Chapter 13 — The Face That Should Not Exist
Arthur turned.
The woman standing in the archive doorway looked exactly like him.
Not similar.
Not vaguely familiar.
Exactly.
The same dark eyes.
The same sharp jawline.
The same narrow scar beneath the right side of the chin.
Even the slight crease beside the left eye that Arthur had always assumed came from years of stress.
For one impossible second, Arthur wondered if he was looking into a mirror.
Then the woman smiled.
And that frightened him more than the resemblance.
“Hello, Arthur.”
His hand instinctively moved toward his weapon.
Daniel stepped in front of him.
“Don't.”
Arthur barely heard him.
“Who are you?”
The woman didn't answer.
Instead, she looked past him.
At Edward.
Father and daughter exchanged a silent glance.
Arthur's breathing became heavier.
“You know me.”
“Yes.”
“How?”
The woman slowly stepped into the archive.
“I've known you since the day you were born.”
Arthur's face hardened.
“Then tell me your name.”
She stopped beneath the red emergency light.
“My name is Rebecca Hayes.”
Elena's mother gasped.
“No…”
Rebecca looked at her.
“Hello, Clara.”
Elena froze.
Clara.
Her mother's real name.
The name she had never heard before.
The woman she had believed was dead for more than two decades.
Arthur stared between them.
“You two know each other.”
Rebecca nodded.
“She was my sister.”
Elena's voice trembled.
“You're Mara Hayes.”
Rebecca looked at her.
“No.”
She took another step.
“Mara was my sister.”
Daniel's face changed.
“Then who is Mara?”
Rebecca looked toward Edward.
“He knows.”
Everyone turned.
Edward remained silent.
Arthur stepped forward.
“Dad.”
Edward's eyes met his.
“Arthur, you need to leave.”
“No.”
“Now.”
“You don't get to order me around anymore.”
Arthur's voice shook with years of anger.
“You disappeared.”
“I had to.”
“You lied.”
“I had to.”
“You changed my identity.”
“I had to.”
“You made me believe my mother was dead.”
Edward's face tightened.
“I had to.”
Arthur laughed bitterly.
“That is your answer to everything.”
Rebecca looked at him.
“Because if Edward had told you the truth, you wouldn't be standing here.”
Arthur turned toward her.
“What truth?”
Rebecca's eyes filled with tears.
“I am your mother.”
Silence.
Nobody moved.
Arthur stared at her.
“No.”
Rebecca nodded.
“Yes.”
“No.”
“I know this is difficult.”
“You're lying.”
“I wish I were.”
Arthur stepped closer.
“You're not my mother.”
Rebecca's expression broke.
“I held you before anyone else did.”
Arthur shook his head.
“My mother died.”
“She didn't.”
“She was killed.”
“I survived.”
Arthur stared.
Rebecca slowly reached into her coat.
She pulled out a small photograph.
A hospital room.
A newborn baby.
A young woman lying in bed.
Arthur looked at the photograph.
The woman was Rebecca.
And in her arms—
a baby.
On the baby's wrist was a tiny hospital bracelet.
BABY H-17
Arthur looked at the date.
The exact date he had always believed was his birthday.
His knees nearly weakened.
Rebecca whispered,
“You were born at St. Vincent's Hospital.”
Arthur shook his head.
“My records say Vance Memorial.”
“Because Edward changed them.”
“Why?”
Rebecca looked at Edward.
“Tell him.”
Edward closed his eyes.
Rebecca continued.
“Because Alexander had people inside St. Vincent's.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“What happened?”
Rebecca looked at him.
“Your father found out I was pregnant.”
Daniel froze.
“Edward knew?”
“He knew everything.”
Arthur stared at Edward.
“You knew she was my mother.”
Edward nodded.
“Yes.”
“For twenty-eight years?”
“Yes.”
Arthur's voice cracked.
“And you never told me.”
“I was protecting you.”
“You keep saying that.”
“Because it's true.”
Arthur turned away.
His entire childhood suddenly felt like a carefully constructed stage.
Every photograph.
Every birthday.
Every story about his dead mother.
Every time Edward had refused to answer questions.
Every time Arthur had asked where he came from.
A lie.
All of it.
Rebecca approached him.
“I wanted to come back.”
Arthur didn't look at her.
“Then why didn't you?”
“Because they found me.”
