CHAPTER 13: THE WOMAN WHO STOLE ANOTHER WOMAN'S IDENTITY
For several seconds, I couldn't speak.
Not because I didn't understand.
Because I understood too quickly.
The woman who had spent hours telling me she was Anna's closest friend.
The woman who claimed she witnessed Anna's final moments.
The woman who gave me the notebook.
The woman who revealed Michael's secrets.
Rachel Moore.
Wasn't Rachel Moore.
I looked at Detective Collins.
"Explain."
She didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she looked at the document again.
"The Legacy Foundation's founder was Rachel Moore."
"But Rachel is Anna's friend."
Detective Collins shook her head.
"Maybe."
"Maybe?"
She pointed at the paper.
"Daniel, this document is twenty years old."
I stared.
"Rachel would have been a child."
Exactly.
The room went silent.
The woman I met.
The woman standing in that warehouse.
The woman who looked old enough to be Anna's friend.
Couldn't possibly be the same person who created an organization twenty years earlier.
Unless...
Someone else had taken her identity.
We rushed back to the warehouse.
The place was empty.
Again.
Rachel was gone.
But this time, she had left something behind.
A small envelope.
My name written on it.
Daniel.
I opened it carefully.
Inside was a photograph.
A young woman.
A woman I had never seen before.
But the name written behind it made my heart stop.
Rachel Moore.
The real Rachel.
She was younger.
Much younger.
And beside her stood Anna.
They looked exactly like the friends I remembered.
But there was something else.
A third person.
A woman standing behind them.
Older.
Cold expression.
A woman who looked familiar.
Detective Collins took the photo.
Then froze.
"Impossible."
I looked at her.
"What?"
She pointed at the woman.
"I know her."
"Who?"
Detective Collins swallowed.
"Victoria Hale."
The name meant nothing to me.
But it meant something to her.
"Who is she?"
Detective Collins stared at the photo.
"The founder of The Legacy Foundation."
My stomach dropped.
"But the document said Rachel."
Detective Collins nodded slowly.
"Because Rachel was never the founder."
She looked at me.
"She was the public face."
I frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"It means someone else controlled everything."
"Victoria."
Detective Collins nodded.
"She built the organization. Rachel was just the person she used."
The pieces started falling into place.
Not randomly.
Not accidentally.
Like someone had built this entire nightmare brick by brick.
Victoria Hale.
Victor Moore.
Evelyn Hart.
Michael.
They were all connected.
But one question remained.
Where was Rachel?
And why did she pretend to be the person who created this organization?
Detective Collins looked at the photo.
"Because she was hiding."
"From Victoria?"
"Yes."
"Then why help me?"
She didn't answer.
Because that was the hardest question.
Three hours later, we found Rachel.
Not because she contacted us.
Because she wanted us to.
She was waiting in an abandoned church outside the city.
When she saw me, she looked exhausted.
Older.
Like someone who had spent years carrying a secret too heavy for one person.
"You know."
It wasn't a question.
I nodded.
"Who are you?"
Her eyes filled with tears.
"I am Rachel."
"Then why isn't your name on the documents?"
She looked down.
"Because my mother stole it."
I froze.
"Your mother?"
Rachel nodded.
"The woman in the photograph."
Victoria Hale.
My mind struggled to process it.
"Victoria is your mother?"
"Yes."
The silence was overwhelming.
"Then why did you use the name Rachel Moore?"
She looked at me.
"Because Rachel Moore was the first person who tried to stop her."
I didn't understand.
"Explain."
She took a breath.
"The real Rachel Moore was my mother's daughter."
I stared.
"What?"
"Victoria created The Legacy Foundation using her daughter's identity."
My chest tightened.
"Why?"
"Because Rachel died trying to expose her."
The world became quiet.
"Wait."
I stepped closer.
"You're saying the Rachel I knew..."
"Was never the original."
She nodded.
"The real Rachel was Anna's friend."
My heart sank.
"Then who are you?"
She looked at me.
"My name is Emily Hale."
I couldn't move.
Emily.
Not Rachel.
Another lie.
Another identity.
Another person hiding behind a name.
"Why did you let me believe you were Rachel?"
Emily looked ashamed.
"Because Anna asked me to."
My eyes narrowed.
"Anna knew?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"Before she died."
I felt betrayed.
"Everyone knew."
Emily's eyes filled.
"Daniel, listen to me."
"No."
My voice hardened.
"Anna knew you weren't Rachel and she still sent you to me?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Emily reached into her bag.
She pulled out an old letter.
Anna's handwriting.
"Because she knew the real Rachel was dead."
I stared.
Emily continued.
"And she knew Victoria would come after Lily."
I opened the letter.
The first line destroyed me.
Daniel, if Emily reaches you, trust her.
I looked up.
"Why should I?"
Emily whispered:
"Because she is the only person who knows where Ethan is."
My heart stopped.
"Ethan is alive?"
Emily nodded.
"Yes."
"Where?"
She looked toward the door.
Fear appeared in her eyes.
"Before I tell you..."
She paused.
"We need to leave."
"Why?"
Her voice dropped.
"Because Victoria already knows I'm here."
A sound echoed outside.
Footsteps.
Slow.
Calm.
Approaching.
Emily turned pale.
"No."
Detective Collins reached for her weapon.
"Who is it?"
Emily whispered:
"The person who has been controlling this entire game."
The church doors opened.
A woman stepped inside.
Older.
Elegant.
Silver hair.
A familiar cold smile.
Victoria Hale.
She looked at me.
Then at Emily.
"After all these years..."
Her voice was calm.
"You still run to Daniel."
Emily stepped in front of me.
"Stay away from them."
Victoria smiled.
"From them?"
She looked at me.
"Daniel, do you know why Anna chose you?"
I felt anger rise.
"Everyone keeps asking that."
Victoria smiled.
"Because you were the only person who didn't know the truth."
The words hit me.
"What truth?"
Victoria walked closer.
"The truth that Anna wasn't protecting Lily."
A pause.
"She was protecting you from Lily."
I froze.
"What does that mean?"
Victoria looked directly at me.
Then said:
"Because Lily isn't the only child Anna had."
My blood went cold.
"What?"
Victoria smiled.
"The child you have been searching for..."
A pause.
"Is not Ethan."
I couldn't breathe.
"Then who?"
Victoria answered:
May you like
"Your son."
End of Chapter 13
