Chapter 12: What My Mother Hid
“No.””
The word came out automatically.
Rebecca stood in front of me.
Her eyes were wet.
“Emily—”
“No.””
I backed away.
“Don't say my name.””
Richard moved toward us.
Marcus stopped him with one hand.
“Give her space.””
I looked at Rebecca.
“You're saying you're my mother?””
She shook her head immediately.
“No.””
I froze.
Rebecca wiped her face.
“I'm saying Laura raised my daughter.””
My thoughts crashed into each other.
“Then who?””
Rebecca closed her eyes.
“Your sister.””
I stared at her.
“I don't have a sister.””
“Yes, you do.””
“No.””
Dad had never mentioned another child.
Mom had never—
Then I remembered.
A girl.
Older than me.
Not a sister.
At least, that wasn't what I'd been told.
“Natalie.””
Rebecca started crying.
That was my answer.
Natalie Bennett.
Dad's goddaughter.
She had lived with us until I was twelve.
Seven years older than me.
She helped me with homework.
Taught me how to ride a bicycle.
After Mom died, Natalie moved to London for university.
We still spoke occasionally.
Birthdays.
Christmas.
The rare video call.
All my life, I'd been told her parents died when she was a baby.
“Oh my God.””
Rebecca nodded.
“Natalie is my daughter.””
I sat down hard.
“Does she know?””
“No.””
“Dad?””
“Charles believes Natalie was the orphaned daughter of Laura's college friend.””
My head snapped up.
“He doesn't know?””
“No.””
“So Mom lied to him too.””
Rebecca's voice softened.
“She was trying to keep Natalie alive.””
“Stop making every lie sound noble.””
Rebecca flinched.
Good.
I needed someone else to hurt.
“My father is being questioned by police. My mother built secret rooms. Harrison has spent decades trying to get inside this hotel.
You pretended to be dead. Richard lied to investigators. And now you're telling me the woman I thought was practically my sister actually is my sister?””
“Not biologically.””
“She was raised by my mother!””
“Yes.””
“Then she's my sister.””
Rebecca nodded.
“Yes.””
The anger drained out of me.
One thought replaced it.
“Does Harrison know?””
Rebecca went still.
Richard answered.
“Not yet.””
I looked at him.
“He knows he has a daughter.””
“Yes.””
“But not that it's Natalie.””
“No.””
“Then we keep it that way.””
Rebecca's face tightened.
“That may not be possible.””
“Why?””
Richard turned toward the steel cabinet.
“Because Harrison wasn't only searching for financial evidence.””
He removed another folder.
Inside were copies of birth records.
Hospital files.
Adoption documents.
Several had handwritten notes beside them.
Harrison's notes.
“He's been searching for her for years,” Richard said.
Rebecca nodded.
“He narrowed it down to Chicago.””
I looked at the dates.
“He knows her age.””
“Yes.””
“Does he know Laura raised her?””
“We don't know.””
My phone rang.
Natalie.
Every person in the room froze.
I stared at her name.
Rebecca covered her mouth.
“Answer it,” Marcus said.
I did.
“Natalie?””
“Emily?””
Her voice was shaking.
“What's wrong?””
“Are you okay?””
“Why?””
“Because two men just came to my office asking questions about you.””
My blood turned cold.
Natalie lived in London.
“What men?””
“They said they represented Bennett Hospitality.””
“They don't.””
Silence.
“What?””
“Where are you?””
“At work.””
“Are you alone?””
“No. My assistant's here.””
“Stay around people. Call building security.””
“Emily, you're scaring me.””
I looked at Rebecca.
She was crying silently.
“Natalie, listen to me. Do not go anywhere with those men.””
“Why?””
“I can't explain over the phone.””
One of the storage facility's fluorescent lights buzzed overhead.
Then Natalie said:
“They asked about Aunt Laura.””
I closed my eyes.
“What did they ask?””
“Whether she left me anything.””
Richard whispered, “Harrison knows.””
Natalie heard him.
“Who's that?””
“Nobody.””
“Emily.””
“I need you to trust me.””
A pause.
“I do.””
That almost broke me.
“Call security. Then call the police. I'll stay on the phone.””
Footsteps sounded through her line.
Natalie whispered, “Someone's coming.””
“Natalie?””
Her breathing quickened.
“It's one of the men.””
“Get security.””
“He's outside my office.””
“Natalie!””
A male voice sounded faintly.
“Ms. Bennett?””
She whispered, “He knows my name.””
“Lock the door.””
I heard movement.
A lock clicked.
Then pounding.
“Ms. Bennett, we only want to talk.””
Natalie started crying.
“Emily, what's happening?””
“Stay away from the door.””
Marcus was already calling someone.
