CHAPTER 10 — THE CHILD THEY NEVER TOLD ME ABOUT
The photograph slipped from Adrian's hand.
It landed on the wooden deck between us.
For several seconds, I couldn't move.
Two newborn babies.
Two tiny faces.
Two hospital bracelets.
And one terrible question burning through my mind.
Where was the second child?
Daniel stared at the photograph.
His face had gone completely white.
“No.”
Adrian smiled.
“Yes.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“You're lying.”
“I wish I were.”
“You're trying to manipulate her.”
Adrian looked at me.
“I'm not manipulating anyone.”
He pointed toward the photograph.
“I'm showing her what her mother spent thirty years hiding.”
My hands began trembling.
I picked up the photograph.
There was my mother.
Young.
Exhausted.
Holding two newborn babies.
One baby wore a blue bracelet.
The other wore pink.
But beneath the photograph was a handwritten note.
Twin A — Emily's son.
Twin B — classified.
I looked at Daniel.
“Did you know I was carrying twins?”
He shook his head.
“No.”
“Did you?”
I looked at my father.
He said nothing.
“Dad.”
His silence answered me.
“You knew.”
He lowered his eyes.
“Yes.”
My heart cracked.
“You knew I had two babies.”
“I knew.”
“And you let me believe I had only one.”
“I was trying to protect you.”
I laughed bitterly.
“That's what everyone says.”
My father stepped closer.
“The second child was in danger.”
“Why?”
“Because of the inheritance.”
I looked at Adrian.
He was smiling.
My father continued.
“Your pregnancy was never supposed to be public.”
“Why?”
“Because your bloodline was valuable.”
I stared at him.
“You're talking about my children like they're assets.”
He didn't answer.
I looked down at my son.
He was sleeping peacefully.
Completely unaware that his entire identity had become a battlefield.
“Where is the other baby?”
My father hesitated.
Adrian answered.
“Gone.”
I looked at him.
“Gone where?”
“Somewhere nobody can find him.”
Daniel stepped toward Adrian.
“You know.”
“Yes.”
“Tell us.”
Adrian's smile disappeared.
“I don't know where he is now.”
“Then why bring this up?”
“Because I know who took him.”
The entire deck went silent.
I whispered:
“Who?”
Adrian looked toward my father.
“Him.”
I turned.
My father's expression changed.
“You took my second child?”
He shook his head.
“I saved him.”
“Where is he?”
“I sent him away.”
“To where?”
“Another family.”
My knees weakened.
“You gave my baby to strangers?”
“I gave him a life.”
“You stole him!”
“I saved him!”
His voice finally broke.
“You don't understand what Victoria would have done.”
I shouted:
“You should have let me decide!”
My father lowered his head.
“I was afraid.”
“Of Victoria?”
“No.”
He looked at Adrian.
“Of the people behind her.”
Daniel frowned.
“Who?”
My father hesitated.
Then he said:
“The Castillo Board.”
Alejandro's expression hardened.
“The board?”
“Yes.”
He explained.
“Your grandfather didn't trust a single heir to control the empire. He created a private council.”
Daniel nodded.
“I know about the council.”
“You know only half.”
My father opened the black box again.
Inside was another document.
He unfolded it.
“The council has authority to remove any heir they believe is dangerous.”
Alejandro stared at it.
“Dangerous?”
My father pointed at me.
“Emily.”
Then at my son.
“And him.”
Then he pointed toward Adrian.
“And him.”
Daniel looked confused.
“Why would Emily be dangerous?”
“Because she carries both bloodlines.”
I froze.
“What bloodlines?”
“Rivera and Castillo.”
He looked at my son.
“And your son carries three.”
I stared at him.
“Three?”
My father nodded.
“Because the second baby's father was not Daniel.”
Silence.
I looked at Daniel.
He looked devastated.
“What are you saying?”
My father spoke slowly.
“Your pregnancy wasn't natural.”
My heart stopped.
“What?”
“Someone altered the genetic embryo.”
Daniel stepped back.
“No.”
My father continued.
“Victoria had access to private fertility records.”
I shook my head.
“I was never treated for infertility.”
“You weren't.”
“Then what are you saying?”
“You were carrying an embryo created from three bloodlines.”
I felt sick.
“Whose?”
My father looked at Daniel.
“Daniel's.”
Then Alejandro.
“Alejandro's.”
Then himself.
I couldn't breathe.
“My baby…”
He nodded.
“Was engineered to unite the Castillo bloodline.”
Daniel's face became furious.
“My father did this?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
My father looked toward the mansion.
“The board.”
Adrian laughed softly.
“They created a perfect heir.”
Daniel turned toward him.
“And you?”
Adrian's expression changed.
“I was supposed to be the vessel.”
I stared.
“What does that mean?”
Adrian swallowed.
“I was born with the same genetic markers.”
He touched his chest.
“But they didn't need me anymore.”
I finally understood.
