CHAPTER 11 — RICHARD NEVER DIED
Nobody spoke.
The man standing in the doorway looked older than the Richard Whitmore in the family portraits.
His hair was almost completely gray.
There were deep lines around his eyes.
A long scar ran from his temple to his jaw.
But there was no mistaking him.
Eleanor's husband.
Daniel's supposed father.
The man who had supposedly died twenty-seven years ago.
Richard Whitmore.
Alive.
Eleanor took one step backward.
"No."
Richard looked at her.
"Hello, Eleanor."
Her lips trembled.
"You died."
Richard smiled faintly.
"That's what I wanted you to believe."
Daniel stared at him.
"You..."
Richard's eyes moved toward him.
"My son."
Daniel shook his head.
"Don't call me that."
Richard's expression hardened.
"You've changed."
"I don't know you."
"You knew me once."
"I was a child."
"Exactly."
Emily stepped forward.
"You knew me too."
Richard looked at her.
His expression changed.
For the first time, something resembling emotion crossed his face.
"Rose."
Emily's heart tightened.
"Don't call me that."
"That's your name."
"My name is Emily."
Richard shook his head.
"No."
He stepped closer.
"You are Rose Eleanor Whitmore."
Emily stared at him.
"You abandoned me."
"No."
"You separated me from my family."
"I protected you."
"You erased my memories."
"I saved you from the truth."
Emily laughed bitterly.
"You call this saving?"
Richard looked around the underground facility.
"You've seen only the surface."
Thomas shouted from behind the glass door.
"Don't listen to him!"
Richard turned.
"Thomas."
Thomas stared at him.
"You should have stayed dead."
Richard smiled.
"And you should have stayed buried."
Daniel stepped between them.
"What happened to my father?"
Richard looked at him.
"Which one?"
Daniel froze.
Richard continued.
"Thomas was never your father."
Emily looked confused.
"You said he was."
Richard smiled.
"I said many things."
Thomas slammed his fist against the door.
"He's lying."
Richard looked at him.
"Am I?"
Thomas's expression tightened.
Richard turned back to Daniel.
"Your biological father is someone else."
Daniel shook his head.
"Who?"
Richard didn't answer.
Instead, he walked toward the table.
He picked up the photograph of the five children.
"Do you know why your mother tried to destroy this place?"
Emily looked at Eleanor.
Eleanor remained silent.
Richard continued.
"Because she discovered the fifth child."
Sarah stepped forward.
"You mean me."
Richard looked at her.
"Yes."
Sarah's eyes hardened.
"You tried to kill me."
"I tried to contain you."
"You locked me underground."
"I protected you."
Sarah laughed.
"You sound exactly like him."
She pointed toward Victor.
Victor's expression remained calm.
Richard looked at his father.
"You never told them."
Victor shook his head.
"You were supposed to remain hidden."
Richard laughed.
"Hidden?"
He looked around.
"I'm standing in front of them."
Victor's eyes narrowed.
"You ruined everything."
Richard's expression became cold.
"You ruined it first."
Emily stared at them.
"What are you talking about?"
Richard looked at her.
"Your grandfather believed he could control the family forever."
He pointed toward Victor.
"He created the program."
Victor interrupted.
"I created nothing."
Richard laughed.
"You created me."
Victor went silent.
Richard continued.
"He took children from families he considered weak."
He looked at Eleanor.
"He trained them."
At Thomas.
"He manipulated them."
At Adrian.
"He erased their identities."
Then at Emily.
"And he wanted to create the perfect heir."
Emily felt sick.
"So all of us..."
"Were part of his plan."
Richard nodded.
"Yes."
Daniel stepped forward.
"And what were you?"
Richard looked at him.
"The final product."
Silence.
Daniel stared.
Richard continued.
"My father wanted a child who would obey him."
"I didn't."
"So he created another."
He looked toward Adrian.
"And another."
Then Julian.
"And another."
Finally Sarah.
"Until he realized something."
Emily whispered:
"What?"
Richard's voice became quiet.
"Children cannot be programmed forever."
Sarah looked at him.
"Neither can you."
Richard smiled.
"That's why I disappeared."
Emily frowned.
"You faked your death."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"To escape my father."
Victor laughed.
"You ran."
"I survived."
"You betrayed the family."
"You murdered children."
Victor's expression darkened.
Richard turned toward Emily.
"Your grandfather wanted you all separated."
"Why?"
"Because together, you were dangerous."
Daniel frowned.
"Why?"
Richard looked at him.
"Because the inheritance wasn't just financial."
He picked up the original trust document.
"Your blood is the key."
Emily stared.
"Again with the blood."
Richard nodded.
"The original Whitmore estate contains a private foundation."
"What kind?"
"One created over a century ago."
Emily frowned.
"What's so special about it?"
Richard looked toward Thomas.
"Your father knows."
Thomas remained silent.
Richard continued.
"The foundation controls billions in assets."
Daniel's eyes widened.
"Billions?"
"Yes."
"But why hide it?"
"Because the person who controls it controls more than money."
Emily stepped forward.
"What?"
Richard looked at her.
"People."
Silence.
"Governments."
"Corporations."
"Private intelligence networks."
Emily's face tightened.
"That's insane."
Richard shook his head.