“Who?”
“The Circle.”
Arthur turned.
“Alexander?”
“No.”
Rebecca's expression darkened.
“Someone higher.”
Arthur remembered Edward's warning.
Alexander is not the head of the Halcyon Circle.
His eyes narrowed.
“Who?”
Rebecca didn't answer.
Instead, she looked at Ethan's file.
“They've started again.”
Arthur followed her gaze.
“What?”
“The children.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“What children?”
Rebecca pointed toward the hundreds of genetic files.
“Those.”
Jonathan opened one.
“Subjects?”
Rebecca nodded.
“They weren't experiments.”
Arthur looked at her.
“Then what were they?”
“Potential heirs.”
Jonathan frowned.
“To what?”
Rebecca's eyes met Arthur's.
“The Vance empire.”
Arthur shook his head.
“That makes no sense.”
“It will.”
She walked to the central table.
“There was a secret agreement created before Edward inherited the company.”
She opened an old folder.
Inside was a document sealed with black wax.
Arthur recognized the Vance family crest.
Rebecca placed her finger on it.
“This agreement says the Vance empire cannot legally be controlled by one person unless that person carries the original bloodline.”
Jonathan examined the document.
“That's why the trust exists.”
“Yes.”
“But Arthur was adopted.”
Rebecca nodded.
“And that's why they erased him.”
Arthur stared at her.
“Who?”
“Alexander.”
Daniel interrupted.
“Why would Alexander erase Arthur if Arthur wasn't even a Vance by birth?”
Rebecca looked at him.
“Because Thomas Hayes was.”
Daniel's expression changed.
Rebecca continued.
“Thomas was Edward's first son.”
Arthur stared.
“You said that before.”
“Yes.”
“But you haven't told me everything.”
“No.”
“What are you hiding?”
Rebecca's eyes filled with pain.
“Thomas wasn't supposed to be your father.”
Arthur froze.
“What?”
Rebecca took a breath.
“Your biological father was not Thomas.”
Arthur felt the ground disappear beneath him.
“You just said—”
“I know what I said.”
“Then who is my father?”
Rebecca looked at Edward.
Edward finally spoke.
“Arthur…”
“Tell me.”
Edward's voice trembled.
“Your father was Alexander.”
Nobody breathed.
Arthur stared at him.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“That isn't possible.”
“It is.”
Rebecca whispered,
“Alexander is your biological father.”
Daniel stepped backward.
Elena looked horrified.
Jonathan slowly lowered the document.
Arthur couldn't process the words.
“My brother?”
Edward nodded.
“Half-brother.”
Arthur looked at Daniel.
Daniel's face was ashen.
“Father…”
Edward shook his head.
“Daniel didn't know.”
Arthur's voice was barely audible.
“Then why did you tell me Thomas was my father?”
Rebecca answered.
“Because Thomas agreed to protect you.”
Arthur turned toward her.
“What does that mean?”
“Alexander believed you were his heir.”
Arthur's eyes narrowed.
“His heir?”
Rebecca nodded.
“He wanted you to inherit the Circle.”
Arthur stared at her.
“And Edward took me.”
“Yes.”
“To stop him.”
“Yes.”
“But why did you let everyone believe Thomas was my father?”
“Because Thomas died protecting you.”
Arthur's chest tightened.
“How?”
Rebecca looked away.
“Alexander found him.”
The room fell silent.
Arthur finally understood why Thomas had disappeared.
Why his name had been buried.
Why Edward had been terrified.
Why Rebecca had spent years hiding.
Then Arthur noticed something.
A photograph on the table.
It showed Rebecca holding newborn Arthur.
Standing beside her was Thomas.
And behind them—
Alexander.
Arthur picked it up.
There was writing on the back.
THE NIGHT EVERYTHING CHANGED.
Arthur turned to Rebecca.
“Why was Alexander there?”
Rebecca's eyes filled with tears.
“Because he came to take you.”
“And Thomas stopped him.”
“Yes.”
“Then what happened?”
Rebecca hesitated.
“Thomas escaped with you.”
Arthur looked at Edward.
“And you?”
“I arrived too late.”
Arthur stared at him.
“You found me.”
“Yes.”
“And then?”
Edward's voice broke.
“I took you.”
Arthur slowly lowered the photograph.
For the first time, he understood.
