Page 87 of Blindsided
The room goes silent. I feel Kori shift closer to me on the sofa, her presence the only thing keeping me from exploding.
“That’s bullshit,” Declan says flatly. “We found documents. Photos.”
“Fabricated,” Dr. Reid admits. “All part of Tomas’s plan.”
“Why would he do that?” Wren asks, her voice sharp with suspicion. “What possible reason could he have for inventing a daughter?”
Dr. Reid looks pained. “To bring you all together. To force you to work as a family one last time.” He turns to me again. “And to reveal the truth about your parentage, Kane. That part was real. Tomas was indeed your biological father.”
I stare at the urn, trying to process this. My father is dead. Has been dead for two years. The sister I never knew but had begun to imagine meeting—she doesn’t exist at all.
“So, there’s no ranch in Alberta?” Kori asks quietly beside me.
“The coordinates are real,” Dr. Reid says. “But what you’ll find there isn’t Tomas and Ella. It’s the final piece of his legacy. For all of you.”
“This is insane,” I mutter, running a hand through my hair. “He put us through all this—sent us chasing ghosts across two continents—for what? A fucking family bonding exercise?”
“In a manner of speaking,” Dr. Reid acknowledges. “Though there was more to it than that.”
“Like what?” Kat demands.
“The Russians, for one. That part of the story was true. Tomas did have enemies in Moscow—powerful ones who remained a threat until quite recently.”
“So, he invented a daughter they’d be looking for,” Rory says slowly, putting it together. “A decoy.”
Dr. Reid nods. “Precisely. While they were searching for a woman who didn’t exist, they weren’t looking too closely at his real children.”
I stand abruptly, unable to sit still any longer. “This is fucked up. All of it.” I pace to the window, staring out at the manicured grounds without really seeing them. “He lied to us. Again. From beyond the grave.”
“He did what he thought was necessary to protect you,” Dr. Reid says quietly.
I whirl around. “Necessary? Was it necessary to make me believe I had a sister out there somewhere? To get my hopes up about meeting her. About finally having answers?”
“Kane,” Declan says, his voice surprisingly gentle. “Sit down. Let’s hear him out.”
I want to refuse, to storm out, to put as much distance as possible between myself and this fresh betrayal. But Kori is watching me, her eyes steady and understanding. For her sake, I return to my seat, though every muscle in my body is tense with the need to flee.
“There’s one more thing,” Dr. Reid says, reaching into his jacket to withdraw an envelope. “A letter from Tomas. To be read only when you all have learned the truth.”
He hands it to Declan, who stares at it for a long moment before breaking the seal.
‘To my children,’Declan reads aloud, his voice steady though I can see the slight tremor in his hands.‘If you’re reading this, then Malcolm has told you the truth. I am gone, and there is no Ella. I apologize for the deception, but not for the journey it has taken you on.’
Declan pauses, clearing his throat before continuing.
‘Kane, I know the revelation of your parentage must have come as a shock. I wish I could have told you myself, face to face, but my illness progressed too quickly. Know that I loved your mother deeply, and that giving you up was the hardest choice I ever made. I hope you can forgive me someday. Declan, you have always been the rock of this family, carrying burdens that should never have been yours to bear. It’s time toshare that load. Your siblings need you, but you need them too. Kat, my fearless daughter, you’ve spent so long running from your name, from your legacy. I hope this journey has shown you that being a MacGallan doesn’t have to define you—you define what it means to be a MacGallan. Connor, my youngest son, you cared for me when I couldn’t care for myself, showed me dignity when my mind betrayed me. Your compassion is your greatest strength. I entrust to you the stewardship of our family legacy, not because you are my son, but because you’ve earned it through loyalty and love.’
I glance at Connor, seeing him blink rapidly as tears form in his eyes. Mia wraps her arm around his shoulders, pulling him close as he struggles to maintain composure. Despite everything, I feel a pang of connection with him—another son who never knew his proper place in the family until it was too late.
Declan continues reading, his voice growing thicker with each line:
‘The coordinates I’ve left you will lead to something I hope will bring you all together one last time—not in pursuit of ghosts, but in celebration of what remains. My final gift to you all. I regret many things in my life, but creating each of you is not among them. Be better than I was. Be stronger together than you ever were apart.
With eternal love, your father, Tomas MacGallan.”
The room falls silent as Declan folds the letter.I stare at the urn on the table—all that remains of the man who fathered me, who abandoned me, who manipulated me even from beyond the grave.
“So, we’re supposed to just... what? Go to Alberta for some big reveal?” I finally say, my voice harsh in the quiet room. “Follow one more breadcrumb in his sick game?”
