CHAPTER 12 THE PHOTOGRAPH FROM YESTERDAY
Gavin stared at the photograph.
His fingers went numb.
The date printed beneath it was impossible.
AUGUST 9, 2026.
Yesterday.
And standing beside Nora Bell was Richard Roberson.
The same man Gavin had believed was his father.
The same man who had supposedly been dead for twenty-two years.
The same face.
The same scar.
The same eyes.
Gavin slowly looked toward the man standing across the corridor.
The impostor.
The man who had claimed to be Richard.
Then Gavin looked toward the real Richard, who stood beside Daniel.
His mind couldn't process what he was seeing.
There were too many faces.
Too many lies.
Too many versions of the same man.
“Which one of you is Richard?”
Nobody answered.
The countdown continued.
00:34
00:33
Nora screamed.
“Gavin, the box!”
He looked down.
The black box was still open.
Inside was a second photograph.
Gavin picked it up.
This one showed Nora holding a newborn baby.
Beside her stood Richard.
But there was something written on the back.
Gavin turned it over.
His face changed.
THE CHILD WAS NEVER THE HEIR.
Below that sentence was another.
THE MOTHER WAS.
Gavin looked at Nora.
“What does this mean?”
Nora was crying.
“I was trying to tell you.”
“Tell me what?”
“That Taylor isn't the person they should be afraid of.”
Gavin stared.
“Then who?”
Nora looked at Evelyn.
Evelyn slowly stepped forward.
“Me.”
Gavin froze.
“Mom?”
Evelyn's voice shook.
“I was the original heir.”
Silence.
Samuel's expression changed.
Victor looked at her.
Richard lowered his head.
Gavin couldn't breathe.
“You?”
Evelyn nodded.
“My father left everything to me.”
“Then why did everyone say the heir was Taylor?”
“Because the trust was changed.”
“By whom?”
Evelyn looked at Richard.
“Your father.”
Gavin's eyes widened.
“Richard?”
“Yes.”
“But why?”
“Because he knew they would kill me.”
Gavin looked at the photograph.
Nora.
Richard.
The baby.
Taylor.
“So Taylor inherited your claim.”
“Yes.”
“And that's why they want her.”
“Yes.”
The countdown continued.
00:22
00:21
The impostor laughed.
“You're wasting time.”
Gavin turned toward him.
“Who are you?”
The man smiled.
“You already know.”
“No.”
“You've seen me your entire life.”
Gavin's eyes narrowed.
The man's face seemed to shift beneath the dim emergency lights.
Not physically.
But something about him suddenly felt familiar.
The posture.
The voice.
The way he tilted his head.
Gavin looked at Richard.
Then Daniel.
Then Victor.
Finally, he looked at the impostor.
“You're not Richard.”
The man smiled.
“No.”
“You're Daniel.”
Daniel stepped backward.
“What?”
The impostor laughed.
“You've finally figured it out.”
Gavin stared.
There were two Daniels.
The man beside him.
And the man pretending to be Richard.
Daniel's face went pale.
“That isn't me.”
The impostor removed a thin mask from his face.
Underneath was another face.
Older.
Sharper.
But familiar.
Gavin's stomach dropped.
He recognized him from the family photographs.
“Victor's brother?”
The man nodded.
“Alexander Kane.”
Victor stepped forward.
“Alex.”
Alexander smiled.
“Hello, little brother.”
Victor's face hardened.
“You're supposed to be dead.”
“Apparently, everyone in this family is.”
The countdown continued.
00:15
Gavin looked at the timer.
“What happens at zero?”
Alexander smiled.
“The facility explodes.”
Taylor began crying.
Gavin grabbed her.
“Where's the exit?”
Alexander laughed.
“There isn't one.”
Gavin looked at Richard.
Richard pointed toward a side corridor.
“There is.”
Gavin turned.
“Where?”
“Behind the medical room.”
They ran.
Everyone followed.
Except Alexander.
He remained behind.
Gavin shouted,
“Come with us!”
Alexander smiled.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because someone has to make sure the past stays buried.”
He pressed another button.
The vault doors slammed shut behind them.
Gavin reached the medical room.
He found the hidden panel.
Nothing.
He pushed harder.
Richard shouted,
“Pull the red lever!”
Gavin found it.
He pulled.
The wall opened.
A narrow tunnel appeared.
“Move!”
They rushed inside.
The explosion came.
The entire facility shook.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
Taylor screamed.
Gavin covered her with his body.
A deafening blast rolled through the underground complex.
Then silence.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Gavin slowly lifted his head.
“Everyone alive?”
Priscilla coughed.
“Yes.”
Victor nodded.
Daniel was bleeding from his shoulder.
Richard was holding Evelyn.
Nora was sitting against the wall.
Taylor was still in Gavin's arms.
Then a small voice spoke.
“Mr. Gavin?”
“Yes?”
“Where's my mommy?”
Gavin looked at Nora.
She smiled through her tears.
“I'm here.”
Taylor ran to her.
Nora hugged her tightly.
Gavin watched them.
For one brief moment, everything seemed peaceful.
Then his phone rang.
Unknown number.
Gavin answered.
“Hello?”
Static.
Then a man's voice.
“Gavin.”
He recognized it immediately.
