Chapter 4 - THE BOY THEY HID
We returned to the Carter estate under police protection.
Victoria had disappeared.
The house was empty.
But the basement door was unlocked.
My father led us downstairs.
A narrow hallway stretched beneath the mansion.
At the end was a steel door.
Daniel found a key in his mother's desk.
The lock opened.
Inside was a room.
A bed.
A desk.
Photographs.
And a young man sitting beside the window.
He looked about thirty.
Dark hair.
Gray eyes.
A small scar crossed his eyebrow.
He looked at me.
I stopped breathing.
He stood.
“You're Emily.”
I nodded.
“Who are you?”
He smiled sadly.
“Lucas.”
Sophia began crying.
“Oh my God.”
Lucas stared at her.
“You're Sophia.”
“Yes.”
He stepped backward.
“I thought you were dead.”
“I thought you were.”
He looked at me.
“And you?”
“My sister.”
Lucas laughed bitterly.
“So they lied to all of us.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“Who kept you here?”
Lucas looked toward the door.
“Victoria.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“My mother.”
“She raised me as a servant.”
I felt sick.
“Why?”
“Because she wanted to control my inheritance.”
Lucas pointed toward a cabinet.
“Everything was in there.”
My father opened it.
Inside were financial records.
Bank transfers.
Forged documents.
Property deeds.
And one photograph.
Victoria standing beside Arthur Carter.
My father stared.
“That man died twenty years ago.”
Lucas shook his head.
“That photograph was taken five years ago.”
Daniel looked horrified.
“Arthur is alive?”
Lucas nodded.
“He's the one controlling everything.”
Sophia whispered:
“Where?”
Lucas pointed toward another document.
A hospital record.
“Cancer treatment.”
The name on it was different.
But the photograph was unmistakable.
Arthur Carter.
Alive.
Living under another name.
I felt cold.
“So he orchestrated everything.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Lucas looked at my stomach.
“Because your baby is the one person who can legally destroy his control.”
I looked down.
“What does that mean?”
Lucas explained.
“The original Carter trust has one condition.”
“What?”
“The heir must be born from Robert Carter's direct line.”
My baby.
“Once your child is born, Arthur loses access to the entire estate.”
“And Victoria?”
“She loses everything.”
Daniel shook his head.
“My mother knew.”
“Yes.”
“She threw Emily out.”
“Yes.”
“She accused her of cheating.”
“Because she wanted you to reject her.”
Daniel looked at me.
“I was manipulated.”
I said nothing.
Lucas looked at him.
“You still have a choice.”
Daniel nodded.
“I know.”
Then police officers rushed downstairs.
“Mr. Carter!”
Daniel turned.
“What happened?”
“The hospital called.”
My heart stopped.
“What about my baby?”
The officer looked at me.
“They say someone tried to access your medical records.”
“Who?”
“We don't know.”
Then another officer entered.
He carried an envelope.
“This was delivered to the hospital.”
I opened it.
Inside was a single photograph.
Me.
Sleeping in my hospital bed.
Taken only hours earlier.
On the back were four words:
THE BABY DIES TONIGHT.
Daniel's face turned white.
My father immediately called security.
Sophia grabbed my hand.
Lucas looked toward the basement stairs.
“He found us.”
“Who?”
May you like
Lucas whispered:
“Arthur.”
