Chapter 10: The Woman From My Forgotten Past
The lights flickered back on.
For a moment, nobody moved.
The woman stood in the doorway.
Older.
Her hair streaked with gray.
Her face marked by years I couldn’t remember.
But her eyes…
I knew those eyes.
My body reacted before my mind did.
“No…”
The word escaped my lips.
The woman took one step forward.
“Sabrina.””
I shook my head.
“No.””
Because if she was real, then everything I believed about my life was a lie.
Ellis looked at her.
And for the first time all night, he looked completely powerless.
“Claire.””
The woman’s expression hardened.
“Don’t say my name like you still have the right.””
I looked between them.
“You know her?””
Nobody answered.
My hands started trembling.
“Who is she?””
The woman looked at me.
“I was your sister.””
The room went silent.
My sister.
The word felt impossible.
I stared at her face, searching for something familiar.
A memory.
A moment.
Anything.
But my mind gave me nothing.
“I don’t have a sister.””
Claire’s eyes filled with sadness.
“That’s what they wanted you to believe.””
I looked at Ellis.
He looked away.
That was all the confirmation I needed.
“You knew.””
My voice was quiet.
Ellis swallowed.
“Sabrina…”
“You knew I had a sister.””
“Yes.””
“And you never told me?””
He closed his eyes.
“I thought it was safer.””
I laughed.
A painful, empty sound.
“Safer.””
I looked around the room.
“That word has destroyed my entire life.””
Claire walked closer.
“Ellis wasn’t the only one who lied to you.””
My eyes moved to her.
“What does that mean?””
She looked at Victor.
Then at Ellis.
“The truth is bigger than both of them.””
Victor stepped forward.
“Claire, don’t.””
She ignored him.
“Noah was right to find the files.””
My heart tightened.
“What files?””
“The original records.””
I felt cold.
“From my father?””
Claire nodded.
“Your father discovered something before he died.””
“What?””
“That your family’s company wasn’t failing.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“He was told the company was collapsing.””
My breathing slowed.
“But it wasn’t.””
“No.””
Claire looked at Ellis.
“Someone was stealing from it.””
The room became silent.
My eyes moved to Ellis.
“You?””
His face changed.
“No.””
“Then who?””
Claire looked at Victor.
Everyone became still.
I stared.
Victor.
The man who claimed he helped Noah.
The man who seemed to know everything.
“No.””
Victor’s expression remained calm.
But his silence said enough.
“You were involved.””
Victor sighed.
“You don’t understand.””
“Then explain.””
He looked almost disappointed.
“Your father trusted too many people.””
Claire stepped closer.
“And one of those people was him.””
Victor’s face hardened.
“Careful.””
The threat was quiet.
But everyone heard it.
I looked at Claire.
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
Her expression broke.
“Because you begged me not to.””
I froze.
“What?””
“After the accident, you were terrified.””
Accident.
The word hit me.
A flash.
Rain.
A highway.
Glass breaking.
My father’s voice.
Someone screaming my name.
I grabbed my head.
“No.””
Claire rushed toward me.
“Sabrina.””
“I remember…”
The room blurred.
“I remember the car.””
Ellis moved.
“Sabrina.””
I stepped away from him.
“You were there.””
His face changed.
“Yes.””
“You told me everything was gone.””
His silence was painful.
“I was trying to protect you.””
“No.””
I looked at him.
“You were trying to control me.””
Nobody spoke.
Then my phone buzzed.
Noah.
I opened the message.
Mom, don’t trust anyone there.
My heart raced.
Another message.
Including the woman.
I looked at Claire.
She noticed.
“What did he say?””
I didn’t answer.
Because I didn’t know who to believe.
Not anymore.
Then another message appeared.
This time from an unknown number.
A photo.
Noah.
Standing outside a building.
With a man beside him.
The caption underneath made my blood run cold.
“He’s with the person who started all of this.””
I looked at the photo.
Then at Claire.
Then at Ellis.
Because the man standing beside my son…
May you like
was someone none of us expected.
Richard Carter.
