Chapter 11 - The Girl Who Was Never a Maid's DaughterSilence swallowed the room.
Maisie looked at Adrian.
“Mr. Vale?”
Adrian couldn't answer.
His mind raced through every memory.
Why did Maisie know the house?
Why did she understand the hidden doors?
Why had Julian secretly left drawings for her?
Why had she been allowed to wander everywhere?
Because the mansion wasn't simply her mother's workplace.
It was her inheritance.
Clara opened another file.
Birth certificate.
The mother's name was partially redacted.
The father's name was visible.
JULIAN VALE.
Adrian stared.
“But her mother is Sarah Reed.”
“Yes.”
“Then how?”
“Julian had an affair.”
Adrian looked at Maisie.
The girl was watching them all.
“She doesn't know.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because everyone she trusted wanted to keep her alive.”
Adrian felt tears burn his eyes.
He crouched in front of Maisie.
“Your name is Maisie Vale.”
The girl frowned.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“My mommy says I'm Maisie Reed.”
“Your mother was protecting you.”
“From bad people?”
Adrian looked up at Sarah.
Sarah stood in the doorway.
She had tears in her eyes.
“I wanted her to have a normal life.”
Adrian's expression softened.
“You could have told me.”
Sarah shook her head.
“You weren't safe either.”
She entered slowly.
“Julian knew your father would eventually discover her existence.”
Adrian looked at her.
“Did Julian love her?”
Sarah nodded.
“He loved her more than anything.”
Maisie touched Adrian's sleeve.
“Is my daddy alive?”
Adrian couldn't speak.
Sarah answered.
“No.”
Maisie looked down.
Adrian knelt.
“I'm sorry.”
She suddenly hugged him.
The gesture nearly broke him.
Then Ethan spoke.
“There is still one problem.”
Adrian looked up.
“What?”
“Your father has Maisie's inheritance documents.”
Clara shook her head.
“He no longer has them.”
Ethan looked at her.
“You stole them?”
“I hid them.”
“Where?”
Clara smiled.
“In the one place he would never search.”
She pointed at Owen.
Adrian understood.
The baby's medical bracelet.
He pulled it off.
Inside was a tiny memory card.
Daniel's eyes widened.
“Julian.”
Clara nodded.
“Everything is there.”
Adrian inserted it into a laptop.
Files appeared.
Bank transfers.
Bribes.
Fake death certificates.
Medical records.
Photographs.
Then one video.
Julian appeared on screen.
Older.
Exhausted.
His face bruised.
He looked directly into the camera.
“Adrian.”
Adrian couldn't breathe.
“If you're seeing this, I'm dead.”
The room became silent.
Julian continued.
“Do not trust Father.”
A pause.
“And do not trust Natalie.”
Adrian looked at her.
Natalie went pale.
Julian leaned closer to the camera.
“She didn't put Owen in danger.”
Adrian frowned.
“She put herself in danger.”
Julian continued:
“The child you know as Owen is important.”
His eyes lowered.
“But he was never the final heir.”
Adrian looked at Maisie.
Julian said:
“The real heir is the child Father never knew survived.”
Clara's face changed.
Ethan stared at her.
Julian continued.
“Her name is Maisie.”
Maisie watched the screen.
“Daddy?”
Adrian's throat tightened.
Julian smiled faintly.
“I hope someone shows you this one day.”
Then the video froze.
A second file opened automatically.
It was audio.
Julian whispered:
“Adrian, your father has been lying about the accident.”
Adrian stared.
“Who was driving the car that killed me?”
Julian's voice answered:
“Your father.”
Then a final sentence.
“Why did he kill me?”
Julian took a breath.
“Because I discovered the truth about Natalie.”
The recording ended.
Adrian turned toward Natalie.
“What truth?”
Natalie began crying.
“I knew this day would come.”
“What did Julian discover?”
Natalie whispered:
“I wasn't pregnant with one baby.”
May you like
Adrian stared.
“I was pregnant with four.”
