CHAPTER 13 WHAT TAYLOR REMEMBERED
The door opened one inch.
Then another.
Nobody moved.
Gavin raised his weapon.
“Stay behind me.”
Taylor immediately grabbed Nora's hand.
The darkness beyond the doorway seemed to breathe.
Then a man's voice came again.
“Taylor.”
The little girl froze.
Nora's face turned white.
Gavin looked at her.
“You know that voice.”
Nora shook her head.
“No.”
“You do.”
“I don't.”
Taylor slowly stepped forward.
“Mommy?”
Nora pulled her back.
“No, sweetheart.”
The voice came again.
“You remember me.”
Taylor began trembling.
Gavin crouched beside her.
“Taylor, look at me.”
She did.
“Do you know that man?”
Taylor's lips trembled.
“I saw him before.”
“Where?”
“In the room.”
“What room?”
“The room with the lights.”
Gavin's expression changed.
“What happened there?”
Taylor squeezed her eyes shut.
“I don't remember.”
The door suddenly slammed open.
A man stepped inside.
He was wearing a dark suit.
No mask.
No weapon.
Just a calm expression.
Gavin recognized him.
He had seen him at the engagement party.
One of the thirty guests.
“Mr. Callahan.”
The billionaire lawyer smiled.
“Mr. Roberson.”
Gavin raised his gun.
“You followed us.”
Callahan looked at Taylor.
“I came for her.”
“You're not taking her.”
“I don't want to hurt her.”
“Then leave.”
“I can't.”
“Why?”
“Because she's the only witness left.”
Gavin's eyes narrowed.
“Witness to what?”
Callahan looked at Nora.
Nora backed away.
Callahan smiled.
“She remembers the night the original heir disappeared.”
Gavin looked at Taylor.
“She was three years old.”
“She was born with memories.”
“That makes no sense.”
“Not memories.”
Callahan stepped closer.
“Recordings.”
Gavin frowned.
“What?”
Callahan pointed toward Taylor's head.
“Her mother had an experimental procedure performed on her when she was an infant.”
Nora whispered:
“No.”
Callahan continued.
“The procedure was designed to preserve visual memory.”
Gavin looked at Nora.
“You did this?”
“I didn't know what they were doing.”
“You signed the papers.”
“They told me it was medical treatment.”
Callahan laughed.
“You knew enough.”
Nora shook her head.
“I wanted to save her.”
“From whom?”
Nora's voice broke.
“From your grandfather.”
Callahan's smile disappeared.
“Everyone blames the old man.”
He looked at Gavin.
“But he wasn't the only monster.”
Gavin stepped forward.
“Then tell me who was.”
Callahan pointed at Nora.
“Her.”
Nora stared at him.
Gavin turned.
“What did you do?”
Nora couldn't answer.
Taylor suddenly whispered:
“Mommy didn't hurt me.”
Callahan looked at her.
“Did she tell you that?”
Taylor shook her head.
“I remember.”
Everyone went silent.
Gavin crouched.
“What do you remember?”
Taylor stared at the floor.
“A room.”
“What kind of room?”
“White.”
“Like a hospital?”
She nodded.
“There was a lady.”
“What lady?”
Taylor pointed at Evelyn.
“Her.”
Evelyn's face went white.
“I wasn't there.”
Taylor shook her head.
“Not Mommy Evelyn.”
She pointed toward the dark doorway.
“The other lady.”
Everyone turned.
A woman stepped into the light.
Catherine Kane.
Gavin's supposed biological mother.
Victor stared at her.
“You're alive.”
Catherine smiled.
“You always did underestimate me.”
Victor raised his weapon.
Catherine looked at him.
“Don't.”
“Where have you been?”
“Watching.”
Gavin stepped between them.
“Why did you perform the procedure on Taylor?”
Catherine's expression changed.
“I didn't.”
“Then who did?”
She looked at Callahan.
He smiled.
Catherine whispered:
“Your grandfather.”
Gavin's eyes narrowed.
“Samuel Bell?”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“Augustus Roberson.”
Gavin froze.
