CHAPTER 14 — THE TRUE OWNER
The whisper came from directly behind Emily.
"Me."
Emily spun around.
Nobody was there.
The observatory was completely dark.
Then the emergency lights flickered on.
One.
Two.
Three.
Everyone stood frozen.
Victor was gone.
Alexander was gone.
Even the old woman inside the vault had disappeared.
Only one thing remained.
The jade pendant.
It was lying on the floor.
Emily picked it up.
The pendant was warm.
Almost burning.
Daniel grabbed her arm.
"Don't touch it."
"It's already mine."
"No."
His voice trembled.
"It's not."
Emily looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
Daniel pointed toward the console.
A message had appeared.
OWNER IDENTIFICATION FAILED.
Emily frowned.
"What?"
Another line appeared.
ORIGINAL HEIR REJECTED.
Then:
SECONDARY HEIR REJECTED.
Daniel stared.
"So the system lied."
Thomas stepped forward.
"No."
He looked at the screen.
"It didn't lie."
"Then what is happening?"
Thomas whispered:
"It's waiting for someone else."
Emily's stomach dropped.
"Who?"
Nobody answered.
Then the observatory doors opened.
A man walked inside.
Emily's blood froze.
It was Richard.
But he was supposed to be dead.
He was supposed to have been shot.
He was supposed to have collapsed.
Yet he stood there.
Alive.
Uninjured.
Smiling.
Emily backed away.
"How?"
Richard looked at Thomas.
"Did you really think that was me?"
Thomas's face went pale.
"You weren't the man in the corridor."
Richard shook his head.
"No."
Daniel stared.
"Then who did we see?"
Richard smiled.
"My brother."
Emily's heart stopped.
"Your brother?"
Richard nodded.
"Jonathan."
Thomas whispered:
"Jonathan Whitmore."
Richard smiled.
"Exactly."
Emily looked around.
"So the man pretending to be you..."
"My younger brother."
"Why?"
"Because Victor needed a decoy."
Richard stepped forward.
"And Jonathan was very good at dying."
Daniel clenched his fists.
"Where's my mother?"
Richard's smile disappeared.
"Safe."
"Where?"
"Not here."
Emily stepped between them.
"Then tell us everything."
Richard looked at her.
"You've earned that."
He walked toward the console.
"The Whitmore fortune doesn't belong to the Whitmores."
Emily frowned.
"We know."
"No."
Richard shook his head.
"You know the story."
He touched the screen.
The system projected an old document.
A photograph appeared.
It showed a young woman.
Emily stared.
She recognized her.
The old woman from the vault.
"Who is she?"
Richard answered:
"Victoria Carter."
Emily looked at Eleanor.
Eleanor was shaking.
"Your grandmother."
Emily's eyes widened.
"But I thought..."
"She died."
"She didn't."
Richard nodded.
"She disappeared."
"Why?"
"Because she discovered what Victor had done."
Emily stared.
"What did he do?"
Richard's expression became dark.
"He stole the Carter inheritance."
Thomas stepped forward.
"We know."
"No."
Richard looked at him.
"You know about the money."
He pointed at the screen.
"You don't know about the ownership."
The document changed.
A family tree appeared.
At the top:
CARTER.
Below it:
VICTORIA CARTER.
Then:
ALEXANDER CARTER.
Then:
AMELIA ROSE CARTER.
Emily stared.
"Alexander."
Richard nodded.
"Your father."
"So I'm the heir."
"Yes."
Daniel frowned.
"Then why did the system reject her?"
Richard looked at him.
"Because she isn't the only heir."
The family tree changed.
Another branch appeared.
ELEANOR CARTER.
Emily turned.
"Eleanor?"
Eleanor covered her mouth.
Richard nodded.
"Your mother is also a direct Carter descendant."
Thomas looked stunned.
"But she was adopted."
"Exactly."
"By Victor's father."
Richard nodded.
"He erased her identity."
Eleanor whispered:
"I was a Carter."
"Yes."
"Then why did nobody tell me?"
"Because Victor wanted the Carter bloodline divided."
Emily looked at her mother.
"So we're related."
Richard nodded.
"Mother and daughter."
"Both heirs."
"Yes."
Daniel looked confused.
"Then why does the system say there are two heirs?"
Richard smiled.
"Because there are."
Emily looked at the pendant.
"Then what's the problem?"
Richard's expression became serious.
"The original trust doesn't recognize individuals."
"What does it recognize?"
"Blood combinations."
Emily frowned.
Richard continued.
"Your grandfather believed the perfect heir would be born from two branches of the Carter family."
Daniel stared.
"Two branches?"
Richard nodded.
"That's why the marriages were manipulated."
Emily suddenly understood.
"That's why my wedding..."
"Yes."
Richard looked at Daniel.
"Your marriage to Emily wasn't an accident."
Daniel's face hardened.
"You arranged it."
"No."
Richard shook his head.
"Victor did."
Emily stared.
"He wanted us married."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because your children would have combined the two bloodlines."
Emily felt sick.
"So the wedding..."
"Was a breeding plan."
Silence.
Daniel looked horrified.
"They used us."
"Yes."
Emily closed her eyes.
Then she remembered something.
The pendant.
The wedding dress.
The hidden jade.
She looked at Richard.
"Why did the pendant fall out when Eleanor tore my dress?"
Richard smiled faintly.
"Because it was sewn there."
"By Sarah."
"No."
Richard shook his head.
"By me."
Emily froze.
"You?"
"I needed the pendant exposed."
"Why?"
"Because the moment the pendant touched the floor..."
Richard pointed toward the console.
"...the system detected you."
Emily stared.
"But Victor wanted that."
Richard nodded.
"Yes."