Edward hadn't stolen him for power.
He had taken him because Alexander wanted him.
But that raised another question.
Arthur looked at Rebecca.
“Where were you?”
Rebecca closed her eyes.
“Captured.”
“For how long?”
“Sixteen years.”
Elena gasped.
“Sixteen?”
Rebecca nodded.
“The Circle kept me alive because they needed information.”
“What information?”
“Where you were.”
Arthur's eyes hardened.
“And you never told them.”
“No.”
“Why?”
Rebecca looked at him.
“Because you were my son.”
Silence.
Then Ethan spoke.
“Dad?”
Arthur turned.
Ethan was standing near the doorway.
Maria was beside him.
Arthur immediately crossed the room.
“What are you doing here?”
Maria looked nervous.
“He followed me.”
Arthur crouched.
“You were supposed to stay in the car.”
“I wanted to see Mom.”
Elena moved toward him.
Ethan ran into her arms.
Arthur looked at Rebecca.
Rebecca stared at Ethan.
Her expression changed.
She looked frightened.
“That's him.”
Arthur frowned.
“Who?”
Rebecca stepped backward.
“The boy.”
“What about him?”
She looked at Ethan's face.
Then at Arthur.
Then at Edward.
Her voice became barely audible.
“His bloodline has already activated.”
Daniel frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Rebecca pointed at Ethan.
“He isn't just the next heir.”
Arthur's stomach tightened.
“Then what is he?”
Rebecca whispered:
“He is the final heir.”
Suddenly—
the archive doors slammed shut.
Every screen turned red.
A countdown appeared.
05:00
Jonathan rushed toward the control panel.
“What is happening?”
Rebecca's face went pale.
“Run.”
Arthur grabbed Ethan.
“Where?”
Rebecca looked toward the floor.
“There's another exit.”
Daniel searched the room.
“Where?”
Rebecca pointed beneath the central table.
“Under there.”
Arthur and Daniel moved it.
A metal hatch appeared.
Jonathan opened it.
A ladder descended into darkness.
Arthur looked at Rebecca.
“Come with us.”
She shook her head.
“No.”
“You're my mother.”
“I know.”
“Then you're coming.”
Rebecca looked at Elena.
“Take care of him.”
Elena nodded through tears.
Arthur grabbed Rebecca's hand.
“You're not staying here.”
She squeezed his fingers.
“I have spent twenty-eight years trying to keep you alive.”
Her eyes moved toward the countdown.
03:47
“Tonight, I finally get the chance to do it.”
Arthur shook his head.
“No.”
Rebecca smiled sadly.
“Go.”
Then she pulled something from her pocket.
A small silver pendant.
She placed it in Arthur's hand.
“Your father gave me this the night you were born.”
Arthur looked at it.
Engraved on the back were two letters.
A.V.
His initials.
Rebecca whispered,
“Inside is the truth Edward never told you.”
Arthur looked up.
“What truth?”
Rebecca's smile disappeared.
“Who really ordered the accident.”
The countdown reached—
03:00
A metallic sound echoed through the archive.
Someone was unlocking the main door.
Rebecca stepped away.
“Go!”
Arthur grabbed Ethan.
Daniel climbed down first.
Elena followed.
Jonathan went after her.
Arthur remained at the hatch.
He looked at Rebecca.
“I'm coming back.”
She nodded.
“I know.”
Arthur descended.
The hatch slammed shut.
Seconds later—
the archive door opened.
A man's footsteps entered.
Rebecca stood alone.
A voice spoke behind her.
“You always were difficult to kill.”
Rebecca closed her eyes.
Then smiled.
“I learned from the best.”
The man stepped into the light.
Arthur's biological father.
Alexander Vance.
He looked at the countdown.
Then at Rebecca.
“Where is my son?”
Rebecca said nothing.
Alexander smiled.
“Then we'll find him.”
Far below the building, Arthur suddenly stopped.
Daniel turned.
“What?”
Arthur held up the silver pendant.
It had opened.
Inside was a tiny photograph.
Arthur stared at it.
The image showed Rebecca holding him as a newborn.
But behind her stood another woman.
Arthur recognized her instantly.
She was the woman who had been receiving money from Ethan's trust.
Mara Hayes.
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And written beneath the photograph were five words:
SHE WAS YOUR FIRST MOTHER.
