Daddy Isn't My Father.

Daddy Isn't My Father POV: Ethan Kingsley I spent three full days sitting at my desk going through every single detail of Amelia’s life over the past five years, because I simply refused to believe the woman standing at that gala was a stranger who just happened to look exactly like my ex-wife. I hired a private investigator to pull her hospital records, and when the confidential folder finally landed on my table on Thursday morning, my hands were shaking as I opened the first page and read through the medical documents. "Mr. Kingsley, the birth records from the private clinic show that Lily Lancaster was born exactly eight months after Mrs. Kingsley's car accident," my assistant said as he stood beside my table, pointing his finger at the date stamped in blue ink on the medical report. "Eight months means Amelia was already pregnant when she signed those divorce papers and walked out of our house," I said, leaning back in my chair while staring down at the paper, and my heart was beating so fast against my chest that I could barely catch my breath. "Should I call our legal team to check our options regarding child custody, sir?" my assistant asked, looking at me with a serious expression on his face. "No, don't say a word to any lawyer because I don't want to alert Amelia, and I need to see the child again and find out what else she is hiding from me," I answered, standing up from my seat and grabbing my jacket. "Are you going to confront her at her office today?" he asked, following me toward the door. "No, because she will just call her security team and have me thrown out like she did at the hotel gala, so I need to find another way to get close to them," I replied as we stepped into the hallway. Later that afternoon, I drove over to the kindergarten where Lily was enrolled, parking my black sedan across the street under the shade of the trees so no one would notice me watching the front gate. The bell rang right around three o'clock, and a few minutes later, I saw the small girl in her yellow uniform walking out of the front entrance while carrying her backpack on her shoulders. Before I could even open my car door, a white luxury car pulled up near the gate, and Lucas Hale stepped out of the driver's side wearing a suit without a tie. "Daddy!" Lily shouted at the top of her voice, dropping her small plastic lunchbox on the pavement as she ran toward Lucas with a huge smile on her face. "Slow down, little princess, or you're going to fall on the pavement," Lucas said as he caught her in his arms, swinging her around in the air while she laughed out loud, and then he kissed her cheek before setting her back down on her feet. "I didn't fall, Daddy, and look at the yellow star my teacher put on my hand today," Lily said happily, holding up her small hand to show him the sticker on her skin. "That is amazing, so let's go get some chocolate ice cream before we head back home to see your mother," Lucas said with a soft smile, taking her school bag from her shoulder and holding her hand as they walked toward his vehicle. Hearing that little girl call another man "Daddy" felt like someone slapped me directly across my face, and I gripped my steering wheel so hard that my fingers turned completely white and numb. I couldn't accept that Amelia had built a completely new family with Lucas while I was living in pure regret every single day, and the thought that another man was raising my daughter made my blood boil. Just as Lucas opened the passenger door for Lily, Amelia stepped out from the nearby coffee shop carrying two drinks in her hands, and she smiled as she walked right up to them. "Did she eat all her lunch today, Lucas, or did she hide her vegetables in her napkin again like she did yesterday?" Amelia asked, handing one of the paper cups over to him while smoothing down Lily's hair. "She ate everything today, and her teacher gave her a star for finishing her meal," Lucas replied, and then his eyes drifted across the street toward my car, catching me staring straight at them through my window. Lucas didn't say a word about seeing me, but he deliberately stepped closer to Amelia, reached out his hand, and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her soft body against his side right in front of my eyes. Amelia didn't pull away or complain at all, and she just looked up at Lucas's face and laughed as they shared a joke before helping Lily into the back seat. "Where do you want to go for dinner tonight, Amelia?" Lucas asked loudly enough for his voice to carry across the street, making sure I heard every single word. "Lily wants Italian food, so let's just go to that small restaurant near the park," Amelia answered back, smiling at him before she got into the passenger seat. I sat alone in my car watching them drive away , and a wave of anger and regret hit me so hard that I couldn't even move my hands. If I had just listened to Amelia five years ago instead of taking Sophia's side, slapping her, and signing those divorce papers without thinking, that little girl would be running into my arms and calling me "Daddy" instead of another man. "Sir, are you still waiting outside the school gate?" my investigator asked over the phone when I pressed his speed dial with a shaking hand. "Yes, I am still here, and I need you to handle a very confidential task for me right away," I said, staring at the empty street where Amelia's car had been parked just seconds ago. "What do you need me to do, Mr. Kingsley?" the investigator asked, his voice coming through clearly over my car speaker. "I need you to follow them to the Italian restaurant near the park, wait until they finish eating, and get me a glass or a napkin that the little girl used during dinner so I can run a private DNA test without Amelia finding out," I commanded in a low voice, stepping hard on the gas pedal as I pulled out into the street.