"Then why help me?"
"Because I wanted Victor exposed."
Daniel stepped forward.
"You could have told us."
Richard laughed.
"You wouldn't have believed me."
Emily looked at him.
"Who shot you?"
"My brother."
"Jonathan?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because Victor ordered him to."
Emily's eyes narrowed.
"Then where is Jonathan?"
Richard looked toward the vault.
"Dead."
Silence.
"Victor killed him?"
Richard nodded.
"After he served his purpose."
Emily looked sick.
"So everyone is disposable to him."
Richard smiled sadly.
"That's what I've been trying to tell you."
A loud explosion shook the observatory.
BOOM!
The ceiling cracked.
Dust fell.
Daniel grabbed Emily.
"What was that?"
Richard looked toward the entrance.
"Victor."
Thomas grabbed a weapon.
"He's coming."
Richard shook his head.
"No."
He looked at the monitors.
"He's leaving."
Emily frowned.
"Leaving?"
Richard nodded.
"With your mother."
Emily's eyes widened.
"Margaret?"
"Yes."
"Where?"
Richard pointed at the screen.
A map appeared.
An abandoned train station.
"He's taking her to the original Carter estate."
Thomas stared.
"That place was destroyed."
"Not all of it."
Emily looked at Richard.
"Why take her there?"
Richard's face became grim.
"Because that's where the final record is."
"What record?"
"The birth ledger."
Daniel frowned.
"Why is it important?"
Richard looked at Emily.
"Because the ledger proves who was born first."
Emily swallowed.
"And?"
Richard's eyes hardened.
"Whoever was born first is the rightful heir."
Daniel stared.
"So we can finally know."
"Yes."
Emily felt a strange hope.
Then Richard added:
"But there's one problem."
"What?"
"The ledger lists six children."
Everyone froze.
"Six?"
Richard nodded.
"Six Carter heirs."
Emily stared.
"Who is the sixth?"
Richard looked at Eleanor.
She began shaking.
"No."
Richard nodded.
"Yes."
Eleanor whispered:
"She died."
Richard shook his head.
"She didn't."
Emily stepped closer.
"Who is she?"
Richard looked at the door.
"Your aunt."
Eleanor's face went white.
"That's impossible."
"Her name was Elena."
Emily stared.
"And where is she?"
Richard smiled.
"At the Carter estate."
Thomas suddenly grabbed Emily's arm.
"We're leaving."
Daniel nodded.
"We have to find Margaret."
Sarah stepped forward.
"I'm coming."
Julian followed.
"So am I."
Eleanor looked at them.
"Please..."
Emily stopped.
She turned toward her mother.
"I'm not forgiving you."
Eleanor nodded through tears.
"I know."
"But you're coming."
Eleanor looked shocked.
"Why?"
Emily's expression hardened.
"Because you're the only person who knows where the Carter estate is."
They ran.
The observatory began collapsing behind them.
Richard stayed.
Emily looked back.
"Aren't you coming?"
Richard shook his head.
"I have something to finish."
"What?"
He looked toward the burning control room.
"Your grandfather."
Emily froze.
"Victor?"
Richard nodded.
"He's still here."
"Where?"
Richard smiled.
"Below us."
A deafening explosion erupted beneath the observatory.
The floor cracked.
Richard shouted:
"RUN!"
Emily, Daniel, Sarah, Julian, Eleanor, and Thomas sprinted toward the exit.
Behind them, the entire observatory began collapsing.
They reached the outside just as the building exploded.
BOOM!
Emily fell to the ground.
Daniel pulled her up.
"Are you okay?"
She nodded.
Then she looked toward the burning ruins.
"Richard."
No answer.
Thomas shook his head.
"He's gone."
Emily stared at the flames.
Then her phone vibrated.
Unknown number.
She answered.
A woman's voice whispered:
"Emily."
Emily froze.
"Who is this?"
"I'm Elena."
Eleanor gasped.
The voice continued:
"Your aunt."
Emily's blood ran cold.
"Where are you?"
A pause.
Then:
"At the Carter estate."
Emily swallowed.
"Is my mother with you?"
Silence.
Then:
"No."
Emily's heart sank.
"Where is she?"
Elena whispered:
"Victor has her."
"Where?"
Another pause.
Then:
"Under the house."
Emily frowned.
"There's a basement?"
Elena's voice trembled.
"Not a basement."
"Then what?"
"The original laboratory."
Emily stared at Eleanor.
Elena continued:
"And Emily..."
"Yes?"
"Don't come here."
"Why?"
"Because Victor isn't trying to kill your mother."
Emily froze.
"Then what does he want?"
Elena's voice became almost inaudible.
"He's waiting for you."
The call ended.
Emily stared at the phone.
Daniel asked:
"What did she say?"
Emily slowly looked up.
"He has Mom."
Thomas nodded.
"We know."
Emily shook her head.
"No."
She looked toward the distant darkness.
"He doesn't want Mom."
Daniel frowned.
"Then what?"
Emily's eyes hardened.
"He wants me."
A final message appeared on her phone.
COME TO THE CARTER ESTATE BEFORE MIDNIGHT.
Then another:
BRING THE JADE PENDANT.
And beneath it:
COME ALONE, OR MARGARET DIES.
Emily looked at Daniel.
He immediately shook his head.
"You're not going alone."
Emily tightened her grip on the pendant.
"I know."
She looked toward the road.
"But I'm going."
Because after twenty-seven years of lies, she was finally going to meet the man who had controlled her entire life.
And this time...
She wasn't going there as Rose.
She wasn't going there as Emily.
She was going there as Amelia Rose Carter.
The original heir.
May you like
The girl Victor had tried to erase.
And the only person capable of destroying everything he had built.
