Chapter 8 - THE FILE MARKED E.M.
They returned to the mansion at 1:06 a.m.
Nobody spoke during the drive.
Vincent sat beside Isabella.
She stared out the window.
She hadn't said a word since the explosion.
Finally, she whispered:
“Is Emma really my sister?”
Vincent looked at her.
“Yes.”
“And my mother?”
“Her name was Elena.”
Isabella swallowed.
“Did she love me?”
Vincent's chest tightened.
“Yes.”
“How do you know?”
“Because she spent her entire life trying to find you.”
Isabella looked down.
“I spent my entire life thinking nobody was looking.”
Vincent had no answer.
When they reached the mansion, Sofia ran outside.
She embraced Isabella before saying anything.
Then she turned to Vincent.
“Where is Emma?”
Vincent looked at her.
“They took her.”
Sofia's face collapsed.
“What?”
“We're bringing her back.”
“You promised me.”
“I know.”
“You promised nobody would hurt her.”
Vincent looked away.
Sofia stepped closer.
“You promised.”
“I'll bring her home.”
She slapped him.
The sound echoed across the driveway.
Vincent didn't react.
Sofia's eyes filled with tears.
“She's three years old.”
“I know.”
“She thinks you're invincible.”
Vincent's jaw tightened.
“I know.”
“She believes you can fix everything.”
Vincent looked at her.
“I can't.”
Sofia stared.
It was the first time he had admitted it.
“I can't fix what my family did.”
He looked toward the mansion.
“But I can stop it.”
Inside the study, Thomas opened an old leather case.
Vincent watched him.
“What is that?”
“The original trust.”
Vincent frowned.
“You said it required the twins.”
“It does.”
“Then why do you have it?”
“Because your father gave it to me.”
Vincent froze.
“When?”
“Before he died.”
“Why?”
“Because he knew someone would eventually come looking.”
Thomas opened the case.
Inside was a small metal box.
He entered a code.
The box opened.
A single document lay inside.
Vincent read the first line.
THE MORETTI LEGACY TRUST.
Below it:
Beneficiaries: Elena Moretti's descendants.
Vincent looked at Thomas.
“There are two names.”
“Yes.”
“Emma.”
“Yes.”
“And Isabella.”
“Yes.”
He turned the page.
Then stopped.
There was a third name.
E.M.
Vincent frowned.
“Who's E.M.?”
Thomas didn't answer.
“Thomas.”
“I don't know.”
“You're lying.”
Thomas looked at him.
“I swear.”
Vincent stared at the initials.
“E.M.”
Margaret entered the room.
She saw the document.
Her face changed.
“Where did you get that?”
Thomas answered.
“Your brother.”
Margaret shook her head.
“That can't be.”
“What?”
“The third beneficiary.”
Vincent looked at her.
“Who is it?”
Margaret sat down.
“It was a contingency.”
“For what?”
“If both girls died.”
Vincent stared.
“What?”
“The trust would pass to another descendant.”
“Who?”
Margaret looked at Thomas.
Then whispered:
“Edward Moretti.”
Vincent frowned.
“Who is Edward?”
Margaret's eyes filled with fear.
“Your father.”
Silence.
Vincent looked at the document.
“That's impossible.”
“He created the trust.”
“And he named himself as beneficiary?”
“No.”
Margaret shook her head.
“He named himself as the final beneficiary if Elena's line disappeared.”
Vincent understood.
His father had created a system where the twins could never safely disappear.
If they died—
he inherited everything.
Vincent looked at Thomas.
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because you weren't ready.”
Vincent laughed bitterly.
“You've been watching my family for years.”
“Yes.”
“You watched Emma grow up.”
“Yes.”
“And you never came forward.”
“I couldn't.”
“Why?”
“Because your father wasn't the only one who wanted the trust.”
Vincent waited.
Thomas continued.
“There was another person.”
“Who?”
Thomas looked toward Margaret.
She lowered her head.
Vincent stared at her.
“Margaret?”
Margaret shook her head.
“No.”
Thomas stepped closer.
“Your aunt wasn't the mastermind.”
“Then who?”
Thomas's voice became barely audible.
“Your mother.”
Vincent froze.
“My mother?”
“She ordered the baby switch.”
Vincent's face went blank.
“No.”
“She believed Elena's daughter would destroy the family.”
“My mother loved Elena.”
“She did.”
“Then why?”
“Because she discovered what Elena had learned.”
“What?”
Thomas handed him another file.
Vincent opened it.
Inside were photographs.
Bodies.
Bank records.
Political payments.
Children.
Names.
His father's entire criminal network.
At the bottom was one photograph.
Elena.
Standing beside a young man.
Vincent recognized him.
His mother.
And Elena.
Behind them stood a little boy.
Thomas.
Vincent looked closer.
There was something written on the back.
THE BOY KNOWS.
Vincent looked at Thomas.
“You were the one who discovered it.”
Thomas nodded.
“And my mother tried to stop you.”
“Yes.”
“What did she do?”
“She tried to have me killed.”
Vincent stared.
“And Elena?”
“She escaped.”
“With the babies?”
Thomas shook his head.
“She only had one.”
“Emma.”
“Yes.”
Vincent's mind raced.
“Then where did Isabella come from?”
Thomas looked at him.
“She was never Elena's second child.”
Vincent froze.
“What?”
Thomas whispered:
“Your mother had another baby.”
Vincent stared.
“My mother?”
“Yes.”
“A daughter?”
Thomas nodded.
“Twenty-seven years ago.”
Vincent's blood went cold.
“Who?”
Thomas looked at him.
“Isabella.”
Vincent couldn't breathe.
He turned toward the woman standing near the doorway.
Isabella had heard everything.
Her face was white.
“My mother…”
Thomas nodded.
“Was not Elena.”
Isabella whispered:
“Then who?”
Thomas looked at Vincent.
“Your mother.”
The room went silent.
Isabella backed away.
“No.”
Vincent shook his head.
“That makes no sense.”
Thomas pointed to the DNA report.
“Look again.”
Vincent grabbed it.
The first test compared Isabella with Elena.
The relationship was distant.
Not mother and daughter.
Aunt and niece.
Vincent stared.
The truth struck him.
Emma was Elena's daughter.
Isabella was Vincent's sister.
Not twins.
Not sisters by blood.
They had been raised as twins.
They had been deliberately connected to unlock the trust.
Someone had created a lie so elaborate that even the family had forgotten the original truth.
Vincent looked at Margaret.
“Why?”
Margaret began crying.
“Because your mother knew the only way to protect Isabella was to hide her inside another family.”
Vincent turned toward Thomas.
“And Emma?”
Thomas's face darkened.
“Emma was the real heir.”
Vincent stared.
“Then why was she hidden?”
Thomas answered:
“Because your mother wasn't protecting Isabella.”
May you like
He paused.
“She was protecting the trust from Emma.”
