Chapter 3: The Photograph That Changed Everything
Nobody spoke.
Ten million dollars.
That was more money than I could imagine earning in ten lifetimes.
I looked at Victoria.
"You're lying.""
She lifted her chin.
"Ask Eleanor.""
I turned toward the elderly woman.
"Is it true?""
Eleanor shook her head quickly.
"Your mother never wanted money. She wanted to keep you safe.""
"Then why did Victoria say that?""
"Because she's trying to hurt you.""
Victoria laughed.
"That's rich coming from the woman who spent thirty years hiding the truth.""
Nathaniel stepped between them.
"Victoria, I want you to leave.""
She stared at him.
"Excuse me?""
"This wedding is over.""
Her mouth fell open.
"You cannot cancel our marriage because of an old woman's accusations.""
"She almost died.""
"And I said it was an accident!""
"We watched you push her.""
Victoria looked around at the guests.
Several were recording with their phones.
She lowered her voice.
"You're making a mistake.""
Nathaniel pointed toward the elevator.
"Leave.""
She didn't move.
Instead, she turned toward me.
"You think you've won something tonight, don't you?""
I said nothing.
"Let me tell you something, Rose Carter. Your mother wasn't an innocent victim. She knew exactly what she was doing.""
Eleanor tried to stand.
"Get away from her!""
Victoria continued.
"She destroyed people's lives to get what she wanted.""
I felt my hands curl into fists.
"Don't talk about my mother.""
"Why? You barely knew her.""
The words struck harder than I expected.
Victoria smiled.
"That's what I thought.""
Nathaniel moved toward her.
"Marcus.""
The security chief stepped forward.
"Yes, sir?""
"Escort Victoria from the property. And contact the police.""
Victoria finally looked frightened.
"You're calling the police on your fiancée?""
"You're not my fiancée anymore.""
Two guards approached.
She tried to pull away.
"Don't touch me!""
As they escorted her toward the elevator, she turned one last time.
"Ask your mother what happened on the night Grace disappeared!""
The elevator doors closed.
The rooftop fell silent.
I looked at Eleanor.
"What happened that night?""
She didn't answer.
Instead, she stared at the photograph in my hands.
"Come with me.""
Nathaniel immediately objected.
"Mom, you're not going anywhere until the paramedics check you.""
"I'm fine.""
"You were hanging over the eighty-second floor!""
"And Rose deserves the truth.""
Nathaniel rubbed his forehead.
"Then we'll talk in the penthouse.""
He turned toward me.
"Please. I know this is overwhelming, but I won't let anyone hurt you.""
I almost laughed.
He had known I existed for approximately twenty minutes.
And now he was promising to protect me.
Still, I followed them.
We entered a private elevator that required a security card. It climbed silently toward the hotel's top floor.
Nathaniel stood beside his mother.
I remained near the doors, holding the old photograph.
The silence was unbearable.
Finally, he spoke.
"Rose, where did you grow up?""
"Mostly in Connecticut. Then foster homes after my mother died.""
"What about your father?""
"I never knew him.""
Nathaniel looked down.
"Neither did I.""
I glanced at him.
"Your father raised you.""
"He raised me to believe I was the only child.""
The elevator doors opened.
The penthouse was enormous.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked Manhattan. A grand piano stood beside a marble fireplace. Expensive paintings covered the walls.
I had never seen so much money in one room.
Eleanor walked directly toward a wooden cabinet.
She opened a hidden drawer and removed a small leather box.
"Grace gave me this before she left," she said.
I moved closer.
"Why do you still have it?""
"Because I couldn't bring myself to throw it away.""
Inside were several documents, a silver bracelet, and a folded letter.
My breath caught when I saw the bracelet.
I knew it.
I had worn its matching piece as a child.
My mother had told me the two bracelets belonged together.
I picked it up.
There was a tiny engraving inside.
G.C. — E.C.
Grace Carter.
Eleanor Callaway.
"She gave this to you?""
Eleanor nodded.
"We promised each other we'd protect our children.""
I looked at her.
"Then what happened?""
She unfolded the letter.
The handwriting was unmistakably my mother's.
Eleanor,
If you are reading this, something has gone terribly wrong.
Richard has discovered the truth about the babies. He believes separating them will protect his name and his inheritance.
I cannot allow him to take Rose away from me.
