Chapter 12: The Truth About the Two Birthmarks
Vincent struck Margaret across the face.
She fell against the table.
Adrian immediately moved toward him, but two guards blocked his path.
"Touch her again," Adrian said, "and I will personally make sure you spend the rest of your life regretting it.""
Vincent straightened his jacket.
"You're forgetting something, nephew. This is still my house.""
I rushed toward Margaret.
"Are you hurt?""
She touched her cheek.
"I'm fine, sweetheart.""
"No, you're not.""
I helped her sit down.
"Tell me what you meant. What did you switch?""
Margaret looked at Vincent.
Then she looked at Victoria.
"I switched the bracelets on the night the girls were born.""
Victoria shook her head.
"That's impossible. We were born together.""
"Yes. But the hospital records were altered.""
Margaret reached into her pocket and removed a folded sheet of paper.
It was an original birth record.
Two babies had been delivered.
The first was listed as Isabella Thomas Whitmore.
The second was listed as Victoria Thomas Whitmore.
But beneath their names were two handwritten notes.
*Twin A — Crescent mark, left ear.*
*Twin B — Crescent mark, right shoulder.*
I instinctively touched the mark behind my ear.
Victoria pulled the collar of her dress aside.
A small crescent-shaped mark rested on her right shoulder.
We looked at each other.
Margaret continued.
"Vincent wanted Isabella because she was the firstborn. The inheritance was supposed to pass to her. But Victoria had a medical condition at birth, and the doctors believed she might not survive.""
Victoria's eyes filled.
"What condition?""
"Your lungs weren't fully developed. You needed special treatment. Vincent refused to pay for it because he believed you were worth less than your sister.""
Victoria covered her mouth.
Margaret nodded.
"Elena begged him to save both children. But he wanted only one heir.""
I stared at her.
"So you switched our bracelets?""
"Yes. I wanted Vincent to believe he had taken the wrong child. I thought if he raised Victoria as his daughter, he would leave Isabella alone.""
Vincent laughed.
"Ridiculous.""
Margaret turned toward him.
"You knew about the switch.""
His smile disappeared.
"You knew from the beginning," she continued.
"That's why you spent years telling Victoria she was special. You needed her to believe she was the original heir.""
Adrian looked at the birth records.
"Then which child was supposed to inherit?""
Margaret pointed at me.
"Isabella.""
Victoria stepped closer.
"But if he knew I wasn't the original heir, why did he keep me?""
Margaret hesitated.
"Because you were the only person he could use to get to your sister.""
The room went silent.
I looked at Vincent.
He didn't deny it.
Instead, he approached Victoria.
"Don't listen to this woman. She's trying to destroy everything I've built.""
Victoria backed away.
"You told me I was your daughter.""
"I raised you.""
"You told me my sister was dead.""
"She was supposed to be.""
Victoria slapped him.
The sound echoed through the hall.
For a moment, nobody moved.
Then Vincent's face twisted.
"You ungrateful little girl.""
Adrian stepped between them.
"Enough.""
Vincent looked toward the guards.
"Take them downstairs.""
But nobody moved.
The guards glanced at Marco, who had entered through the side entrance with several armed officers.
Marco raised his identification.
"Vincent Kane, you're being detained pending investigation into attempted murder, kidnapping, fraud, and conspiracy.""
Vincent laughed.
"Do you have any idea how many judges owe me favors?""
Marco stepped closer.
"Then I suggest you start calling them.""
The guards lowered their weapons.
For the first time in ten years, Vincent Kane looked powerless.
But I wasn't thinking about him.
I was thinking about my mother and father.
"Where are they?""
Margaret pointed toward the east staircase.
"Below the house.""
Adrian immediately signaled Marco.
Within minutes, we reached the basement.
The medical room was locked.
A security officer forced the door open.
Inside, Thomas Whitmore sat in a wheelchair beside a medical bed.
Elena was tied to the bedframe.
"Thomas!"" I cried.
The older man slowly lifted his head.
His eyes moved toward me.
Then toward Victoria.
He began crying.
"My girls.""
Elena struggled against the restraints.
"Isabella! Victoria!""
I rushed toward her.
"Mom!""
She wrapped her arms around me.
For the first time in my life, I felt my mother's embrace.
She kissed my forehead repeatedly.
"My little moon. My beautiful little moon.""
Victoria knelt beside Thomas.
He touched her face.
"I thought I'd never see you again.""
She pressed her forehead against his hand.
"I'm here, Daddy.""
Adrian stood near the doorway.
He was watching all of us.
Then Thomas looked at him.
"Adrian.""
Adrian stepped forward.
"Mr. Whitmore.""
Thomas shook his head.
"Don't call me that. You're my son, too.""
Adrian's face crumbled.
He knelt beside the wheelchair.
For several seconds, the two men simply held each other.
Then Thomas reached inside the pocket of his robe.
He removed a small envelope.
"There's something else you need to know.""
Elena looked at him.
"Thomas, not yet.""
He shook his head.
"They deserve the truth.""
He handed the envelope to Adrian.
Inside was a medical report and an old photograph.
The report showed that Thomas had undergone a secret DNA test eleven years earlier.
I read the result.
The first line confirmed that he was my biological father.
The second confirmed Victoria was my identical twin.
But the third result was different.
Adrian's name appeared beneath ours.
*PARENTAGE RESULT: NOT BIOLOGICALLY RELATED TO THOMAS WHITMORE.*
I looked at Adrian.
He was staring at the document.
"What does this mean?""
Thomas closed his eyes.
Then he spoke.
"Adrian, your father wasn't the man who raised you.""
Adrian slowly stood.
"What?""
Elena began crying.
Thomas looked at him.
"Your biological father was Vincent Kane.""
Nobody moved.
The same man who had stolen my childhood.
The same man who had tried to kill us.
The same man who had raised Victoria as his daughter.
Adrian shook his head.
"No. That's impossible.""
Thomas reached for his hand.
"I'm sorry, son.""
Adrian looked toward the basement door.
Vincent was being escorted upstairs.
And suddenly the truth became even more horrifying.
The man who had spent ten years trying to destroy Adrian's family wasn't simply his uncle.
He was his biological father.
Then Thomas spoke again.
"There's one more thing. Vincent doesn't know that Adrian's mother has already changed the inheritance agreement.""
Elena wiped her tears.
"Because the original heir isn't Isabella anymore.""
She looked at Victoria.
"Your grandfather left the final decision to both of you.""
Victoria stared at her.
"What decision?""
Elena took a deep breath.
"Which one of you will inherit the Kane empire—and which one will decide what happens to Adrian.""
I looked at my sister.
Then at my brother.
And I realized that even after Vincent's arrest, the Kane family wasn't finished tearing itself apart.
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Because the final document carried three signatures.
And one of them belonged to Adrian.
