Chapter 13: The Name on the Last Page
Nathan looked down at the final page.
The sentence seemed impossible.
THE TRUST CANNOT BE ACTIVATED UNTIL THE TRUE HEIR SPEAKS HIS NAME.
He looked at Noah.
The boy stood beside Lily, still holding her hand.
“What does that mean?”
Noah shook his head.
“I don't know.”
The woman standing at the end of the tunnel smiled.
“You do.”
Nathan looked at her.
“Who are you?”
She stepped into the light.
Her face was pale and expressionless.
“Elizabeth Whitmore.”
Victoria's knees nearly gave out.
“No…”
Elizabeth looked at her.
“You recognize me.”
Victoria stared at her sister.
“I watched them bury you.”
Elizabeth smiled.
“They buried the wrong woman.”
Nathan's eyes narrowed.
“Why do you want the trust?”
“Because it was stolen from my family.”
“You've already said that.”
“No.”
Elizabeth looked at the folder.
“I want it because your grandfather promised it to me.”
Nathan's expression changed.
“Why would he?”
“Because I was the original heir.”
Silence filled the tunnel.
Nathan looked at Jonathan.
“You knew?”
Jonathan nodded weakly from the floor.
“I tried to stop her.”
Elizabeth glanced at him.
“You were always too late.”
Nathan crouched beside Jonathan.
“Stay with me.”
Jonathan's breathing was shallow.
“The last page…”
Nathan looked at the document.
“What about it?”
“Don't let her…”
Jonathan coughed.
“…activate it.”
Elizabeth laughed.
“It's already activated.”
Nathan turned.
“What?”
Elizabeth raised a small device.
A red light blinked.
“The moment you opened the folder, the system recognized the original document.”
Nathan's stomach tightened.
“What system?”
“The trust's security system.”
Elizabeth looked at Noah.
“It has been waiting for him.”
Nathan stepped in front of his son.
“You're not touching him.”
Elizabeth shook her head.
“I don't need to.”
She looked toward Lily.
“I need both children.”
Nathan's eyes hardened.
“No.”
Elizabeth smiled.
“Then you'll lose everything.”
Nathan glanced at the trust.
“What happens if I destroy it?”
“You can't.”
“Why?”
“Because the original exists in three places.”
Nathan frowned.
“Where?”
“One copy is here.”
Elizabeth held up her device.
“One is encrypted inside the company's main server.”
She pointed toward Noah.
“And the third is inside him.”
Nathan froze.
“What?”
Elizabeth smiled.
“Your son carries the access code.”
Noah's face went pale.
Nathan looked at him.
“Is that true?”
Noah slowly nodded.
“Charles told me something was inside my necklace.”
Nathan noticed the small metal pendant around Noah's neck.
He had never seen it before.
“Take it off.”
Noah hesitated.
Elizabeth immediately shouted,
“Don't!”
Nathan looked at her.
That was enough.
“Take it off.”
Noah removed the pendant.
Nathan opened it.
Inside was a tiny metal chip.
His expression changed.
Elizabeth stepped forward.
“Give it to me.”
“No.”
“You don't understand what you're holding.”
“I understand enough.”
Nathan closed his hand around it.
Elizabeth's smile disappeared.
“You're making a mistake.”
Nathan looked at Noah.
“No.”
He looked at Lily.
“I'm correcting one.”
Suddenly, the tunnel lights flickered.
Daniel appeared behind Elizabeth.
He was holding a gun.
Elizabeth turned.
“You?”
Daniel's face was bruised.
“You should have killed me when you had the chance.”
Elizabeth smiled.
“I thought I did.”
Daniel raised the weapon.
“I found the original recording.”
Elizabeth's expression changed.
“What recording?”
“The one proving who ordered Nathan's father's murder.”
Nathan looked at Daniel.
“You know?”
Daniel nodded.
“Your grandfather wasn't responsible.”
Nathan's father looked toward him.
“Then who?”
Daniel pointed the gun toward Elizabeth.
“She was.”
Victoria gasped.
Elizabeth's face remained calm.
“Prove it.”
