Chapter 9 - THE THIRD NAME
Michael opened the folder carefully.
Inside was a birth certificate.
Not mine.
Not Lily's.
Another child.
A boy.
The name was:
Nathan Bennett.
My father stared.
“That isn't possible.”
Michael shook his head.
“It is.”
Lily looked confused.
“Who is Nathan?”
Michael turned the document around.
“The birth mother is your mother.”
Silence.
Dad sat down.
“My wife had three children?”
Grandma closed her eyes.
“Yes.”
My father's voice broke.
“Why didn't I know?”
“Because your father took Nathan.”
“Where?”
“I don't know.”
Robert laughed from across the room.
“You really thought Lily was the secret?”
Dad turned.
“What did you do with Nathan?”
Robert smiled.
“You'll never find him.”
Police pulled him away.
But the damage was done.
We now knew that my mother had three children.
Lily had been hidden.
Nathan had disappeared.
And I had been raised believing I was an only child.
Michael examined the certificate.
“This document is twenty years old.”
Dad frowned.
“Nathan would be older than Ethan.”
“Yes.”
“Where is he?”
“I don't know.”
Lily looked at me.
“You have another brother.”
I nodded.
The strange thing was that I didn't feel surprised.
After everything I'd learned, almost nothing seemed impossible anymore.
That night, we returned home.
Dad sat in his office for hours.
He searched old records.
Bank accounts.
School documents.
Hospital files.
Nothing.
Then Maria found something in the blue box.
A tiny envelope.
My mother's handwriting.
For the third child.
Dad opened it.
Inside was a photograph.
A teenage boy.
Dark hair.
Green eyes.
A scar above his eyebrow.
He looked like Lily.
And like me.
On the back:
Nathan Reed.
Michael stared.
“Reed?”
Dad's expression changed.
“Eleanor Reed.”
Lily stepped forward.
“My foster mother's name.”
Michael nodded.
“Nathan may have been raised by the same family.”
Dad looked at Lily.
“Do you know him?”
She shook her head.
“I knew there was another child.”
“Who told you?”
“My mother.”
“Your mother?”
“Eleanor.”
Lily explained that Eleanor had always told her there was another Bennett child.
But she never knew his name.
She had been told never to look for him.
Until recently.
“Who changed your mind?”
Lily looked at the photograph.
“Nathan.”
My father froze.
“You've met him?”
She nodded.
“Once.”
“Where?”
“At the hospital.”
“What hospital?”
“The one where your wife died.”
Dad stood.
“When?”
“Three months ago.”
Michael stared.
“Why didn't you tell us?”
“Because Nathan told me not to.”
“Why?”
“He said someone was watching him.”
Dad looked at me.
“Where is he now?”
Lily shook her head.
“I don't know.”
Then the phone rang.
Dad answered.
A man's voice said:
“Hello, Daniel.”
Dad froze.
“Who is this?”
“You know.”
Dad's face went white.
“Nathan?”
The voice laughed.
“Finally.”
I moved closer.
Dad put the phone on speaker.
Nathan continued:
“I've been waiting for you to discover the truth.”
“Where are you?”
“Somewhere safe.”
“Why did you stay hidden?”
“Because your wife asked me to.”
Dad's eyes filled with tears.
“Your mother loved you.”
“I know.”
“Why didn't you come home?”
“Because the people who killed her were still there.”
Dad looked at me.
“Who?”
Nathan was silent.
Then he said:
“Your father.”
Dad's face froze.
“My father is dead.”
“Exactly.”
Silence.
Nathan continued:
“He didn't just hide me.”
“He created the entire plan.”
Michael whispered:
“The grandfather.”
Nathan said:
“He ordered your mother killed.”
Dad closed his eyes.
“And Robert?”
“Robert was only a tool.”
The line went dead.
Dad immediately called the number.
Disconnected.
May you like
Then a message appeared.
COME TO THE CEMETERY TOMORROW. ALONE.
