Chapter 6: The Nursery Door
By seven that evening, the doctors had decided I needed to remain under observation overnight.
My baby was stable, but they wanted to monitor the contractions.
Agent Collins had arranged security outside my room.
Emily sat beside me, scrolling through her phone.
"You're not going back to that mansion," she said.
"I need the ledger.""
"Sarah, you almost lost your baby today.""
"I know.""
"Then why are you talking about going back?""
I looked at the photograph of the blue ledger.
"Because my mother left something there.""
Emily shook her head.
"We can let the investigators handle it.""
"Victor knows where it is. If he gets there first, we might lose the only evidence connecting him to my parents.""
Agent Collins entered.
"We've obtained a warrant to search the mansion.""
I sat up.
"Then let's go.""
She shook her head.
"You're not going anywhere until your doctor clears you.""
"What if Victor gets there first?""
"We've already sent agents.""
She paused.
"There's another complication.""
"What?""
"The mansion's private security system was remotely accessed twenty minutes ago.""
Emily frowned.
"By whom?""
"We don't know yet. But someone disabled the cameras around the east wing.""
The east wing.
Our bedroom.
The nursery.
My stomach tightened.
"That's where the nursery is.""
Agent Collins nodded.
"We're aware.""
My phone vibrated.
A message from Daniel.
*I know what you're looking for.*
Then another.
*Don't let the agents enter the nursery.*
I showed Agent Collins.
She immediately stood.
"Call the security team.""
She stepped into the hallway and spoke rapidly into her phone.
Emily grabbed my hand.
"What is happening?""
"I don't know.""
My phone vibrated again.
This time, Daniel sent a photograph.
It showed the nursery.
The pale yellow walls.
The white crib.
The rocking chair I'd chosen.
And on the floor beside the closet was a small rectangular section of carpet that had been pulled back.
A hidden floor compartment.
I'd never seen it before.
The message beneath the photograph read:
*Your mother put it there.*
My breath caught.
"Daniel knows.""
Emily leaned closer.
"How?""
I called him.
He answered immediately.
"Sarah.""
"What's in the floor?""
"Listen to me. You need to tell the agents to leave.""
"Why?""
"Because the ledger isn't the only thing hidden there.""
"What else?""
He exhaled sharply.
"Your mother's original documents.""
I closed my eyes.
"What documents?""
"The ones proving Victor arranged your father's death.""
Agent Collins returned.
She took the phone from my hand and put it on speaker.
"Daniel Ashford, this is Special Agent Collins. Tell me exactly what you know.""
Daniel laughed bitterly.
"Now you want to listen?""
"Answer the question.""
"I found the compartment two years ago. Dad told me it contained old property records.""
"Did you open it?""
"Yes.""
"What did you find?""
"Photographs. Bank records. A letter.""
"Where is the letter now?""
"I don't know.""
Agent Collins exchanged a look with me.
"Who else knows about the compartment?""
Daniel hesitated.
Then he said something that made my stomach drop.
"Celeste.""
Emily stood.
"Of course.""
Daniel continued.
"She found it last month. She took some of the papers.""
"What papers?"" I demanded.
"I don't know.""
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because I was trying to protect you.""
I laughed.
The sound came out broken.
"Protect me? You brought your pregnant mistress to my baby shower. You shoved me into a table. You let your mother applaud while I was lying on the floor.""
"I know.""
"You told her she could have my bedroom.""
"I was angry.""
"You were cruel.""
Daniel went quiet.
Then he spoke softly.
"Sarah, there's something else. Celeste isn't pregnant with my child.""
The room seemed to stop.
Emily's mouth fell open.
Agent Collins immediately leaned closer to the phone.
"What did you just say?""
Daniel swallowed.
"I had a paternity test done privately. The baby isn't mine.""
I stared at the wall.
"Then whose is it?""
"I don't know.""
"Why did you announce it was your son?""
"Because Celeste told me she had proof. She showed me an ultrasound and a medical report.""
"And you believed her?""
"I wanted to believe her.""
I closed my eyes.
Of course he had.
He'd wanted a replacement family so badly that he hadn't even bothered to verify the truth.
"Why did you bring her to my baby shower?""
Daniel's voice cracked.
"She said if I didn't publicly acknowledge her, she'd give Victor the documents.""
"What documents?""
"The ones from the nursery.""
Agent Collins interrupted.
"Mr. Ashford, where is Celeste now?""
"At the mansion.""
"Has she contacted your father?""
"I don't know.""
A loud noise came through the phone.
Then Daniel shouted.
"Celeste! What are you doing?""
A woman's voice answered.
"Get away from me!""
The sound of something crashing followed.
"Daniel?"" I shouted.
No response.
Then his voice returned, quieter.
"Sarah, listen. She's got the ledger.""
Agent Collins signaled to someone in the hallway.
"Where is she?""
"She's leaving.""
"Stop her.""
"I can't!""
Another crash.
Then Daniel spoke the words that made my blood run cold.
"She's taking the original birth certificate.""
I stared at the phone.
"Whose birth certificate?""
Daniel didn't answer.
Instead, a woman's voice came through the speaker.
Celeste.
"Sarah, darling.""
Her voice was sweet.
Almost affectionate.
"I think it's time you learned what your father really did.""
Then the call disconnected.
Agent Collins immediately grabbed her coat.
Emily looked at me.
"Sarah, what does she mean?""
I couldn't answer.
Because the question suddenly wasn't whether Celeste was my sister.
May you like
It was whether the man I'd spent my entire life believing was my father had actually been telling me the truth about who I was.
And somewhere inside the Ashford mansion, Celeste was holding the document that could finally answer that question.
