Chapter 10 - THE MAN IN THE OFFICEI spent the entire drive staring at the message.
Someone I saw every day.
My employees.
My friends.
My lawyer.
My business partner.
Jonathan Reed.
I dismissed the thought immediately.
Jonathan had worked with me for twelve years.
He had been at Lily's birth.
He had helped me raise her.
But then I remembered something.
Jonathan had never liked Claire.
He always said she asked too many questions.
I called him.
No answer.
I called again.
Still nothing.
Cross looked at me.
“Who were you thinking?”
“Jonathan.”
Cross's expression changed.
“Tell me everything.”
I did.
He checked the stolen account records.
One name kept appearing.
Jonathan Reed.
My heart sank.
We drove directly to his office.
The door was unlocked.
Inside, every light was on.
His desk was empty.
But the computer was running.
A file was open.
I clicked it.
Photographs filled the screen.
Me.
Lily.
Claire.
Rachel.
Taken over years.
Someone had been watching us.
Then a folder labeled:
PROJECT BRIDE
I opened it.
There were photographs of Claire.
And Rachel.
And another woman who looked almost exactly like them.
Evelyn's twin.
The same woman from the chapel photograph.
But the photograph date was recent.
I checked the metadata.
Taken two days ago.
I turned to Cross.
“She's alive.”
He nodded.
“Who?”
“Evelyn's sister.”
Then another file opened automatically.
A video.
Jonathan appeared onscreen.
“If you're seeing this, Evelyn knows I betrayed her.”
I stared.
Jonathan continued.
“I didn't know who Lily's father was at first.”
He looked terrified.
“But Claire found out.”
The video froze.
Then restarted.
“I was the one who helped Claire disappear.”
I stopped breathing.
“She asked me to hide her before Evelyn could get to her.”
“Then why was Rachel impersonating her?”
“Because Evelyn caught Rachel.”
I looked at Claire.
Jonathan continued.
“There is one person Evelyn fears.”
The screen changed.
An old photograph.
A woman.
Claire and Rachel's aunt.
And beneath it:
THE ORIGINAL HEIR.
The office door behind us creaked.
I turned.
A woman stood there.
She looked almost exactly like Evelyn.
She raised both hands.
“Mark.”
Cross aimed his weapon.
“Don't move.”
The woman smiled sadly.
“My name is Vivian.”
Claire stepped forward.
“You're my aunt.”
Vivian nodded.
“I need to tell you the truth.”
I asked:
“Who is Lily's father?”
Vivian looked at me.
Then at Claire.
Then at the open file.
She whispered:
“Mark.”
My heart stopped.
“That's impossible.”
Vivian shook her head.
“No.”
May you like
She pointed at me.
“Lily's father is you.”
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