Daniel pulled out his phone.
He played an audio recording.
A woman's voice filled the tunnel.
“Make sure he never reaches the hospital.”
Nathan recognized the voice.
Elizabeth.
Then another voice answered.
“But he's your brother.”
Elizabeth's recorded voice replied,
“Then he'll die believing I loved him.”
The recording ended.
Nathan stared at her.
“You killed your own brother.”
Elizabeth shrugged.
“He chose the wrong side.”
Jonathan coughed from the floor.
“You always wanted everything.”
Elizabeth looked at him.
“And you always let them take it.”
Nathan stood.
“You killed my grandfather.”
“No.”
“You killed my father's brother.”
“Yes.”
“You manipulated Charles.”
“Yes.”
“You destroyed Grace's life.”
Elizabeth smiled.
“Grace destroyed her own life when she chose you.”
Nathan's expression darkened.
“And my children?”
Elizabeth's eyes moved toward Lily and Noah.
“I protected them.”
Nathan almost laughed.
“You call this protection?”
“They are the keys to the fortune.”
“They're children.”
“They are heirs.”
Nathan stepped forward.
“They're my family.”
Elizabeth raised her weapon.
“Then choose.”
Nathan stopped.
Elizabeth pointed toward the two children.
“Give me Noah.”
“No.”
“Then Lily.”
“No.”
“Then I kill everyone.”
Daniel raised his gun.
“Drop yours.”
Elizabeth smiled.
“You won't shoot me.”
Daniel's hand tightened.
“You don't know me.”
Elizabeth looked toward Nathan.
“Ask him.”
Nathan frowned.
“Ask me what?”
Elizabeth lowered her weapon slightly.
“Ask Nathan what happened the night he was born.”
Nathan's face changed.
“What?”
Elizabeth smiled.
“Your father told you he was protecting you.”
“He was.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“He was protecting himself.”
Nathan looked toward his father.
His father closed his eyes.
Nathan's voice became cold.
“Tell me.”
His father remained silent.
“Tell me the truth.”
Finally, his father spoke.
“The night you were born…”
He looked at Elizabeth.
“…your mother wasn't the only person in that room.”
Nathan waited.
“Your grandfather was there.”
“And?”
His father's voice trembled.
“So was another woman.”
Nathan's eyes narrowed.
“Who?”
His father looked at Lily.
Then Noah.
Then Nathan.
“Grace.”
Grace's face went white.
Nathan turned toward her.
“You were there?”
Grace shook her head.
“I don't remember.”
Elizabeth smiled.
“You weren't supposed to.”
Nathan stared at her.
Elizabeth continued.
“Because the woman who gave birth to Noah…”
She pointed toward Grace.
“…wasn't Grace.”
Nathan froze.
“What?”
Elizabeth's smile widened.
“Grace never gave birth to your son.”
She turned toward Noah.
“Your real mother is still alive.”
Nathan looked at Grace.
Grace was crying.
Then Noah suddenly whispered,
“I know.”
Everyone turned toward him.
Nathan's voice broke.
“You know what?”
Noah slowly looked at Elizabeth.
“She told me.”
Nathan stared.
“When?”
“Last night.”
“Who told you?”
Noah's eyes filled with tears.
Then he pointed toward Elizabeth.
“Her.”
Nathan's heart sank.
Elizabeth smiled.
“And now you finally understand.”
Nathan looked at Grace.
She was shaking her head.
“No, Nathan…”
Nathan stepped toward her.
“Then tell me.”
Grace covered her mouth.
“I wanted to.”
“Tell me!”
Grace finally broke down.
“I wasn't Noah's mother.”
Nathan stared.
“Then who is?”
Grace looked toward Victoria.
Victoria began crying.
Nathan turned.
“Victoria?”
Victoria couldn't speak.
Elizabeth answered for her.
“Your wife.”
Nathan froze.
“Your ex-wife.”
Nathan's face went blank.
The woman who had supposedly died years ago.
The woman standing before him.
Victoria.
May you like
She was Noah's biological mother.
And she had been hiding it for fourteen years.
