Chapter 4 - THE SISTER THEY STOLE
Claire invited us inside.
Her house was modest.
Warm.
Nothing like the Carter mansion.
There were books everywhere.
Photographs.
Plants.
A piano near the window.
I saw a photograph of Claire as a little girl.
She was standing beside an older woman.
“Who is that?”
“My adoptive mother.”
I nodded.
“Does she know about us?”
“She died last year.”
Claire looked down.
“She left me a letter.”
“What did it say?”
“That my biological family would eventually find me.”
I felt tears in my eyes.
“What else?”
“She told me not to trust the Carter family.”
Daniel sat silently.
Claire looked at him.
“You're Daniel.”
He nodded.
“My brother.”
“Yes.”
She smiled sadly.
“I've known your name for years.”
“How?”
“My adoptive mother had records.”
“Why didn't she contact us?”
“She was afraid.”
“Of Thomas?”
“Yes.”
Claire explained that she had discovered her adoption records at eighteen.
Her biological mother's name had been Eleanor Hayes.
My mother.
She had spent years searching.
But every trail ended.
Then, six months earlier, she received an anonymous envelope.
Inside was a photograph of my mother.
And one sentence:
Your family is looking for you.
Claire thought it was a trap.
She had ignored it.
Until another envelope arrived.
This one contained a copy of the Carter trust.
Her name was on it.
So was mine.
Daniel's.
And one more name.
Victoria.
I stared.
“Who is Victoria?”
Claire shook her head.
“I don't know.”
Marcus looked up.
“That's interesting.”
He checked his laptop.
“Because Victoria Hayes appears in several corporate records.”
My father frowned.
“Who is she?”
Marcus turned the screen toward us.
Victoria Hayes had been working for Carter Holdings for fifteen years.
She was the company's chief legal counsel.
I had met her once.
I remembered her.
A quiet woman.
Professional.
Always polite.
She had helped prepare several contracts for Daniel.
My father stared at the screen.
“Find her.”
We returned to Chicago.
Victoria was gone.
Her office had been emptied.
Her apartment was empty.
Her phone was disconnected.
But she had left a message.
For me.
It was handwritten.
I knew you'd find Claire.
I read the next line.
Now you need to find me.
Below it was an address.
An old church.
I went there alone.
At least, I thought I did.
Victoria was waiting inside.
She stood near the altar.
When she turned around, my breath stopped.
She had my mother's eyes.
“You look like her.”
She smiled sadly.
“So do you.”
I stepped closer.
“Who are you?”
She answered:
“My name isn't Victoria.”
“What is it?”
“Anna.”
I froze.
“Anna Hayes.”
My sister.
The fourth child.
The fourth heir.
I could barely breathe.
“You knew who I was.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because Thomas would have killed you.”
My father arrived behind me.
Anna looked at him.
“Richard.”
He stared.
“How do you know me?”
She smiled.
“Because you helped my mother hide me.”
My father closed his eyes.
I turned toward him.
“Dad?”
He looked at me.
“I was trying to protect you.”
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
“You knew I had another sister.”
“I knew there was another child.”
“And you never told me.”
“I couldn't.”
“Why?”
“Because Thomas threatened your mother.”
Anna stepped forward.
“He threatened all of us.”
She opened a folder.
Inside were photographs.
Thomas.
Evelyn.
Gregory.
And another man.
Daniel's father.
All of them together.
The photograph had been taken twenty years earlier.
Anna pointed at the fourth man.
“This is the person who started everything.”
I stared.
“Who?”
She turned the photograph over.
A name was written on the back.
Richard Hayes.
May you like
My heart stopped.
My father.
