Chapter 13 - The Sister Who Was Never Dead
The room went silent.
I looked at Melissa.
She couldn't breathe.
“Me?”
Her voice cracked.
Richard didn't answer immediately.
Melissa shook her head.
“No.”
Sarah stepped closer.
“Richard.”
He finally looked at her.
“You know it's true.”
Melissa backed away.
“No. No, that's impossible.”
I stared at Richard.
“What are you saying?”
He looked at me.
“The second baby wasn't Melissa.”
My heart pounded.
“Then who?”
Richard's eyes moved toward Sophie.
Then back to me.
“She was taken from the hospital.”
I felt dizzy.
“Why?”
“Because Caroline believed one daughter was enough.”
Melissa began crying.
“My mother?”
Richard nodded.
“She wanted complete control of the family.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“And the baby?”
Richard closed his eyes.
“She was given to another family.”
Sarah whispered,
“Where?”
Richard reached into his coat.
He removed a small envelope.
The paper was yellow with age.
He handed it to me.
My fingers trembled as I opened it.
Inside was a birth certificate.
Not mine.
A different name.
Emily Carter.
Female.
Born December 24, 1986.
Mother listed as Unknown.
Father listed as Unknown.
But underneath was a handwritten note.
Biological parents: John Bennett and Caroline Bennett.
I stared at it.
My mind couldn't process the words.
“That can't be.”
Richard nodded.
“It is.”
I looked at Melissa.
“Then who is Melissa?”
Richard's expression hardened.
“Your mother had another child years earlier.”
Melissa stopped crying.
“What?”
Richard looked at her.
“You were born before your mother married John.”
Melissa stared at him.
“No.”
“Your biological father was Victor Hale.”
The room went silent.
Melissa looked as if someone had struck her.
“My father was John.”
Richard shook his head.
“That's what Caroline wanted you to believe.”
Melissa stumbled backward.
Sarah caught her.
“She changed your records.”
Melissa whispered,
“Why?”
“Because Victor was dangerous.”
Daniel interrupted.
“Then why keep Melissa?”
Richard looked at him.
“Because Victor wanted his daughter.”
My blood ran cold.
“And Caroline refused to give her to him.”
Richard nodded.
“She used Melissa as leverage.”
“Against who?”
“John.”
Everything suddenly connected.
John had discovered the stolen money.
He discovered Victor.
He discovered Melissa's identity.
He discovered the missing baby.
And my mother had spent twelve years keeping all of it buried.
I looked at the birth certificate again.
“Emily.”
Richard nodded.
“That's her name.”
“Where is she?”
He hesitated.
“She doesn't know she's a Bennett.”
“Where is she?”
Richard looked at Sarah.
Sarah lowered her eyes.
“I know where she is.”
I stared at her.
“You knew?”
Sarah's voice broke.
“I found her six years ago.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because John told me not to.”
“Why?”
“Because she was being watched.”
I felt anger rising.
“You all kept secrets from me.”
Sarah nodded.
“I know.”
“Everyone decided what I was allowed to know.”
“I know.”
I held up the birth certificate.
“Where is my sister?”
Sarah finally answered.
“She lives in Chicago.”
My heart stopped.
“What's her name now?”
Sarah whispered,
“Emily Carter.”
Melissa suddenly spoke.
“Carter?”
Everyone looked at her.
Melissa's face had gone pale.
“I know that name.”
“How?”
She shook her head.
“I don't know.”
Then she remembered.
“The woman who works at the foundation.”
Daniel frowned.
“What foundation?”
“The Bennett Children's Foundation.”
My stomach dropped.
“Emily works there?”
Melissa nodded slowly.
“She started six months ago.”
Richard stared at her.
“That's impossible.”
“Why?”
“Because John moved her there.”
I froze.
“What?”
Richard looked toward the laptop.
“There should be another video.”
Daniel searched the files.
“Here.”
He clicked it.
John appeared again.
This time he looked exhausted.
“I couldn't bring Emily home.”
He paused.
“So I put her somewhere Caroline would never look.”
He smiled faintly.
“Near the family.”
My heart broke.
“She was always close.”
John continued.
“If you're seeing this, then she is ready.”
A new file appeared.
EMILY_CARTER — CURRENT LOCATION.
Daniel opened it.
A photograph appeared.
A young woman stood outside the Bennett Children's Foundation.
Dark hair.
Brown eyes.
A small scar above her eyebrow.
I stared at the photograph.
I knew that face.
I had seen her.
Not once.
Not twice.
Hundreds of times.
She had served coffee at the foundation.
She had smiled at Sophie.
She had once helped Sophie tie her shoelace.
My hand flew to my mouth.
“Oh my God.”
Sophie looked at me.
“Mom?”
I whispered the words.
“She was there.”
Richard nodded.
“John wanted you to find her.”
Suddenly the laptop screen flickered.
A new message appeared.
YOU'VE FOUND HER.
Then another.
NOW ASK WHY SHE WAS TAKEN.
The screen went black.
A second later, the entire underground chamber shook.
An explosion thundered somewhere above us.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
Melissa screamed.
Daniel grabbed his weapon.
Sarah shouted,
“They found the archive!”
Richard looked at me.
“Take Sophie and go.”
“Where?”
“Chicago.”
I stared at him.
“Why?”
His answer chilled me.
“Because Emily isn't the only person who survived.”
Another message appeared on the laptop.
Three words.
VICTOR IS HERE.
And beneath it was a photograph taken less than one minute ago.
Victor Hale stood outside the foundation.
Beside him was a woman.
My mother.
Caroline Bennett.
Alive.
May you like
Smiling.
And holding a gun to Emily's head.