Please forgive me for what I am about to do.
One day, when they are old enough, tell them they were born together.
Tell them that neither child was unwanted.
And tell Nathaniel that his sister never stopped loving him.
I stopped reading.
My eyes blurred.
Nathaniel stood beside me, staring at the page.
"She wrote this?""
Eleanor nodded.
"Three days before she disappeared.""
I looked up.
"Disappeared? You mean before the fire?""
Eleanor went pale.
"What fire?""
My fingers tightened around the paper.
"The fire that killed her. The one at our house.""
Eleanor slowly shook her head.
"Rose, there was no fire at your mother's house.""
I stared at her.
"What?""
"Grace was supposed to meet me at our estate the night she disappeared. She never arrived.""
"But I remember the fire.""
"I believe you.""
"Then what are you saying?""
Eleanor looked toward Nathaniel.
"Richard told me Grace had taken Rose and fled. He said the police were looking for her because she had stolen something from the family.""
Nathaniel frowned.
"What did she supposedly steal?""
"A collection of private documents.""
Eleanor opened the leather box again.
Beneath the letter was a small envelope.
She carefully removed a photograph.
It showed a younger Richard Callaway standing outside a hospital with a woman I didn't recognize.
Behind them was a date.
November 14.
My birthday.
Nathaniel leaned closer.
"Who's that woman?""
Eleanor's expression crumbled.
"That's why I kept the photograph.""
She turned it over.
On the back, someone had written:
The original birth records were altered. There was never a stillbirth.
Nathaniel looked horrified.
"Stillbirth?""
Eleanor nodded.
"Your father told the hospital that one of the twins had died during delivery. He arranged for the records to be changed before I regained consciousness.""
I could barely hear her.
"Why would he do that?""
"Because the other woman in this photograph wasn't a nurse.""
She pointed toward the woman standing beside Richard.
"Her name was Margaret Bell. She was the hospital administrator.""
Nathaniel took the photograph from her.
"Why is that important?""
"Because Margaret was the last person to see Grace alive.""
I looked at the date again.
November 14.
The day I was born.
A memory suddenly surfaced.
My mother had kept a small red notebook in her bedroom. When I was little, she used to tell me never to let anyone take it.
After the fire, it had vanished.
I remembered asking the police about it.
They told me there was nothing left to recover.
"Did my mother have a notebook?"" I asked.
Eleanor looked at me.
"Yes. A red leather one.""
My heart started pounding.
"Do you know what happened to it?""
"No. But Grace told me it contained the names of everyone involved in the hospital records.""
Nathaniel's phone suddenly rang.
He checked the screen.
His expression changed.
"What's wrong?"" I asked.
He answered without taking his eyes off us.
"Marcus, what happened?""
A pause.
Then:
"Are you sure?""
Another pause.
"Don't let him leave. I'm coming.""
He ended the call.
Eleanor stood up.
"What is it?""
Nathaniel looked at me.
"The police found something in Victoria's handbag.""
"What?""
"A photograph of you.""
I felt the blood drain from my face.
"That makes no sense. I've never met her.""
Nathaniel shook his head.
"There's something written on the back.""
He took a breath.
Then he read the words aloud.
"Grace's daughter is alive. Find her before Eleanor tells her what really happened.""
My knees weakened.
Victoria hadn't pushed Eleanor because of a disagreement about the wedding.
She had been trying to stop her from telling me something.
Something important enough to risk murder.
Then Nathaniel's phone rang again.
This time, the caller's name made Eleanor gasp.
*MARGARET BELL.*
Nathaniel answered.
A woman's trembling voice came through the speaker.
"Mr. Callaway, my name is Margaret Bell. I was the administrator at the hospital where you and Rose were born.""
Nathaniel put the call on speaker.
Margaret continued.
"I've been trying to reach your mother for thirty years.""
Eleanor grabbed the edge of the table.
"Margaret? Is that really you?""
"Yes, Eleanor. And I'm calling because I finally found the original birth certificate.""
I held my breath.
Then Margaret said the words that shattered everything we thought we knew.
"There's something your father never told you, Nathaniel. Rose Carter wasn't the only baby he tried to take away.""
A long silence followed.
"Because according to the original records...""
Margaret began crying.
May you like
"...there were actually THREE babies born that night.""
And somewhere in Manhattan, a third Callaway child had been living under another name.
