Chapter 7: The Twin They Buried
Lily couldn't breathe.
She stared at the photograph lying on the table.
The man holding Ethan had Victor's face.
Not similar.
Not close.
Identical.
The same dark eyes.
The same sharp jaw.
The same cold expression.
For one horrifying second, Lily wondered whether Victor had somehow found her.
Then she saw the photograph again.
The man was wearing a black ring.
Victor never wore rings.
Lily whispered:
“Who is he?”
Marcus stood silently.
Serena looked terrified.
Then Marcus answered.
“Adrian Blackwood.”
Lily shook her head.
“Victor doesn't have a twin.”
Marcus smiled without humor.
“He did.”
“Did?”
“He was erased.”
Lily looked at Serena.
Serena nodded slowly.
“Adrian was Victor's older twin.”
“Why have I never heard of him?”
“Because your father's records were destroyed,” Marcus said.
“My father?”
“Yes.”
Lily's heart sank.
“You mean Victor's father?”
Marcus nodded.
“He ordered Adrian's existence erased.”
Lily looked at the photograph again.
“Why?”
“Because Adrian was the firstborn.”
Silence.
Marcus continued.
“And according to the Blackwood succession laws, the firstborn son was the rightful heir.”
Lily suddenly understood.
“Victor wasn't supposed to inherit.”
“No.”
“Adrian was.”
“Yes.”
“Then why did Victor become boss?”
Marcus's expression hardened.
“Because Adrian disappeared.”
Lily looked toward Serena.
“And Ethan?”
“Ethan is Adrian's son.”
The room seemed to tilt.
Lily grabbed the edge of the table.
“No.”
Serena whispered:
“That's why everyone wanted him dead.”
Lily looked at her.
“Everyone?”
“Victor's father.”
“Damian.”
“Marcus.”
“Serena…”
Serena looked down.
“I was part of it too.”
Lily stared at her.
“You tried to kill a baby.”
Serena's face crumpled.
“I thought Ethan was dangerous.”
“He's fourteen months old.”
“I know.”
“You knew he was Adrian's son.”
“I didn't know.”
“Then why?”
Serena's voice trembled.
“Because someone told me Ethan would destroy everything.”
Lily stood.
“Who?”
Serena didn't answer.
Marcus did.
“Adrian.”
Lily froze.
“He told her Ethan would become the most powerful Blackwood alive.”
“That isn't possible.”
“It is.”
Marcus walked toward the table.
“He has the bloodline.”
Lily shook her head.
“That's not enough.”
Marcus smiled.
“There's more.”
He pulled out a folder.
Inside were medical records.
Ethan's birth certificate.
DNA reports.
Old Blackwood documents.
And one strange document sealed with red wax.
Lily stared at it.
“What is that?”
“The original succession agreement.”
Marcus opened it.
At the top was the Blackwood crest.
Below it was a sentence:
The true heir shall be the child born from the firstborn Blackwood son and the bearer of the Crescent Bloodline.
Lily's blood ran cold.
“Crescent Bloodline?”
Marcus looked at her.
“Your family.”
Lily stepped backward.
“No.”
“Your father wasn't just a protector.”
Marcus pointed toward her.
“He was the last known member of the Crescent family.”
Lily stared at him.
“Then why was I chosen as Ethan's nanny?”
Marcus answered quietly:
“Because you are his mother's daughter.”
Lily froze.
“My mother?”
“Isabella wasn't Ethan's mother.”
Lily couldn't move.
“Then who is?”
Marcus looked directly into her eyes.
“You.”
Lily laughed nervously.
“That doesn't make sense.”
“It will.”
He placed another photograph on the table.
A young woman.
Same eyes as Lily.
Same crescent pendant.
Same face.
Lily stared.
“That’s…”
“Your mother.”
Tears filled Lily's eyes.
“She died when I was a baby.”
“No.”
Marcus shook his head.
“She disappeared.”
Lily whispered:
“Where?”
Marcus didn't answer.
Instead, he opened another file.
Inside was a hospital record.
Mother: Elena Vale.
Lily stared at the surname.
Vale.
“That's your mother's name,” Marcus said.
Lily looked at him.
“Vale?”
“Yes.”
Her eyes widened.
“Then you're…”
“My brother was your grandfather's closest friend,” Marcus said. “Your mother was raised under the Vale name to hide her identity.”
Lily looked at him in horror.
“Then why didn't you tell me?”
“Because you weren't ready.”
