Chapter 8 - THE SISTER NOBODY KNEWI confronted Dad with the birth certificate.
He didn't deny it.
That was worse.
Mom started crying.
Hailey refused to speak.
Dad sat at the kitchen table with his hands clasped together.
“Her name is Maya.”
“Yes.”
“She’s my sister.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't I know?”
Dad looked at me.
“Because she was born before I met your mother.”
I stared.
“You abandoned your daughter.”
“No.”
“What did you do?”
“I gave her up.”
“To strangers?”
“To protect her.”
“You keep using that word.”
Dad lowered his head.
“Maya's mother was working for Northbridge.”
I looked at Daniel.
He nodded.
“She was involved in the operation.”
“So Maya grew up around it.”
“Yes.”
“Then why did she look like me?”
Dad's expression changed.
“Because she was always told you were her sister.”
That sentence hit me harder than anything else.
She knew about me.
She had always known.
“Why did she pretend to be me?”
Daniel answered.
“Because she believed taking your identity would expose Northbridge.”
“What?”
“Maya wasn't working for them anymore.”
“Then why spy on me?”
“She wasn't.”
I looked at him.
“You're saying those pictures weren't hers?”
“No.”
“Then whose?”
Daniel didn't answer.
Jake stepped forward.
“I know.”
Everyone looked at him.
“It's not Maya controlling this.”
“Then who?”
Jake pointed toward Mom.
My mother froze.
“What?”
Jake pulled out another folder.
Inside were old photographs.
Mom.
Dad.
Northbridge executives.
And one man I recognized.
The same man from the basement photograph.
Daniel looked stunned.
“You found this?”
Jake nodded.
“Six years ago.”
Mom's face went white.
I turned toward her.
“What is going on?”
She started shaking.
“I was trying to protect you.”
I nearly shouted.
“From what?”
She looked at me.
“Your father wasn't the only one involved.”
Silence.
“I worked for Northbridge too.”
My entire body went cold.
“You?”
“I met your father there.”
“And you both used me.”
“No.”
“You lied to me my entire life.”
“We were trying to get out.”
“Then why did everyone keep taking my money?”
Mom broke down.
“We didn't.”
“Someone did.”
She looked at the documents.
Then whispered,
“Your grandmother.”
I frowned.
“What?”
“She controlled the first accounts.”
Dad looked at her in shock.
“She died twelve years ago.”
Mom nodded.
“Exactly.”
That made no sense.
Daniel grabbed the file.
“This is impossible.”
Mom looked at him.
“Not if she wasn't dead.”
The room fell silent.
I could hear the refrigerator humming.
Then the front door opened.
Everyone turned.
An elderly woman stepped inside.
Gray hair.
Black coat.
Walking slowly.
She looked at me.
And smiled.
I had seen that smile before.
In old family photographs.
My grandmother.
Dead for twelve years.
She walked into the kitchen like she owned the house.
“Hello, Taylor.”
I couldn't move.
My mother screamed.
Dad stood so fast his chair fell over.
“Eleanor?”
May you like
The woman smiled.
“Did you miss me?”