"That's why your grandfather built the bloodline program."
Daniel stared at him.
"He wanted control."
"Yes."
"Over all of it."
"Yes."
"And you?"
Richard looked at Victor.
"I wanted to destroy it."
Victor laughed.
"You wanted to inherit it."
Richard smiled.
"At first."
Emily looked at him.
"And now?"
Richard's eyes moved to her.
"Now I want you to end it."
She froze.
"What?"
Richard placed the trust document in front of her.
"Your blood can dissolve the foundation."
Daniel stepped forward.
"Why hers?"
"Because Rose was the first child registered under the original Carter bloodline."
Emily stared at the document.
"And Daniel?"
"He's the second key."
Daniel frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"You need both signatures."
Emily looked at Richard.
"Then why did you stop the wedding?"
Richard shook his head.
"I didn't."
Emily's eyes narrowed.
"Who did?"
Richard looked toward Eleanor.
"Your mother."
Eleanor shook her head.
"Richard..."
"You tore her wedding dress."
"I was trying to protect her."
"You were trying to protect yourself."
Eleanor's face crumpled.
Richard turned to Emily.
"And that's when everything went wrong."
Emily held up the jade pendant.
"This."
Richard nodded.
"The original key."
"Why was it sewn into my dress?"
Richard looked surprised.
"I didn't put it there."
Everyone turned toward Eleanor.
Eleanor whispered:
"I didn't either."
Sarah suddenly spoke.
"I did."
Everyone looked at her.
Emily stared.
"You?"
Sarah nodded.
"I put it there years ago."
"Why?"
"Because I knew one day you'd need it."
Emily's eyes widened.
"How did you know?"
Sarah looked at Richard.
"Because he told me."
Richard froze.
"What?"
Sarah smiled.
"You remember the night you disappeared?"
Emily nodded slowly.
"Yes."
Sarah continued.
"Richard came to us."
Emily's face tightened.
"He told us one of us had to leave."
Daniel looked confused.
"Why?"
"Because Victor was coming."
Richard's expression changed.
Sarah continued.
"He told me to hide the pendant."
"Why?"
"Because he knew Victor would search us."
Emily stared.
"Then why didn't you give it to me?"
"Because I was afraid."
"Of what?"
Sarah looked at Eleanor.
"Her."
Eleanor froze.
"Me?"
Sarah nodded.
"You weren't our mother that night."
Emily's heart stopped.
"What?"
Sarah's voice became quiet.
"The woman who came into the room..."
She looked at Eleanor.
"...was pretending to be you."
Eleanor's face went white.
Emily stared at her.
"Then where were you?"
Eleanor whispered:
"I was locked downstairs."
Daniel's eyes widened.
"So Richard's story..."
"Is true."
Eleanor looked at Emily.
"I tried to reach you."
"But you couldn't."
"No."
Emily's eyes filled with tears.
"Then who was the woman?"
Nobody answered.
Richard suddenly looked toward Victor.
Victor's face became unreadable.
Richard whispered:
"My father."
Emily stared.
"What?"
Victor had been impersonating Eleanor.
He had entered the children's room.
He had taken Sarah.
He had separated the children.
And he had convinced Eleanor she was responsible.
Victor stepped backward.
Richard pointed at him.
"He wanted you to hate your mother."
Emily looked at Eleanor.
"Why?"
"Because a family divided is easy to control."
Victor suddenly pulled a small pistol from inside his coat.
Daniel shouted:
"DOWN!"
BANG!
The bullet struck the ceiling.
Everyone scattered.
Victor aimed again.
But before he could fire, Sarah lunged toward him.
The gun fell.
Richard tackled his father.
Thomas burst through the now-open door.
"Emily!"
She turned.
Thomas grabbed her hand.
"We have to go."
"Where?"
"There's another exit."
Daniel grabbed Sarah.
Adrian grabbed Julian.
Eleanor followed.
They ran down the corridor.
Behind them came shouting.
Then a gunshot.
Then another.
Emily looked back.
Richard and Victor were fighting.
For one second, Richard's eyes met hers.
He shouted:
"ROSE!"
Emily stopped.
Richard screamed:
"THE FIFTH CHILD ISN'T SARAH!"
Emily froze.
"What?"
Richard pointed toward Adrian.
"The fifth child is..."
Another gunshot.
Richard collapsed.
Emily stared in horror.
Victor stood behind him.
Holding the gun.
Victor smiled.
Then he looked directly at Emily.
"The truth will destroy you."
The lights went out.
And when they came back on...
Victor was gone.
Richard was bleeding on the floor.
And Adrian was nowhere to be found.
Emily turned toward the empty corridor.
"Adrian?"
No answer.
Then her phone vibrated.
One message.
From an unknown number.
YOU HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR THE FIFTH CHILD.
Another message appeared.
YOU NEVER REALIZED YOU WERE STANDING BESIDE HER.
Emily's eyes widened.
She slowly looked at Sarah.
Sarah looked terrified.
Then Emily turned toward Julian.
He shook his head.
"No."
Emily looked toward Daniel.
Daniel's face was pale.
"Then who?"
A third message appeared.
THE FIFTH CHILD IS NOT ADRIAN.
A pause.
May you like
Then:
IT'S YOU, EMILY.
