yep,” I replied. “And I need your help again.”

“Anytime, Daisy,” Shane assured me. “You don’t deserve any of this. How can I help?”

“I have documentation of being a Beta until Benson helped Alex find me when I was seventeen,” I said. “And many people knew me back then, so I thought we could put together a video and an article.”

“That sounds like fun,” he said. “I’ll meet you at the mansion in a little while.”

We disconnected, and I hurried to get dressed and downstairs.

I ran into Victor in the foyer. “What did Shane say?” he asked.

“He’s on his way here,” I replied. “Are you going to your office?”

He nodded. “I know it’s Sunday, but I should spend a few hours at my desk.”

“I understand.” I pressed myself against his hard body and kissed him. “I’ll be busy anyhow.”

He hugged me tightly. “We’ll stay in touch every few hours, and I told Benson I’d be back for dinner.”

I kissed him long and hard. “I’m looking forward to it.”

Shane arrived a few minutes after Victor left for The Association. He had brought two digital video cameras with him and showed me how to use them.

We settled in the living room with my file of documents.

“How many people are we interviewing?” Shane asked.

“Hundreds of people knew me when I was a Beta,” I replied. “How many do you think would be the most effective?”

“They should be a mix of Alphas and Betas and reliable citizens,” he replied. “I’d like to interview you with your documents and then your butler.”

“Benson is the one who found me for Alex,” I said. “He would make a good witness.”

“Who else can you think of?” Shane asked.

“My friend Amy?” I asked.

Shane nodded. “What about your high school principal?”

“Yeah, Principal Jones would remember me,” I said. “And there was a neighbor, Mrs. Lynn, who lived next to my adoptive parents. She was always nice to me.”

“I’ll tackle Principal Jones after we interview Benson,” Shane offered. “You take Amy and the neighbor.”

“Sure,” I answered.

Shane picked up a camera. “First, I’ll interview you.”

Nervousness made my stomach flutter. I ignored the camera and tried to concentrate on talking to Shane.

“Daisy, tell me how you came to be raised by a Beta family?” Shane asked.

I explained on camera how I was lost to Alex when my mother died.

“It was no secret, and many people should remember the car accident, along with my father’s very public search for me when he thought he was dying.”

I then showed the camera my old ID cards and report cards that listed me as a Beta.

Then Shane moved on to Benson, who recounted Alex’s sad years after the accident and the intense search for me when I was seventeen.

“Daisy was waiting for her DNA blood test,” he remembered. “When she removed her glasses, I knew she was Alex’s daughter. She looked just like her mother at the same age.”

When Shane was satisfied that he had enough from Benson, he asked about my adoptive parents.

“Instead of the neighbor, your adoptive family would be excellent witnesses to prove you were raised as a Beta,” he said. “Do you think they would talk to us?”

“I’ll call them before I text Amy, and I’ll let you know,” I said.

I haven’t seen the Smiths in over a year. That was the day I returned to their house, where I was raised, with a handful of maids to retrieve my belongings when I moved into the mansion with Alex.

I didn’t miss the Smiths, and I'm sure they didn’t miss me. It felt wrong to go to them because I needed something, but I’m sure they would want something from me in return.

After looking up Cecilia’s cell number, I braced myself and called.

“Is this really you, Daisy?” Cecilia asked.

“Yeah, Cecilia, it’s me,” I said. “I hate to bother you, but ….”

“You need something, right?” she said. “I hope it’s not a place to stay because I turned your bedroom into a sitting room for Andrea.”

I’d rather live in a cardboard box than spend a second in that house, but I held my tongue.

“No, I have a place to live,” I assured her. “Have you seen the news lately?”

“No, we are a little behind on the cable bill,” she replied. “Why?”

I explained about the faction trying to get people against Victor and me and told her they were now calling me a liar for saying I was raised a Beta.

“Anyhow, I was hoping you and Andrew might talk about how you raised me on camera,” I said. “Just tell everybody the truth to set the record straight.”

Cecilia was silent for a long moment. She was trying to decide what could be in it for her.

Finally, she spoke. “I’d be glad to help you out. So will Andrew and Andrea. But we could use some help too.

“How much help?” I asked calmly. Shane was right. An interview with my adoptive parents would convince more people than my old ID cards.

“A hundred thousand in cash to talk on camera,” she replied. “And I’ve got the paperwork from your adoption. You can have a copy for fifty thousand more.”

“That should take care of the cable bill,” I mumbled.

“What?” Cecilia asked. “I didn’t hear you. You weren’t smart-mouthing me, I hope, especially when you’re asking for a favor.

“Not at all, Cecilia,” I assured her. “A hundred and fifty thousand is fine. Can you do it this afternoon?”

“If you bring the cash,” she replied. “You know what time we get home from work.”

“I’ll be there around four,” I said. “Thank you, Cecilia.”

Then I called Amy. She was with Elliot Gray at the apartment above the restaurant. She told me to come over for cannolis Elliot had just made.

I hurried over with the camera. Mr. Gray’s cannolis are fantastic.

Amy let me into the apartment, and I sat at the kitchen table. Mr. Gray poured me a cup of dark roast and handed me a dessert plate with two yummy cannoli.

I stuck a finger into the sweet, creamy filling and put it into my mouth. Rolling my eyes with pleasure, I mumbled, “Mmm, good.”

“What’s with the camera?” Amy asked.

I explained before biting into one of the cannolis.

“It might be better if you used Dad for this interview,” Amy suggested. “People saw me defend you about the robbery at Lucy’s. And Dad is a well-known chef.”

I turned to Elliot Gray. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to interview you.”

“I’d be glad to do it, Daisy,” the chef said. “Finish your cannoli, and I’ll put on a clean shirt.” He left the room to change.

“I have to interview Cecilia and Andrew later,” I told Amy. My stomach felt a little sick when I thought about it.

“They’re willing to help you?” Amy asked.

“For a hundred and fifty thousand bucks, they are.” I made a mental note to stop at the bank on my way back to the mansion.

“They haven’t changed a bit,” Amy said.

“Fortunately, I have,” I reminded myself. I wouldn’t let them hurt me anymore.