Alexander.
Gavin's eyes hardened.
“How are you alive?”
A quiet laugh.
“I told you.”
“What?”
“Everyone in this family lies about death.”
Gavin looked around.
“Where are you?”
“Closer than you think.”
The call ended.
Gavin stared at the phone.
Then he noticed something.
A new message had appeared.
LOOK BEHIND YOU.
Gavin turned.
Nobody.
Then another message arrived.
NOT THERE.
He looked at the tunnel wall.
A small red light was blinking.
A camera.
Someone was watching them.
Gavin approached it.
The camera suddenly switched on.
A screen illuminated.
Alexander appeared.
But he wasn't alone.
A woman stood beside him.
Gavin's heart stopped.
“Mom?”
Evelyn looked up.
She was still beside him.
Gavin turned.
Then back to the screen.
The woman on the monitor looked exactly like Evelyn.
Same face.
Same hair.
Same voice.
She smiled.
“Hello, Gavin.”
Gavin's blood ran cold.
There were two Eveylns.
Victor stared at the screen.
“No…”
Richard whispered,
“It can't be.”
The woman on the screen laughed.
“Did you really think Evelyn Roberson was the only woman who knew the truth?”
Gavin raised his weapon toward the monitor.
“Who are you?”
The woman smiled.
“I am the reason your mother survived.”
Evelyn's face turned white.
“No.”
The woman continued.
“I am the woman who carried Gavin.”
Gavin froze.
Evelyn grabbed his arm.
“Don't listen to her.”
The woman smiled.
“You were never Evelyn's biological son.”
Gavin stared.
“No.”
“She raised you.”
Evelyn shook her head.
“She's lying.”
“She loved you.”
Evelyn's eyes filled with tears.
“But she wasn't your mother.”
Gavin looked between them.
“Then who was?”
The woman on the screen answered:
“Me.”
Silence.
The woman leaned closer to the camera.
“My name is Catherine Kane.”
Victor's face collapsed.
“Catherine…”
Gavin turned toward him.
“You know her.”
Victor couldn't speak.
Catherine smiled.
“Of course he does.”
She looked directly at Gavin.
“Because I'm your biological mother.”
Gavin's entire body went cold.
Evelyn stepped backward.
“No.”
Catherine continued.
“And the man you were told was your biological father…”
She glanced toward Victor.
“…isn't.”
Victor looked at her in horror.
Catherine smiled.
“Your real father is still alive.”
Gavin's breathing stopped.
“Who?”
Catherine's expression became serious.
“The man standing beside you.”
Gavin slowly turned.
Richard.
The man who had raised him.
The man who had claimed he wasn't his biological father.
The man who had spent twenty-two years protecting him.
Richard's eyes filled with tears.
Gavin whispered,
“Dad?”
Richard couldn't answer.
Catherine spoke again.
“Ask him about the night you were born.”
Gavin stared at Richard.
“Tell me.”
Richard closed his eyes.
“I can't.”
“Tell me!”
Richard finally looked at him.
And whispered:
“You were born with a twin.”
Gavin froze.
“A twin?”
Richard nodded.
“A boy.”
Gavin's eyes moved toward the photograph of the child.
The original Gavin.
The boy who had been hidden underground.
Richard's voice cracked.
“He was born first.”
Gavin stared.
“And I?”
Richard swallowed.
“You were born eleven minutes later.”
Silence.
Gavin looked toward the boy.
The boy stared back.
Richard continued:
“But neither of you was supposed to survive.”
Gavin's blood ran cold.
“Why?”
Richard looked toward Catherine's image.
“Because your grandfather ordered the doctor to kill both babies.”
Catherine smiled.
“But the doctor didn't obey.”
Gavin stared.
“What did he do?”
Richard's eyes filled with tears.
“He switched the babies.”
Gavin looked down at Taylor.
Then at the boy.
Then at Richard.
“What did he switch them with?”
Richard whispered:
“Three children.”
Gavin's face went blank.
“Three?”
Richard nodded.
“One became you.”
“One became the boy in the vault.”
“And the third…”
He looked toward Taylor.
“…became Taylor.”
Gavin couldn't breathe.
The three children weren't siblings.
They weren't replacements.
They were part of a plan.
A plan designed to confuse anyone trying to identify the real heir.
But then why did Taylor's blood open the vault?
Why did the system recognize her?
Why had everyone been hunting her?
Gavin turned toward Nora.
“Nora…”
She was crying.
“I'm sorry.”
“What did you do?”
Nora looked at Taylor.
“I took the third child.”
Gavin's heart stopped.
“Taylor isn't your biological daughter.”
Nora closed her eyes.
“No.”
Gavin stared at Taylor.
The little girl looked frightened.
“Then whose daughter is she?”
Nora whispered:
“Your grandfather's.”
The tunnel fell silent.
Gavin looked toward the screen.
Catherine was smiling.
Alexander stood beside her.
And then Catherine said the words that made Gavin realize the nightmare had only just begun.
“Now you finally understand why everyone wants Taylor.”
She leaned toward the camera.
“She isn't the heir.”
“She is the evidence.”
The screen went black.
And somewhere behind them, a door slowly opened.
May you like
A man's voice whispered from the darkness:
“Then let's see what she remembers.”
