Chapter 9: Anna
“Mom?””
Grace ran toward the door.
Richard caught her arm.
“Wait.””
“That was her!””
“I know.””
“My mother is alive.””
Daniel stepped between them.
“Not necessarily.””
Grace stared at him.
“What does that mean?””
“Someone could have recorded her.””
“No.””
Grace shook her head.
“That was her voice.””
Evelyn walked toward the sealed door.
“Anna.””
The voice came again.
“Evelyn, open the door.””
Evelyn's knees nearly buckled.
She pressed her palm against the wood.
“Anna, where are you?””
“Behind the wall.””
Daniel looked sharply at the old stonework.
“Everyone step back.””
He pulled a small flashlight from his pocket.
“There.””
A narrow seam ran vertically along the wall.
Richard helped him move an iron storage cabinet.
Behind it was a concealed door.
Daniel pushed.
It opened.
A woman stood inside.
Gray hair.
Pale face.
A dark coat.
Grace stopped breathing.
The woman looked at her.
For several seconds, neither moved.
Then the woman whispered:
“Grace.””
Grace's knees weakened.
“Mom?””
Anna nodded.
Grace ran into her arms.
Anna held her tightly.
“I’m sorry.””
Grace cried against her shoulder.
“You're alive.””
“Yes.””
“You let me think you were dead.””
“I had to.””
“You abandoned me.””
Anna pulled back.
“No. I watched you every day.””
Grace stared at her.
“What?””
“I watched from a distance.””
“Why?””
“Because Thomas was looking for you.””
Grace wiped her tears.
“But Thomas is dead.””
Anna looked toward Evelyn.
“Is he?””
Everyone went silent.
Anna walked into the cellar.
She looked older than Grace remembered from photographs, but there was no mistaking her.
Richard couldn't speak.
Anna saw him.
Her expression changed.
“Richard.””
He whispered her name.
“Anna.””
Grace looked between them.
“You knew.””
Anna nodded.
“I always knew.””
Richard stepped closer.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because every time I tried, someone stopped me.””
He looked at Evelyn.
Evelyn lowered her head.
Richard's voice broke.
“You destroyed twenty-six years.””
Evelyn whispered, “I know.””
Anna turned toward her.
“No.””
Evelyn looked up.
“You don't know.””
The words cut through the room.
Anna continued.
“You thought you were protecting Richard. You were protecting yourself.””
Evelyn's eyes filled with tears.
“I was protecting Grace.””
“You were protecting the Hart fortune.””
Evelyn said nothing.
Grace stepped between them.
“I need the truth.””
Anna looked at her daughter.
“All of it?””
“All.””
Anna nodded.
“Then listen carefully.””
She looked at Richard.
“Grace is your daughter.””
Richard closed his eyes.
Anna continued.
“Thomas discovered it.””
Grace's stomach tightened.
“He knew?””
“Yes.””
“And that's why he chased you?””
“Yes.””
Anna's voice became quieter.
“He wanted Grace because he believed having your daughter would give him leverage over Richard.””
Richard shook his head.
“He could have killed her.””
“He tried.””
Grace froze.
“What?””
Anna looked at her.
“Three years ago, Thomas found me.””
Grace's breath caught.
“He came to the house?””
“Yes.””
“He killed you?””
“No.””
Anna looked at Daniel.
“Daniel helped me disappear.””
Grace turned toward Daniel.
“You knew?””
He nodded.
“I helped your mother escape.””
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because Thomas had people everywhere.””
Anna touched Grace's cheek.
“After the accident that killed Thomas, I thought it was over.””
Richard asked, “But it wasn't.””
Anna shook her head.
“No.””
She reached into her coat.
She removed a small envelope.
“This came to me yesterday.””
Grace took it.
Inside was a photograph.
Thomas Vale.
Alive.
Standing outside the Hart estate.
The date printed in the corner was from *last week*.
Richard stared at it.
“That can't be real.””
Anna nodded.
“It is.””
Victor stepped backward.
“My brother is alive.””
Anna looked at him.
“He never died in that crash.””
Victor's face went white.
“Then whose body was in the car?””
Anna didn't answer.
Instead, she turned toward Evelyn.
“Tell them.””
Evelyn began crying.
Grace stared at her.
“Tell us what?””
Evelyn whispered:
“The body was mine.””
Everyone froze.
Richard stared.
“What?””
Evelyn wiped her face.
“I staged the accident.””
Victor's voice cracked.
“You killed someone?””
“No.””
She looked at Grace.
“I killed Evelyn Hart.””
Grace didn't understand.
“You're standing here.””
Evelyn shook her head.
“Not for long.””
Anna's expression hardened.
“She's dying.””
Richard stepped toward her.
“Evelyn?””
Evelyn nodded.
“I have cancer.””
She looked at Grace.
“I knew Thomas would come back. I knew the only way to draw him out was to make him believe I was dead.””
Grace stared at her.
“So the transfer yesterday…”
“Was bait.””
Anna nodded.
“The necklace wasn't the prize.””
Richard understood.
“You wanted Thomas to come for the evidence.””
Evelyn looked at Grace.
“We wanted him to come for you.””
Grace's face went cold.
“What?””
Anna suddenly grabbed her daughter's hand.
“Grace, listen to me.””
A sound came from above.
A slow clap.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Everyone looked toward the staircase.
A man's voice drifted down.
“You always were terrible at keeping secrets, Anna.””
Anna went rigid.
Victor whispered one word.
“Thomas.””
A silver-haired man appeared at the top of the stairs.
May you like
He smiled.
And in his hand was a gun.
