Chapter 12: The Woman Behind Margaret's Face
The emergency lights flickered on.
Adrian immediately moved toward the door.
Marco tried the handle.
Locked.
"Someone has sealed it from outside," he said.
Thomas examined the windows.
"They're reinforced.""
The security speaker crackled again.
"Adrian, darling. You always were your father's favorite.""
Adrian looked toward the ceiling.
"Who are you?""
A soft laugh followed.
"You already know me.""
I stepped closer to the speaker.
"Are you my mother?""
Silence.
Then the woman answered.
"I was, once.""
My stomach tightened.
"What does that mean?""
"Your father never told you the truth about your birth, did he?""
Thomas shook his head.
"Don't listen to her.""
The woman laughed.
"Still protecting them, Thomas? After everything?""
Adrian raised his voice.
"Show yourself.""
A monitor on the wall suddenly switched on.
The screen displayed a live video.
A woman sat in a chair inside another room.
She looked exactly like the woman from the nursing facility.
Gray hair.
The scar near her eyebrow.
The same eyes I remembered from childhood.
But behind her stood a second woman.
Younger.
Dressed in black.
Her face was identical.
Emily gasped.
"Two Margarets?""
Thomas stared at the screen.
"That's impossible.""
The older woman smiled.
"Not quite.""
The younger woman stepped forward.
"Hello, Thomas.""
His face drained of color.
"Margaret?""
She smiled.
"Surprised?""
Adrian stared at the screen.
"Which one of you is my mother?""
The older woman began laughing.
The younger one remained silent.
Then the older woman spoke.
"My name is Margaret Whitmore. I was the woman who raised Isabella.""
The younger woman looked directly into the camera.
"And I'm the woman who gave birth to her.""
Thomas stepped backward.
I felt dizzy.
"You're twins?""
The older woman nodded.
"Identical twins. Our father made sure we were never separated as children.""
The younger woman continued.
"But Margaret always wanted what belonged to me.""
Thomas looked between them.
"Which one of you was my wife?""
The younger woman raised her hand.
"I was.""
The older woman smiled.
"And I was the one who took her place.""
I couldn't breathe.
Adrian looked at Thomas.
"How long?""
Thomas shook his head.
"I don't know.""
The younger woman leaned closer to the camera.
"Thomas, I tried to tell you.""
The older woman slapped her.
The video shook.
"Enough!""
The younger woman fell silent.
I stared at the screen.
"Why did you take my identity?""
The older woman looked at me.
"Because you were supposed to inherit everything.""
"And?""
"And I wanted it.""
Her answer was so simple that I felt sick.
She continued.
"Your grandfather trusted your mother. He never trusted me. When I discovered the estate would belong to her children, I decided to change that.""
Adrian stepped closer.
"You stole my mother's life.""
"I improved it.""
Thomas shouted.
"You killed your own sister!""
The older woman smiled.
"Not immediately.""
She gestured toward the younger woman.
"She was very difficult to replace. So I kept her alive.""
The younger Margaret began crying.
I stared at her.
"Why did you let us believe you were dead?""
She looked directly at me.
"Because I was imprisoned.""
The older woman laughed.
"She was kept in a private facility under a false identity. Nobody believed her when she said she was Margaret Whitmore.""
Adrian's expression darkened.
"Where is she now?""
The older woman tilted her head.
"Somewhere you won't find her.""
Marco suddenly noticed something on the monitor.
A small reflection appeared in the window behind the older woman.
A man was standing outside.
He enlarged the image.
"Boss.""
Adrian turned.
"What?""
Marco pointed.
"Look at the reflection.""
The man was holding a phone.
And on his wrist was a distinctive gold watch.
Thomas recognized it.
"Samuel.""
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
"Dr. Samuel Whitmore?""
Thomas nodded.
"My brother.""
The older woman smiled.
"Very good. Your uncle has been helping me all these years.""
I stared at the screen.
"Why?""
"Because Samuel wanted the inheritance. He helped arrange the hospital records, the fake death certificates, and the adoption.""
Adrian's voice became dangerous.
"Where is Vincent?""
The older woman laughed.
"Poor Vincent. He thought he was in control.""
She leaned toward the camera.
"He's been working for me since the beginning.""
Marco shook his head.
"No. Vincent was the one who raised me.""
"Exactly. He was the perfect guardian for the third child.""
The older woman smiled.
"He was also the man who arranged your father's disappearance.""
Thomas lunged toward the monitor.
"Where is my wife?""
The older woman tilted her head.
"Which wife?""
Thomas froze.
Then the younger woman spoke.
"Thomas, listen to me. Don't let them take the original birth records.""
The older woman grabbed her by the hair.
The screen went black.
A second later, a loud metallic click sounded behind us.
The building's rear door unlocked.
Marco rushed toward it.
"Move!""
We ran through the corridor and emerged into the courtyard.
A black van was waiting beside the gate.
Two men jumped out.
Adrian pulled me behind him.
"Get back!""
One man raised a gun.
Marco fired first.
The man dropped.
The second ran toward the van.
Adrian chased him, but the driver accelerated.
The vehicle disappeared through the gate.
Thomas looked around frantically.
"Where's Emily?""
I turned.
She was gone.
"Emily!""
We searched the courtyard.
Then I noticed the small brass key lying near the building's entrance.
Beside it was a folded note.
I opened it.
The handwriting was Emily's.
I'm sorry, Isabella. I know where Margaret is being held. I have to go alone.
My heart dropped.
Adrian read the note over my shoulder.
"She's going after her.""
"She's going to get herself killed!""
Marco examined the paper.
"There may be a way to track her.""
He pulled out his phone.
"Emily's phone is connected to the mansion's security system.""
A location appeared.
A private medical facility outside Manhattan.
Thomas looked at the screen.
"That's where they kept Margaret.""
Adrian grabbed his coat.
"Then that's where we're going.""
But before we could leave, my phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
A photograph appeared.
Emily was sitting in a chair, her hands tied.
Behind her stood Vincent Kane.
Beneath the picture was a message.
*Bring the original Whitmore birth records. Come without Adrian.*
A second message arrived immediately.
*Or your sister will learn what happened to the child in the coffin.*
I stared at the screen.
Then I noticed something in the photograph.
Emily was wearing the gold necklace I had seen in my childhood memories.
The same tiny bird pendant.
But the pendant had a small inscription on the back.
I zoomed in.
Three words.
Not your daughter.
I looked at Thomas.
"Father, what does this mean?""
He stared at the necklace.
Then his expression collapsed.
"Because Emily isn't Margaret's daughter.""
I stepped backward.
"What?""
Thomas's voice trembled.
"Emily was born to my first wife. Isabella was born to Margaret.""
He looked toward the photograph.
"And the third baby...""
He couldn't finish.
Adrian took the phone from my hand.
"Who was the third baby's mother?""
Thomas closed his eyes.
Then he whispered:
"Margaret's sister.""
The room fell silent.
Because that meant the woman who had stolen my mother's identity wasn't simply pretending to be someone else.
She had been hiding another child.
And that child might still be alive.
Adrian looked at the screen again.
Then he noticed something in the background of Emily's photograph.
A framed family portrait.
The woman standing beside Vincent wasn't Margaret.
It was Rose.
My sister.
May you like
And beneath the photograph was a handwritten message:
*THE REAL HEIR IS ALREADY IN THE HOUSE.*
