Chapter 8 - THE CHILD THEY STOLEI couldn't hear anything after those words.

Twins.

The word repeated inside my skull.

Twins.

Two babies.

Two heartbeats.

Two lives.

How could I not remember?

I looked at my father.

He wouldn't meet my eyes.

“Dad.”

Nothing.

“Dad!”

He finally whispered:

“There were two.”

I felt my knees give way.

Michael caught me.

I pushed him away.

“You knew.”

“Yes.”

“You knew I had another baby.”

“Yes.”

“You let me believe she died?”

Michael's eyes filled with tears.

“I was trying to find her.”

“For nine years?”

“Yes.”

“Where is she?”

“I don't know.”

Mark laughed quietly.

“We know.”

Michael turned.

“You're lying.”

Mark shook his head.

“Ask Daniel.”

Everyone looked at him.

Daniel was silent.

I stepped toward him.

“Where is my daughter?”

He looked at Emma.

Then me.

“She survived.”

My heart stopped.

“Where?”

“She's alive.”

“Where?”

“In a facility.”

“What facility?”

“I can't tell you.”

I grabbed his shirt.

“WHERE?”

Daniel smiled.

“You'd be surprised how much your daughter looks like you.”

My blood ran cold.

“Let her go.”

“She isn't ours to release.”

Michael stepped forward.

“Tell her.”

Daniel shook his head.

“No.”

One of the officers grabbed Daniel.

“Enough.”

But Daniel began laughing.

“You don't understand.”

He looked directly at me.

“Your daughter isn't a prisoner.”

“What?”

“She works for us.”

Silence.

“No.”

“She was raised to believe you abandoned her.”

I felt physically sick.

“She's nine?”

“Yes.”

Emma began crying.

“Mommy…”

I hugged her.

Daniel continued.

“We told her mother didn't want her.”

I screamed.

“You stole my child!”

“We saved her.”

“You tortured her!”

“We educated her.”

Michael's face turned white.

“Where?”

Daniel smiled.

“At the Aurora campus.”

The name hit him.

“That's impossible.”

“Why?”

“Because the campus burned down.”

Daniel laughed.

“The public campus did.”

My father suddenly said:

“Sarah, we have to go.”

“What?”

“Now.”

“Why?”

He looked at the window.

“There are headlights.”

Cars were arriving outside.

More than one.

Daniel smiled.

“They've come.”

The power went out.

Everything became black.

Gunshots erupted outside.

The police shouted.

Someone smashed through the back door.

Michael grabbed Emma.

I reached for her.

A hand seized my shoulder.

I screamed.

Then a woman's voice whispered in my ear.

“Mom?”

I froze.

That voice.

A little girl's voice.

I turned.

A young girl stood in the darkness.

Maybe nine years old.

Same brown eyes.

Same crooked smile.

A tiny scar above her eyebrow.

My mother's bracelet hung around her wrist.

I couldn't breathe.

“Who are you?”

The girl looked at me.

“I've been looking for you.”

I stumbled backward.

Emma stared at her.

“Mommy…”

The girl smiled.

“My name is Lily.”

My heart stopped.

That was the name I had chosen for the second baby.

The name nobody knew.

Nobody except me.

And my mother.

I whispered:

“Lily?”

The girl nodded.

May you like

I Came Home Early and Found My Housekeeper’s 3-Year-Old Daughter Scrubbi...

I returned home hours earlier than expected and discovered my housekeeper’s three-year-old daughter standing barefoot in the laund...

My Family Inherited Millions and Left Me a Ruined House. Four Months Lat...

The lawyer’s office fell silent as my grandmother’s will was read, and I watched my family inherit millions while I received nothi...

A Desperate Mother Begged a Billionaire for a Job to Feed Her Two Childr...

I was stranded on a lonely Arizona highway with two starving children, a pair of ruined suitcases, and no way to reach our destina...

Then she said:

“Daniel told me you were dead.”