Chapter 6 - TWO SISTERS, ONE BLOODLINE
Emma was awake when Vincent returned.
She was sitting on the living-room floor surrounded by crayons.
Sofia was beside her.
Lily was drawing a house.
Vincent stopped at the doorway.
For a moment, he couldn't move.
Because behind him stood Isabella.
The two women stared at each other.
Isabella took one step forward.
Emma looked up.
She smiled.
“Who are you?”
Isabella's eyes filled with tears.
“My name is Isabella.”
Emma tilted her head.
“Are you Daddy's friend?”
Vincent swallowed.
“No.”
He knelt beside Emma.
“Sweetheart, I need to tell you something.”
Emma put down her crayon.
“What?”
“This woman…”
He looked at Isabella.
“…is your sister.”
Emma stared.
“Sister?”
“Yes.”
Isabella knelt.
“Twin sister.”
Emma looked confused.
“I don't have a twin.”
“You do.”
“Where was she?”
Isabella's voice broke.
“Somewhere else.”
Emma studied her face.
Then she slowly reached out.
Isabella took her hand.
The moment their fingers touched, Emma smiled.
“You have my eyes.”
Isabella laughed through tears.
“And you have mine.”
Sofia turned away.
Vincent looked at her.
“You knew.”
Sofia nodded.
“I knew Emma had a sister.”
“You knew where she was?”
“No.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because your mother made me promise.”
Vincent closed his eyes.
“My mother is dead.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you still keeping her promise?”
Sofia looked at Emma.
“Because I was afraid.”
“Of what?”
“That if the truth came out, someone would come for her.”
Vincent looked at Isabella.
Someone already had.
Margaret entered the room.
She stopped when she saw Isabella.
Her face went white.
Isabella looked at her.
“Who are you?”
Margaret couldn't answer.
Vincent turned.
“You knew.”
Margaret looked at him.
“Yes.”
“You knew Isabella was alive.”
“Yes.”
“You knew she was my niece.”
“Yes.”
“You knew Emma was her twin.”
“Yes.”
Vincent's voice dropped.
“And you called Emma adopted.”
Margaret's eyes filled with tears.
“I had to.”
“No.”
“You don't understand.”
“Then explain.”
Margaret looked at Isabella.
“I thought you were dead.”
Isabella shook her head.
“You didn't even look for me.”
“We did.”
“No.”
Margaret stepped closer.
“We looked for years.”
“Then why did nobody find me?”
“Because someone changed your name.”
“Who?”
Margaret hesitated.
“Your father.”
Isabella stared.
“My father?”
“Daniel Hayes.”
“That makes no sense.”
Margaret looked at Vincent.
“He changed your identity to protect you.”
“From whom?”
Margaret whispered:
“Thomas.”
Isabella frowned.
“Why would Thomas hurt me?”
“He wouldn't.”
Everyone turned.
David stood in the doorway.
He looked at Margaret.
“He protected her.”
Margaret shook her head.
“No.”
David stepped forward.
“I know what Thomas did.”
“You don't know everything.”
“I know enough.”
Vincent looked at him.
“Tell me.”
David took a breath.
“Thomas discovered the baby switch twenty years ago.”
“And?”
“He found Isabella.”
“Why didn't he tell anyone?”
“Because he believed someone inside the Moretti family was still trying to kill her.”
Vincent looked at Margaret.
She didn't deny it.
“Who?”
Margaret closed her eyes.
“Your father.”
“He's dead.”
“He left people behind.”
“Who?”
Margaret whispered:
“Me.”
Silence.
Vincent stared.
“You?”
“I did what I was told.”
“What did you do?”
“I kept the twins apart.”
“Why?”
“Because if they were together, the trust could be claimed.”
Vincent looked at Isabella.
Then Emma.
“And the trust?”
Margaret nodded.
“Belongs to them.”
Isabella frowned.
“I don't want money.”
Margaret smiled sadly.
“It's not about money anymore.”
“Then what?”
Margaret looked toward the old portrait of Vincent's father.
“The trust contains evidence.”
“What evidence?”
“Everything your grandfather did.”
Vincent's expression changed.
“Everything?”
“Names.”
“Payments.”
“Children.”
“Deaths.”
“Every secret.”
Vincent stared.
“And only the twins can unlock it?”
Margaret nodded.
“Together.”
Emma didn't understand.
She looked at Vincent.
“Daddy?”
He turned.
“Yes?”
“Why is Grandma crying?”
Vincent looked at Margaret.
Then at the two sisters.
He realized the truth was no longer something he could hide.
“Because she made a mistake.”
Margaret nodded.
“I did.”
Emma walked toward her.
“Are you sorry?”
Margaret fell to her knees.
“Yes.”
Emma looked at her for a long time.
Then asked:
“Can you say sorry to my mommy too?”
Margaret looked toward Sofia.
“I am sorry.”
Sofia didn't respond.
Emma took Isabella's hand.
“Come.”
“Where?”
“I want to show you my room.”
Isabella smiled.
“Okay.”
The two girls walked upstairs together.
Vincent watched them disappear.
David stood beside him.
“You finally found her.”
Vincent nodded.
“Yes.”
“What will you do now?”
Vincent looked toward Margaret.
“Destroy everything my father built.”
David stared.
“You mean the empire?”
“No.”
Vincent's eyes hardened.
“The lies.”
Suddenly, every light in the mansion went out.
A second later, the security alarm screamed.
Marcus rushed into the room.
“Sir!”
Vincent turned.
“What happened?”
“The east gate was breached.”
“Who?”
Marcus's face was grim.
“We don't know.”
Then his phone rang.
He answered.
His expression changed.
“Sir…”
“What?”
“They took the archive.”
Vincent's blood ran cold.
“What archive?”
“The original records.”
He looked upstairs.
Toward Emma and Isabella.
Marcus continued:
“And there's a message.”
Vincent took the phone.
On the screen was one sentence:
THE TWINS ARE TOGETHER NOW.
Below it was another.
SO THE TRUST CAN FINALLY OPEN.
Vincent's eyes narrowed.
Then a third message appeared.
BRING THEM TO THE OLD CHURCH BEFORE MIDNIGHT.
Vincent looked at David.
“It's a trap.”
David nodded.
“Obviously.”
Vincent looked upstairs.
“But they know something we don't.”
“What?”
Vincent's expression hardened.
“They know what the trust contains.”
He reached for his gun.
“And they're willing to kill everyone in this house to get it.”
From upstairs came Emma's voice.
“Daddy!”
Vincent ran.
He reached the bedroom.
The window was open.
Isabella was gone.
Emma stood alone beside the bed.
In her hand was a folded piece of paper.
Vincent took it.
Three words were written on it.
BRING THE OTHER ONE.
Vincent stared at the message.
Then looked at Emma.
For twenty-seven years, the family had fought to keep two sisters apart.
Now someone had brought them together for one reason.
To unlock a secret that could destroy the Moretti empire forever.
Vincent picked up Emma.
“Daddy?”
“Yes?”
“Where's Isabella?”
Vincent looked toward the dark window.
His face became cold.
“We're going to bring her home.”
And for the first time that night, he wasn't thinking like a businessman.
He wasn't thinking like a father.
May you like
He was thinking like a Moretti.
And whoever had taken Isabella was about to discover exactly why the Moretti name had terrified the city for generations.
