Chapter 14 - What Olivia Never Told HimThree weeks passed.
The Hart scandal became national news.
The illegal adoption network collapsed.
Dozens were arrested.
The Hart Foundation was dismantled.
Caleb surrendered most of his family's assets to a legal fund for the victims.
Yet one thing remained unresolved.
His mother.
And another question.
Why had Olivia been chosen to protect him?
One evening, Caleb found her sitting on the balcony of the new house.
The babies slept inside.
He sat beside her.
“Tell me the truth.”
Olivia looked at him.
“About what?”
“Everything.”
She sighed.
“Your mother asked me to protect you because she knew Rebecca trusted me.”
“That's not enough.”
Olivia looked away.
“Rebecca was my sister.”
Caleb froze.
“What?”
“Half-sister.”
“You never told me.”
“I was ashamed.”
“Of what?”
“Of surviving.”
She explained that Rebecca had warned her about the Hart family.
After Rebecca died, Olivia took Lily.
Later, when two other mothers died, Olivia took Noah and Emma.
She had spent years hiding them.
Working.
Starving.
Running.
Sleeping wherever she could.
Caleb's voice broke.
“You were feeding three babies with a housekeeper's salary.”
“I tried.”
“And I never saw.”
“I didn't want you to.”
“Why?”
“Because you were the only person in that family who had a chance to be different.”
Caleb lowered his head.
“I failed you.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“You saved us.”
“I should have saved you sooner.”
Olivia smiled.
“You found us.”
Caleb looked through the glass door.
Three cribs.
Three sleeping babies.
One family.
Then his phone rang.
An unknown number.
He answered.
A woman's voice whispered,
“Your mother is alive.”
Caleb stood.
“Who are you?”
“She wants you to know one thing.”
“What?”
“Martin wasn't the one who ordered her disappearance.”
Caleb's blood turned cold.
“Who was?”
The caller paused.
Then whispered,
“Your grandfather's surviving partner.”
Caleb froze.
“My grandfather is dead.”
“So is the man you thought was behind everything.”
“What does that mean?”
The woman hung up.
Caleb stared at the phone.
Then he noticed Olivia's face.
She looked terrified.
“You know who it is.”
Olivia nodded.
“Who?”
She whispered a name Caleb had never expected to hear.
“George.”
Caleb's heart stopped.
“My father?”
Olivia shook her head.
“No.”
“Then who?”
She looked toward the darkness outside.
“Your father's identical twin.”
Caleb stepped backward.
He thought his uncle Martin was the final monster.
He had been wrong.
There was another brother.
May you like
Another secret.
And he had been alive the entire time.
