Chapter 12 - The Daughter Who ReturnedEvery Secret Had Another Secret Beneath It
The woman holding the baby looked no older than thirty.
But Elena stared at her like she'd seen a ghost.
“Clara.”
The woman nodded.
Grace stepped closer.
“My sister's daughter.”
Clara smiled bitterly.
“The child everyone forgot.”
I looked at Adrian.
“What does she have to do with this?”
“Everything.”
He gestured toward the baby.
“This child is the final beneficiary.”
Marcus stepped forward.
“That contradicts the trust.”
Adrian laughed.
“You've seen one trust.”
He looked at me.
“You never understood your father.”
“I understand enough.”
“No.”
Adrian's smile disappeared.
“You understand what they wanted you to believe.”
He dropped a folder on the desk.
Inside were documents.
Birth certificates.
Death certificates.
Bank transfers.
DNA test results.
And a photograph of Clara as a child.
I looked at Elena.
She shook her head.
“I thought she was dead.”
Clara spoke quietly.
“You did not know where they took me.”
“Who?”
“Victor.”
The name hung in the room.
Adrian looked toward the hallway.
“You still think I'm the villain.”
“Are you not?”
He laughed.
“I've spent twenty years cleaning up Father's crimes.”
I stared.
“You kidnapped Caleb.”
“I protected him.”
“You imprisoned him.”
“I kept Vincent from killing him.”
Caleb shouted,
“You ordered it!”
Adrian's expression hardened.
“Yes.”
The room went silent.
“Because Caleb knew too much.”
I stepped closer.
“You tried to kill me.”
“No.”
“You threatened Mia.”
“No.”
“Then who?”
Adrian looked directly at me.
“Victor.”
I thought of the reflection.
The man who looked like me.
My father's secret son.
“My father had another son.”
“Yes.”
“And he controls you.”
Adrian nodded.
“He controls everyone.”
“Why?”
“Because your father left him nothing.”
Adrian opened another document.
“Victor was the first child.”
My eyes widened.
“The original heir.”
“Yes.”
“But my mother said I was the original son.”
“She lied.”
The room spun.
Adrian continued.
“Father had Victor with another woman.”
“Then why was he erased?”
“Because he wasn't legitimate.”
“So he created another heir.”
“No.”
Adrian looked at me.
“He created three.”
Three.
The number repeated in my mind.
Three sons.
Three heirs.
Three secrets.
My mother had hidden me.
Elena had hidden another child.
And Victor had spent decades waiting.
Then Mia spoke.
“The knocking.”
Everyone turned.
She pointed toward the library wall.
“It started before any of you.”
Clara looked at her.
“What did you hear?”
Mia raised three fingers.
“Three.”
Clara's face changed.
“You shouldn't know that.”
Mia frowned.
“Know what?”
Clara stepped toward the wall.
“That's the family signal.”
My pulse quickened.
“What family signal?”
Clara touched the wood.
“Your grandfather used it.”
“To communicate with whom?”
“The children.”
I stared at the wall.
“Which children?”
Clara looked at me.
“All of them.”
Then she knocked.
Three times.
The wall answered.
Three times.
Clara whispered,
“Victor is here.”
Adrian grabbed Vincent.
“Where?”
But Vincent wasn't looking at the wall.
He was looking at the baby.
Clara noticed.
“Don't.”
Vincent smiled.
“I've been waiting for her.”
He reached forward.
Clara backed away.
“Don't touch my daughter.”
Vincent raised his gun.
Then the front windows shattered.
Someone fired from outside.
Vincent dropped.
Blood spread across his shirt.
Everyone screamed.
I dragged Grace behind the desk.
Mia shielded Lily.
Clara fell to the floor.
And Adrian stared through the shattered window.
“Victor.”
A man's voice came through the house speakers.
“Family reunion.”
Every light turned on.
The locks engaged.
The doors slammed shut.
May you like
Then Victor spoke again.
“Now let's settle the inheritance.”