Adrian wasn't simply Daniel's twin.
He was part of the same experiment.
A living insurance policy.
A replacement heir.
A weapon.
I looked at my son.
“No.”
I kissed his forehead.
“He is not an experiment.”
Daniel came beside me.
“No.”
His voice was firm.
“He's our child.”
Adrian stared at us.
“Then you need to get him away from the Castillo Board.”
“Where?”
Adrian looked toward the ocean.
“Canada.”
I frowned.
“Why?”
“Because your second child is there.”
My heart stopped.
“Where?”
“I told you.”
He took out his phone.
He showed me a photograph.
A little boy.
Maybe three months old.
Dark hair.
Brown eyes.
A small half-moon birthmark beneath his heel.
I couldn't breathe.
It was him.
My child.
My second child.
Alive.
Being held by a woman I didn't know.
I pressed my hand over my mouth.
“No…”
Daniel stared at the photograph.
“That mark…”
“I know,” I whispered.
The same mark.
The same blood.
The same child.
I looked at Adrian.
“Where is he?”
“Montreal.”
“Who has him?”
“A family named Bennett.”
My heart broke.
“Why?”
“They believe he's their son.”
I looked at my father.
“You gave him to them.”
He nodded.
“To save his life.”
I couldn't contain my anger.
“You had no right.”
“I know.”
“Take me to him.”
My father shook his head.
“You can't.”
“Why?”
“Because the Board is already looking for him.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“Then we'll get there first.”
Alejandro nodded.
“I can arrange a private flight.”
My father grabbed his arm.
“No.”
Alejandro pulled away.
“Why?”
“Because your security network is compromised.”
Alejandro froze.
“My own people?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
My father looked at him.
“Your chief security officer.”
Alejandro's face went pale.
“Thomas?”
My father nodded.
“He works for the Board.”
Alejandro immediately called his phone.
No answer.
He called again.
Still nothing.
Then a message arrived.
YOU SHOULD HAVE LEFT THE ISLAND.
Alejandro showed us.
A second message appeared.
THE BOY IN MONTREAL WILL NOT SURVIVE THE NIGHT.
I felt my blood turn cold.
“We have to go.”
Daniel nodded.
“We leave now.”
My father stopped us.
“One more thing.”
“What?”
He looked at me.
“The woman raising your second son doesn't know he's adopted.”
I froze.
“What?”
“She believes she gave birth to him.”
“How?”
“Victoria arranged the medical records.”
I stared at him.
“So another woman is raising my child without knowing it.”
“Yes.”
“And if we take him…”
“You'll destroy her life.”
I shook my head.
“My son's life comes first.”
Daniel took my hand.
“We'll tell her the truth.”
My father looked at us.
“There's more.”
“What?”
“The family has a daughter.”
I frowned.
“So?”
“The daughter was born the same night as your second son.”
My heart stopped.
“What are you saying?”
My father looked toward Adrian.
“Those two children were switched.”
I stared at him.
“Again?”
He nodded.
“Victoria didn't just steal your baby.”
He looked at Daniel.
“She replaced him with another child.”
Daniel's face went pale.
“Then the baby we thought was mine…”
“Wasn't.”
I looked down at the baby in my arms.
The child we had just rescued.
The child Alejandro believed was his.
The child Victoria had raised.
My father whispered:
“None of the children are where you think they are.”
My mind couldn't process it.
Three babies.
Two families.
Multiple identities.
One empire.
And a conspiracy stretching back decades.
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
A woman's terrified voice whispered:
“Are you Emily Rivera?”
“Yes.”
“My name is Claire Bennett.”
My heart stopped.
“I think…”
She began crying.
“I think someone is trying to take my baby.”
I closed my eyes.
“My son.”
“What?”
I couldn't stop the tears.
“Claire…”
“Yes?”
“I need you to listen carefully.”
“Who are you?”
I swallowed.
“I'm the woman who gave birth to your son.”
Silence.
Then Claire screamed:
“No!”
The line went dead.
I looked at Daniel.
“We're going to Montreal.”
He nodded.
But before we could leave, the island's alarm began screaming.
Red lights flashed across the mansion.
Alejandro looked toward the sea.
Boats were approaching.
Dozens of them.
Armed men were landing.
My father looked terrified.
“They're here.”
“Who?”
“The Board.”
Daniel grabbed my hand.
“Take the baby.”
I did.
Alejandro raised his weapon.
Adrian looked toward the boats.
“They aren't here for us.”
I stared at him.
“Then who?”
He looked at my son.
“They're here for the child.”
A voice boomed from the mansion's speakers.
“Emily Rivera.”
I froze.
“Return the heir.”
The voice continued:
“Or the woman in Montreal dies.”
My heart stopped.
They had found Claire.
And they had one more message.
“Bring us the baby…”
A pause.
“…or we kill his twin.”
May you like
For the first time, I understood that saving one child would not be enough.
I had to save both.
