Chapter 13 - Mia's BloodAdrian couldn't move.
Mia began to cry softly.
He stared at her tiny face.
His sister?
The baby he'd held that morning.
The baby he'd thought was his daughter.
Daniel spoke calmly.
“Your mother gave birth to a daughter.”
Adrian turned toward Elena.
“Mother?”
She shook her head.
“She didn't know.”
“What?”
Daniel laughed.
“Because your father changed the records.”
Evelyn stepped forward.
“I discovered it too late.”
Adrian felt sick.
“Then who is Clara?”
“Your daughter.”
“And Mia?”
Evelyn's tears fell.
“Your sister.”
Adrian looked at Lucas.
“Then how is she connected to me?”
“Bloodline.”
Evelyn pointed to the files.
“Mia carries the original Vale gene sequence.”
“What does that mean?”
“She is the last natural heir.”
Daniel's expression changed.
“The clinic erased every natural heir except her.”
Adrian looked at Elena.
“Why would they do that?”
“Because your grandfather believed the Vale inheritance belonged to the person with the strongest genetic claim.”
Adrian shook his head.
“This is insane.”
“It was a legal loophole,” Daniel said.
“A loophole that allowed one person to control everything.”
“Exactly.”
Daniel stepped toward Mia.
“But your mother stole the child.”
“And replaced her.”
“Yes.”
Adrian finally understood.
The baby in the old photograph was Mia.
The date had been falsified.
Evelyn had hidden her for years.
Then, when Daniel found them, she had brought Clara and Mia to Adrian.
Not because she trusted him.
Because she had no other safe place left.
Adrian held Mia closer.
“You won't take her.”
Daniel smiled.
“We'll see.”
Lucas suddenly grabbed one of the files.
He opened it.
“Adrian.”
“What?”
“Look.”
A signature.
Not Daniel's.
Not Elena's.
Not Evelyn's.
It belonged to Adrian's father.
Under the signature:
Transfer of natural heir to Mercer custody.
Adrian's stomach turned.
“My father gave Mia to Daniel?”
“No,” Evelyn said.
“Then why does this say that?”
“Because your father believed Mia died.”
Adrian stared.
“How?”
Evelyn whispered:
“Because I let him.”
Silence.
Evelyn continued.
“Your father was going to kill her.”
Adrian closed his eyes.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because he had already begun manipulating your memories.”
“You could have told me after.”
“I tried.”
“When?”
“The night of the fire.”
Adrian remembered.
Smoke.
Rain.
A baby crying.
Evelyn pushing something into his arms.
A voice.
“Remember her.”
Then a blow.
He opened his eyes.
“You gave me the baby.”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
Evelyn pointed toward Mia.
“Your sister.”
Adrian looked down.
The baby was awake.
Her little hand wrapped around his finger.
He began crying.
Then Clara suddenly shouted:
“Daddy!”
Everyone turned.
She was pointing at Daniel.
“He's lying!”
Daniel's face changed.
Clara ran toward Adrian.
“I heard him talking.”
“What did he say?”
“He said Mommy doesn't know the whole truth.”
Evelyn froze.
Adrian looked at her.
“What's she talking about?”
Evelyn didn't answer.
Clara whispered:
“Mommy told me there was another person in the fire.”
“Who?”
“A man.”
“What man?”
Clara looked at Lucas.
“He looked just like Uncle Lucas.”
The room went silent.
Lucas's face drained of color.
Daniel stepped backward.
Adrian whispered:
“Another twin?”
Evelyn shook her head.
“No.”
Daniel looked terrified for the first time.
Clara continued:
“He was older.”
Then the lights went out.
In the darkness, a man's voice whispered:
“Adrian.”
A flashlight snapped on.
A man stood at the end of the room.
He had Daniel's face.
May you like
But older.
And in his hand was a photograph of Adrian as a newborn.