His grandfather.
The man supposedly dead.
The man who had appeared in the helicopter.
The man who had been controlling everything.
“But why?”
Catherine looked at Taylor.
“Because he needed proof.”
“Proof of what?”
“That the heir was alive.”
Gavin frowned.
“But if he already knew…”
“He didn't know which child was the real heir.”
Silence.
Catherine continued.
“So he created a test.”
Gavin's stomach tightened.
“What test?”
“The children were exposed to different environments.”
“Why?”
“To see which one developed the genetic markers.”
Gavin looked at Taylor.
“And she did.”
“Yes.”
“What markers?”
Catherine hesitated.
“Access.”
Gavin remembered the vault.
Taylor's hand.
The scanner.
The green light.
He suddenly understood.
“The vault.”
Catherine nodded.
“She is genetically compatible with the original trust.”
Gavin looked at Taylor.
“But you said she wasn't the heir.”
“She isn't.”
“Then why can she open it?”
“Because the trust wasn't designed for one person.”
Gavin frowned.
“What?”
Catherine looked at him.
“It requires two bloodlines.”
She pointed at Taylor.
“And you.”
Gavin stared.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“But I'm not biologically related to the Roberson family.”
Catherine smiled sadly.
“That isn't true.”
Gavin's breathing stopped.
“You're wrong.”
“No.”
“Richard said…”
“Richard lied.”
Gavin turned toward Richard.
“Tell me.”
Richard remained silent.
“Tell me!”
Richard's eyes filled with tears.
“You are a Roberson.”
Gavin froze.
“Biologically?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did every DNA test say otherwise?”
Richard looked toward Callahan.
“Because the tests were altered.”
Gavin stared.
“How?”
“The family doctor changed the samples.”
“Twenty-two years ago?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Richard whispered:
“Because Augustus wanted everyone to believe the wrong child was the heir.”
Gavin looked at Taylor.
“So she isn't the heir.”
“No.”
“Then who is?”
Richard pointed toward the boy.
“The original Gavin.”
Gavin looked at the boy.
The child stared back.
“But you said he wasn't.”
Richard shook his head.
“I was protecting him.”
“From what?”
“From the people who wanted him dead.”
Gavin's voice became bitter.
“Everyone keeps saying that.”
Richard stepped closer.
“I know.”
Then the boy suddenly spoke.
“Gavin.”
“What?”
“I remember.”
Gavin turned.
The boy's eyes were filled with fear.
“I remember the night they switched us.”
The room fell silent.
“What do you remember?”
The boy swallowed.
“There were three babies.”
Gavin's heart pounded.
“Three.”
“Yes.”
“Who were they?”
The boy pointed at Taylor.
“Her.”
Then at himself.
“Me.”
Then at Gavin.
“And you.”
Gavin stared.
“We were all in the same room.”
“Yes.”
“Who switched us?”
The boy's voice became barely audible.
“A woman.”
“Who?”
The boy looked at Catherine.
Catherine stepped backward.
“No.”
The boy pointed at her.
“She did.”
Victor raised his weapon.
“Catherine…”
She shook her head.
“I didn't.”
The boy began crying.
“You did.”
Catherine's face collapsed.
“I was trying to save you.”
Gavin stared at her.
“Save us from what?”
Catherine couldn't answer.
Gavin stepped closer.
“From whom?”
Finally, she whispered:
“Augustus.”
Gavin's jaw tightened.
“Then why switch the babies?”
“Because he had ordered all three killed.”
Silence.
Catherine continued:
“I couldn't save all of you.”
“So you chose one.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“I saved all three.”
Gavin stared.
“Then why did two disappear?”
Catherine looked toward the ceiling.
“Because someone else found them first.”
“Who?”
She hesitated.
“Your grandfather.”
Gavin's stomach turned.
“But why would he keep them alive?”
Catherine's voice became cold.
“Because he needed insurance.”
“Against what?”
“Against you.”
Gavin froze.
“Me?”
Catherine nodded.
“Augustus knew one day you would discover the truth.”
“What truth?”
“That the Roberson empire wasn't built on money.”
