Chapter 14: The Daughter Who Was Hidden Twice
The little girl stared at me with enormous brown eyes.
She couldn't have been more than three.
Her dark hair was tied into two small ponytails, and she held a worn teddy bear against her chest.
I looked at Sarah.
“Who is she?””
Sarah's face was pale.
“Her name is Elizabeth.””
I glanced toward Margaret.
She was crying now.
“This is my daughter,” she whispered.
I felt the floor shift beneath me.
“Then who am I?””
The unfamiliar woman stepped forward.
“My name is Evelyn.””
She held the little girl's hand.
“I was the nurse who delivered Margaret's baby twenty-seven years ago.””
Ricardo raised his weapon slightly.
“Start explaining.””
Evelyn swallowed.
“Margaret gave birth to a healthy girl. Isabella gave birth to twins. Vincent ordered the hospital staff to switch the identification bracelets because he wanted control over the children.””
Sarah stepped closer.
“But there was another exchange.””
I stared at her.
“What exchange?””
She looked toward the little girl.
“Vincent ordered Evelyn to take Margaret's newborn daughter out of the hospital and place her with another family. He wanted everyone to believe the baby had died.””
Margaret shook her head.
“I was told she didn't survive.””
Evelyn nodded.
“You were. But I couldn't kill a healthy baby.””
She looked at the child.
“I gave her to a family in Connecticut. They raised her under the name Elizabeth. After they died, I brought her back.””
My throat tightened.
“So Margaret is her mother.””
“Yes.””
“And me?””
Evelyn looked at me.
“You are Isabella's daughter. The surviving twin.””
I stared at her.
“Then why did Adrian say I was Margaret's child?””
“Because he has been using Vincent's falsified records. The real hospital register was never destroyed.””
Sarah reached into her bag and handed me a yellowed document.
It contained the original birth entries.
Two babies born to Isabella.
One marked male.
One marked female.
Then a third entry.
A baby girl born to Margaret.
The medical notes showed that Isabella's second twin had died shortly after delivery.
I looked at Ricardo.
He nodded slowly.
“We were twins. You and I.””
Margaret covered her face.
“I never wanted any of this.””
I turned toward her.
“You knew Leo was important. You knew someone wanted him. And instead of telling us, you took him.””
“I was trying to bring my family back together.””
“By kidnapping a child?””
Her shoulders shook.
“I thought if I had Leo, Vincent's estate would finally recognize me.””
Ricardo's expression hardened.
“Vincent is dead.””
Margaret looked at him.
“Is he?””
Before anyone could answer, a loud crash came from the entrance.
Adrian entered with two armed men.
His face was covered in blood.
“Lovely family gathering,” he said.
Ricardo raised his gun.
“You were supposed to help us.””
“I did.””
“You brought us here to take Leo.””
Adrian smiled.
“I brought you here because everyone who possesses the truth is finally in one place.””
He looked at Margaret.
“Where is the original will?””
Margaret pointed toward the wooden box.
Adrian grabbed it and emptied the contents onto the floor.
The hospital bracelets scattered.
He picked up the original register.
“Finally.””
I stepped toward him.
“You don't need that document.””
Adrian looked at me.
“Don't I?””
“You've spent your entire life chasing something Vincent stole. But if you take it now, you're no better than him.””
He laughed.
“Spare me the moral lecture.””
Then he pointed his gun at Ricardo.
“Give me the inheritance papers.””
Ricardo placed the folder on the table.
Adrian opened it.
His expression changed.
“These are copies.””
Ricardo nodded.
“The original documents are somewhere you can't reach.””
Adrian struck him across the face.
“Where?””
Ricardo wiped blood from his lip.
“Ask your brother.””
Adrian frowned.
“What brother?””
Ricardo looked toward the staircase.
A shadow appeared at the top.
An elderly man slowly descended, leaning on a wooden cane.
Vincent Moretti.
But this time, he wasn't alone.
Two guards supported him.
Adrian stepped backward.
“No.””
Vincent smiled.
“Hello, Adrian.””
“You're dead.””
“Apparently, everyone in this family has been buried prematurely.””
Adrian raised his weapon.
Vincent didn't flinch.
“You've spent twenty-seven years pretending to be Gabriel's loyal brother. But you were the one who arranged his murder.””
Adrian's face twisted.
“He stole everything from me!””
“He was your twin.””
“He was the favorite!””
Vincent shook his head.
“Gabriel never wanted the empire. He wanted Isabella. He wanted his children. He wanted a normal life.””
Adrian pointed his gun at him.
“And you killed him!””
Vincent nodded.
“Yes.””
The admission stunned everyone.
Then Vincent looked at me.
“But I didn't order Daniel's murder.””
I turned toward him.
“Who did?””
He glanced at Margaret.
She began shaking.
Vincent continued.
“Margaret did.””
My adoptive mother collapsed into a chair.
Ricardo stared at her.
“Why?””
Margaret began sobbing.
“Because Daniel discovered that I had switched the hospital records. He threatened to expose me. I thought Vincent would protect me if I helped him.””
I couldn't speak.
Daniel had raised me, loved me, and died because someone wanted to protect a lie.
Margaret looked at me.
“Clara, please forgive me.””
I stepped away.
“I can't.””
Adrian suddenly raised his gun.
“Enough!””
He pointed it at Vincent.
“If nobody is going to give me the empire, I'll make sure nobody gets it.””
He fired.
But the shot never reached Vincent.
Ricardo threw himself between them.
The bullet struck his chest.
“RICARDO!””
He fell into my arms.
Adrian dropped his weapon and ran toward the back entrance.
Dante's men chased him.
I pressed my hands against Ricardo's chest.
“Stay with me!””
He struggled to breathe.
“Clara...””
“Don't talk!””
He gripped my wrist.
“Take care of Leo.””
I shook my head.
“You're going to take care of him yourself.””
His eyes began closing.
Then Sarah screamed for help.
May you like
And as the guards rushed toward us, Ricardo whispered one final sentence.
“Don't let Vincent choose the next boss.””