“I'm contacting London police.””
The pounding stopped.
Silence.
Then Natalie gasped.
“What?””
“There's an envelope under the door.””
“Don't touch it.””
Too late.
Paper rustled.
“What does it say?””
Natalie didn't answer.
“Natalie?””
When she finally spoke, her voice was tiny.
“It's a photograph of my mother.””
Rebecca stepped closer.
“What photograph?””
I put the call on speaker.
Natalie continued.
“A woman I've never seen.””
Rebecca's knees nearly gave out.
Richard caught her.
“What's written on it?”” I asked.
Natalie read:
*Ask Emily why Rebecca Caldwell is still alive.*
Rebecca began sobbing.
The men knew.
Harrison knew.
Marcus pointed at me.
“Tell Natalie to stay inside. Police are being contacted.””
I repeated it.
Natalie was silent.
Then she said:
“Emily, who is Rebecca Caldwell?””
I looked at Rebecca.
She shook her head desperately.
Not like this.
Not over a phone while Natalie was trapped in an office thousands of miles away.
“I'll explain everything when you're safe.””
“Everything about what?””
“Natalie—”
“Who is she?””
Before I could answer, the fire alarm began screaming through Natalie's phone.
“What's happening?””
“I don't know!””
“Stay inside.””
“But everyone is evacuating!””
Marcus swore.
“They're flushing her out.””
“Natalie, wait for police.””
Smoke alarms screamed.
People shouted in the background.
Then her office door opened.
Natalie gasped.
“Security's here.””
“Verify them.””
“What?””
“Ask for identification.””
I heard her speak to someone.
Then a man's voice answered.
London accent.
Calm.
Building security.
I exhaled.
“They're taking us downstairs.””
“Stay on the phone.””
“I will.””
For the next three minutes, I listened to her breathing as they descended a stairwell.
Then she said:
“We're outside.””
“Police?””
“I see them.””
Marcus nodded.
“Good.””
Natalie's voice steadied.
“Emily.””
“Yes?””
“You're going to tell me everything.””
“I promise.””
“And you're going to tell me who that woman is.””
I looked at Rebecca.
“Yes.””
The call ended.
Nobody spoke.
Then Richard's phone rang.
He checked the screen.
His face changed.
“It's Harrison.””
Rebecca grabbed his arm.
“Don't answer.””
Richard looked at me.
I held out my hand.
“Give it to me.””
He did.
I answered.
“Harrison.””
Silence.
Then:
“Emily.””
His voice was almost cheerful.
“You found Rebecca.””
“You stay away from Natalie.””
That silence lasted half a second too long.
Then Harrison laughed softly.
“So Laura really did raise her.””
My stomach dropped.
I'd done it.
I'd just confirmed what he didn't know.
Rebecca covered her mouth.
Richard closed his eyes.
I felt physically sick.
Harrison continued.
“Thank you.””
I gripped the phone.
“If you touch her—”
“I don't want to hurt my daughter.””
“You already have.””
“She belongs with her family.””
“She has a family.””
His voice hardened.
“She has my blood.””
“And apparently that's exactly what my mother spent twenty-five years protecting her from.””
The line went silent.
Then Harrison said:
“You sound like Laura.””
“Good.””
“No, Emily. That isn't a compliment.””
He hung up.
I stood there staring at Richard's phone.
I'd made a mistake.
A terrible one.
But before anyone could speak, Marcus's phone buzzed.
He read the message.
“Charles is being released.””
I looked up.
“What?””
“Richard's attorney delivered notice that his statement was coerced. Your mother's video has been provided to investigators.””
Relief hit me so hard I had to grab the table.
Dad was coming home.
But Marcus wasn't smiling.
“What else?””
He turned his screen toward me.
A second message.
From hotel security.
*URGENT: Caldwell legal team has filed emergency action claiming beneficial rights in Bennett Grand property based on original investor agreement. Hearing scheduled tomorrow morning.*
Richard stared.
“He can't claim the property.””
Rebecca looked terrified.
“He can try.””
I frowned.
“On what basis?””
Rebecca looked at the old documents.
“Because Harrison never told anyone the entire reason he married me.””
She reached into the steel cabinet and removed one final envelope.
The seal had never been broken.
Across the front, in my mother's handwriting, were the words:
*FOR EMILY — ONLY IF HARRISON CLAIMS THE HOTEL.*
Rebecca handed it to me.
Inside was a single legal document.
I read the first paragraph.
Then the second.
By the third, my hands were shaking.
Richard leaned closer.
“What is it?””
I looked up.
“Harrison didn't come back because he thinks he can buy the Bennett Grand.””
Rebecca nodded.
“No.””
May you like
I stared at the document.
“He came back because he thinks it was his all along.””
