Chapter 10 - THE TRUTH ABOUT MY MOTHER
My mother sat on the cold stone floor.
She looked older than she had that morning.
Older than I had ever seen her.
I knelt beside her.
“What did Dad hide from you?”
She shook her head.
“I was supposed to tell you years ago.”
“Tell me now.”
She looked at Lily's stuffed rabbit.
“Your father knew that Margaret and Vanessa would eventually come looking for the archive.”
“But why?”
“Because your grandfather created something bigger than a family company.”
I frowned.
“The research?”
She nodded.
“Your grandfather's company secretly funded medical research. Your father inherited it. But he discovered that someone inside the family was stealing the patents.”
“Who?”
My mother looked away.
“Richard.”
My grandfather.
“But Richard said—”
“He lies.”
I remembered his smile.
“He wanted Lily.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because the final access system requires a direct descendant.”
“Lily.”
“Yes.”
“Then why did Vanessa say I'm not the heir?”
My mother hesitated.
“Because you're not.”
The words hurt.
“Then who am I?”
She looked directly into my eyes.
“You are your father's biological son.”
I waited.
“But you were never named the primary heir.”
“Who was?”
“Your sister.”
I froze.
“Eleanor?”
She nodded.
“The little girl in the photograph?”
“Yes.”
“But she disappeared.”
“She was hidden.”
“Where?”
My mother whispered:
“With your wife's family.”
I suddenly understood.
My late wife had been connected to Eleanor.
Lily had inherited the genetic marker.
But there was still another question.
“Why did Dad raise me?”
“Because Eleanor's existence had to remain secret.”
“Why?”
“Richard wanted to control her.”
I looked toward the open tunnel.
“So my wife discovered all this.”
“Yes.”
“And Vanessa?”
“Vanessa learned about Eleanor through Margaret.”
I stood.
“Where is Lily?”
My mother took a small key from her pocket.
“This opens the second chamber.”
“Where?”
She pointed toward the wall.
I inserted the key.
A section of stone moved.
A passage appeared.
The detective turned on his flashlight.
We entered.
After several minutes, we heard crying.
Lily.
“Daddy!”
I ran.
She was sitting in a room with her hands tied loosely in front of her.
Vanessa stood behind her.
Michael was beside the door.
I stopped.
“Let her go.”
Vanessa smiled.
“You finally came.”
I stepped forward.
“Lily.”
She looked at me.
“Daddy, I'm okay.”
Vanessa grabbed her shoulder.
I froze.
“Don't touch her.”
Michael looked uncomfortable.
“Vanessa, enough.”
She glared at him.
“You wanted the money.”
“I wanted the company.”
“You wanted the company because of the money.”
Michael looked away.
I stared at him.
“You helped her.”
“I didn't know she would take Lily.”
“You knew she was dangerous.”
He had no answer.
Vanessa pointed toward the wall.
“There.”
A stone panel contained a fingerprint scanner.
“Open it.”
“I can't.”
“Your bloodline can.”
I looked at the scanner.
Then at Lily.
“Why her?”
“Because she's the true descendant.”
“And what happens when it opens?”
Vanessa smiled.
“You'll see.”
I stepped toward the scanner.
The detective whispered:
“Don't.”
I looked at him.
“If I don't, she keeps my daughter.”
I placed my hand on the scanner.
Nothing happened.
Vanessa's smile disappeared.
“Again.”
I tried.
Nothing.
She grabbed Lily's arm.
Lily cried out.
“Stop!”
I looked at her.
“It's not me.”
Vanessa stared.
“Then who?”
Lily suddenly spoke.
“Mommy said Grandpa taught me.”
Everyone froze.
“What?”
Lily looked at the scanner.
“Mommy told me before she died.”
I stared.
“Your mother knew?”
Lily nodded.
“She said the door only opens for someone who has her blood.”
I looked at Vanessa.
“You need Lily.”
Vanessa smiled.
“Exactly.”
She pushed Lily toward the scanner.
I moved immediately.
The detective blocked Vanessa.
She struggled.
Michael stepped backward.
Lily placed her hand on the scanner.
A green light appeared.
The stone wall opened.
Inside was a metal case.
Vanessa stared.
She had won.
Or so she thought.
I opened the case.
Inside were dozens of documents.
A hard drive.
Photographs.
And a video recorder.
I pressed play.
My late wife appeared.
She looked tired.
But she was alive.
“If you're watching this,” she said, “then Ryan finally knows the truth.”
I couldn't breathe.
She continued.
“Vanessa will tell you that Lily is the key to the fortune.”
My wife looked directly into the camera.
“She is wrong.”
Vanessa froze.
“The archive doesn't belong to the Carter family.”
My wife's voice became stronger.
“It belongs to the person my mother protected.”
A photograph appeared.
A woman.
Eleanor.
My supposed missing sister.
Then my wife's voice said:
“Eleanor is alive.”
I looked at Lily.
Then the video showed Eleanor standing beside my wife.
Pregnant.
I couldn't breathe.
The child in the photograph wasn't Lily.
It was another baby.
My wife's baby.
My wife had been pregnant before Lily.
The recording ended.
Vanessa stared at the screen.
“That's impossible.”
I turned toward her.
“What happened to that child?”
My wife had left another clue.
A name.
A hospital.
And a birth date.
The same date as Lily's.
I stared.
“No.”
May you like
My mother whispered:
“There were twins.”