“You kidnapped me.”
“I brought you here.”
“You tied me to a chair.”
“Because someone was coming for you.”
“Who?”
Marcus looked toward the door.
“Your mother.”
Lily stopped breathing.
The door opened.
A woman entered.
Older.
Elegant.
Wearing a black dress.
Around her neck hung the silver crescent pendant.
Lily stared.
Her knees weakened.
The woman looked at her.
For a long moment, neither spoke.
Then the woman whispered:
“Lily.”
Lily's lips trembled.
“Mom?”
The woman began crying.
“Yes.”
Lily stumbled backward.
“No.”
“I've waited fourteen years.”
“You were dead.”
“I had to disappear.”
“Why?”
Her mother looked at Marcus.
“Because of him.”
Lily followed her gaze.
Marcus.
The woman continued:
“Marcus killed your father.”
Lily's face went blank.
“What?”
Marcus immediately shook his head.
“That's not true.”
“He betrayed us.”
“I protected you.”
“You sold us to the Blackwoods.”
Lily looked between them.
“Stop!”
Both went silent.
Lily's voice broke.
“I've spent my entire life believing my parents were dead.”
Her mother stepped forward.
“I wanted to come back.”
“Then why didn't you?”
“Because Victor's father threatened to kill you.”
Lily wiped her tears.
“And you let me believe I was alone?”
“I was trying to keep you alive.”
Lily shook her head.
“No.”
She turned away.
“You all keep saying you're protecting me.”
Her voice trembled.
“But everyone around me has been lying.”
Marcus suddenly looked toward the ceiling.
“Wait.”
A faint sound came from above.
Footsteps.
Slow.
Heavy.
Marcus's expression changed.
“They found us.”
The lights went out.
Serena screamed.
A gunshot echoed through the room.
Marcus shoved Lily to the floor.
Another shot.
Glass shattered.
Lily's mother grabbed her.
“Run!”
“Where?”
“Basement!”
They rushed toward a hidden door.
But before they could reach it, the door exploded inward.
Smoke filled the room.
Men in black masks stormed inside.
Marcus fired back.
Lily's mother pulled her behind a stone pillar.
Serena crawled across the floor.
Then a voice echoed through the smoke.
“Enough.”
Everyone froze.
A man stepped through the doorway.
No mask.
No fear.
Victor's face.
Adrian Blackwood.
Lily stared at him.
He looked exactly like Victor.
But his eyes were colder.
He slowly walked toward her.
“Lily.”
She backed away.
“Stay away from me.”
Adrian stopped.
“You don't know what your family did.”
“My family?”
“They stole everything from me.”
“Ethan is your son?”
Adrian's expression softened.
“Yes.”
“Where is he?”
“Safe.”
“Give him back.”
Adrian shook his head.
“Not yet.”
“Why?”
“Because Victor needs to learn the truth.”
Lily stared at him.
“What truth?”
Adrian smiled.
“That Ethan wasn't the only child born that night.”
Lily's blood froze.
“What?”
Adrian looked toward Serena.
“Tell her.”
Serena began trembling.
Adrian continued:
“Fourteen months ago, Isabella gave birth to twins.”
Lily's eyes widened.
“Twins?”
“One child was Ethan.”
“And the other?”
Adrian smiled.
“The other child disappeared.”
Lily felt the room spin.
“Where?”
Adrian looked directly at her.
“You've already met her.”
Lily stared at him.
“Who?”
Adrian pointed toward Serena.
Serena's face collapsed.
Lily whispered:
“Serena?”
Adrian shook his head.
“No.”
He pointed toward Lily's mother.
Lily turned.
Her mother was crying.
Adrian said:
“The missing child is standing right beside you.”
Lily looked at her mother.
Then at herself.
Then at the silver crescent pendant around her mother's neck.
And suddenly she understood why she had spent fourteen years forgetting her childhood.
She wasn't merely protecting Ethan.
She was connected to him by blood.
But before Lily could speak, another voice came from the doorway.
Victor.
“Adrian!”
Everyone turned.
Victor stood there with his gun raised.
His eyes locked onto his identical twin.
Then onto Lily.
Then onto the woman beside her.
His face changed.
“Mom?”
Lily's mother froze.
Victor's voice cracked.
“I watched you die.”
She whispered:
“You watched the wrong body burn.”
Victor stared at her.
Then Adrian smiled.
“Welcome home, brother.”
A gunshot exploded.
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And this time...
nobody knew who had fired first.