Gavin already knew.
“Secrets.”
“Yes.”
“And the children?”
“Were his ultimate insurance.”
Gavin looked at Taylor.
“What did he do with them?”
Catherine closed her eyes.
“He separated them.”
The boy suddenly stepped forward.
“I remember another thing.”
Everyone turned.
“What?”
He looked directly at Gavin.
“The night we were separated…”
His voice shook.
“…someone whispered that one of us would become the king.”
Gavin frowned.
“King?”
The boy nodded.
“And the other two would become sacrifices.”
Gavin's blood ran cold.
“Who said it?”
The boy looked toward the tunnel.
Then whispered:
“Your grandfather.”
A sudden explosion shook the building.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
The lights went out.
Gavin grabbed Taylor.
“Everyone move!”
Gunfire erupted from the corridor.
Callahan shouted:
“They're here!”
Gavin pulled Taylor behind a concrete pillar.
Priscilla fired back.
Victor covered Evelyn.
Richard grabbed the boy.
Then a familiar voice echoed through the darkness.
“Gavin!”
Gavin froze.
Augustus.
His grandfather.
The voice came closer.
“You have something that belongs to me.”
Gavin shouted back:
“What?”
“The girl.”
Taylor clung to him.
Augustus continued:
“Bring me Taylor…”
A pause.
“…and I'll tell you who your real mother is.”
Gavin's eyes narrowed.
“I already know.”
Augustus laughed.
“No, Gavin.”
The laughter echoed through the tunnel.
“You know who gave birth to you.”
The gunfire stopped.
Silence.
Then Augustus whispered:
“You don't know who raised you.”
Gavin looked toward Evelyn.
She was crying.
Augustus continued:
“Ask Evelyn what happened the night she stole you.”
Gavin's blood froze.
Evelyn lowered her head.
Gavin stared at her.
“Mom?”
She didn't answer.
“Did you steal me?”
Evelyn's tears fell.
“I was trying to save you.”
Gavin stepped closer.
“From whom?”
Evelyn finally looked up.
“From your real mother.”
Gavin stopped.
His entire body went cold.
Evelyn whispered:
“Catherine wasn't lying.”
Gavin stared.
“Then who is my mother?”
Evelyn looked toward Taylor.
Then toward the boy.
Finally, she said:
“The woman who gave birth to you…”
Her voice broke.
“…is not the woman who gave birth to Taylor.”
Gavin's eyes widened.
Evelyn continued:
“And the reason your family has been fighting over Taylor for three years…”
She swallowed.
“…is because Taylor is the daughter of the one woman Augustus feared more than anyone.”
Gavin whispered:
“Who?”
Evelyn looked at him.
“Your sister's mother.”
Gavin frowned.
“That doesn't make sense.”
Evelyn's voice became almost inaudible.
“Because Nora Bell isn't Taylor's mother.”
Gavin froze.
“What?”
Evelyn pointed toward Catherine.
“Catherine is.”
Catherine's face went white.
Victor whispered:
“No.”
Evelyn nodded.
“And Taylor…”
She looked at the little girl.
“…is Victor Kane's daughter.”
The room went silent.
Taylor looked up at Gavin.
“Mr. Gavin…”
Then the lights suddenly returned.
Every monitor in the corridor switched on simultaneously.
A single live image appeared.
Nora was sitting in a chair.
Her hands were tied.
Behind her stood Augustus.
He leaned toward the camera.
“Now you know enough.”
He smiled.
“Come to the estate.”
Gavin stared at the screen.
Augustus lifted a small object.
A photograph.
He held it toward the camera.
Gavin's face changed.
It was a photograph of Nora holding Taylor as a newborn.
But there was something written across the bottom.
DNA RESULT: 0.00%
Augustus smiled.
“Taylor Bell has no biological connection to Nora.”
He paused.
“And Gavin…”
His smile became colder.
“…you have no idea whose child you've been protecting.”
The screen went black.
Then a final message appeared:
May you like
COME HOME BEFORE MIDNIGHT.
OR NORA DIES.
