Chapter 11: The Lawyer Who Sold Us Out
I didn't call Robert.
I wanted to.
I wanted to demand an explanation, to hear him deny it, to watch his expression when I placed the photograph in front of him.
But Officer Reynolds stopped me.
"Don't confront him yet.""
"He's been my lawyer for twelve years.""
"That doesn't make him innocent.""
"He knows everything about my family.""
"Exactly.""
I stared at the photograph.
My father.
Robert.
A bank entrance.
Three days before Nia died.
"Could he have been helping Thomas forge the documents?""
"That's what we're investigating.""
I rubbed my forehead.
"What about the hospital footage?""
"We're having it authenticated. The person in the footage may be an identical impersonator, or the recording may have been altered.""
I looked up.
"Identical impersonator?""
Reynolds opened another folder.
"Your father had a business associate named Michael Carter.""
I frowned.
"Another Carter?""
"Not related. But according to the old financial records, he underwent cosmetic surgery several years ago.""
"Why?""
"To resemble someone.""
I stared at him.
"Who?""
Reynolds slid a photograph across the table.
It showed two men standing beside each other.
My father.
And a man who looked almost exactly like me.
I felt sick.
"That's impossible.""
"Not impossible. Expensive.""
I studied the second man's face.
The scar above his eyebrow.
The shape of his nose.
Even the slight tilt of his head.
He looked like me.
But there was something different about his eyes.
"Who is he?""
"Michael Carter.""
"Where is he now?""
"Missing.""
The next morning, I went to Robert's office.
I didn't tell Officer Reynolds.
I wanted to hear the truth from the man himself.
His secretary greeted me.
"Mr. Hayes is in a meeting.""
"I'll wait.""
I sat in the reception area.
Ten minutes passed.
Then twenty.
Finally, Robert emerged.
When he saw me, his expression changed.
"Marcus.""
I stood.
"We need to talk.""
He glanced toward his secretary.
"Come into my office.""
I followed him inside.
The room smelled of coffee and expensive leather.
His framed law degree hung behind his desk.
A photograph of our families stood beside his computer.
Robert and his wife.
Nia and me.
Lily sitting on my shoulders.
I picked up the photograph.
"Do you remember this?""
He nodded.
"Of course.""
"Then tell me why you were meeting my father three days before Nia died.""
His face went still.
"Where did you get that photograph?""
"Answer me.""
He sat down.
"Marcus, there are things you don't understand.""
"Then explain them.""
He opened a drawer and removed a folder.
"I've been trying to protect you.""
"By helping a dead man impersonate me?""
Robert looked up sharply.
"You know about Michael?""
"I know enough.""
He sighed.
"Thomas contacted me twelve years ago. He told me he was in danger. He asked me to help him disappear.""
"And you did.""
"Yes.""
"Why?""
"Because he said someone would kill him if he stayed.""
I laughed bitterly.
"So you helped him fake his death.""
Robert nodded.
"And you let me bury an empty coffin.""
He lowered his eyes.
"Yes.""
I felt something inside me crack.
"What about Nia?""
Robert looked toward the window.
"She discovered the truth two years ago.""
"And?""
"She threatened to report him.""
"What did you do?""
"I tried to persuade her not to.""
I stepped closer.
"Did you help him access her medical records?""
Robert said nothing.
"Did you help him change the insurance beneficiary?""
His silence was enough.
I placed the photograph on his desk.
"Did you help him kill my wife?""
Robert suddenly stood.
"No.""
His voice cracked.
"I did many terrible things, Marcus. But I did not kill Nia.""
"Then who did?""
He rubbed his face.
"Thomas wanted the insurance money. Vanessa wanted Lily. Michael was supposed to impersonate you long enough to obtain the medical documents and remove evidence from the hospital.""
"Remove what evidence?""
"The original DNA report.""
My stomach tightened.
"Why?""
Robert looked at me.
"Because the DNA report didn't identify Lily as Rebecca's daughter.""
I froze.
"What?""
"It identified her as someone else.""
"Who?""
Robert reached into the folder.
He removed a laboratory report.
I read the first page.
The biological father was listed as Thomas Carter.
The biological mother was listed as Rebecca Miller.
But the child identification number belonged to Vanessa.
I looked up.
"Then what about Lily?""
Robert's expression changed.
"Marcus, there's something Nia discovered after the first test.""
He turned to another page.
The second test had been ordered privately.
Its results were attached.
*LILY CARTER — BIOLOGICAL MOTHER: NIA CARTER.*
I couldn't breathe.
"That means...""
Robert nodded.
"You're Lily's biological father.""
I stared at the report.
"Then Vanessa isn't her twin?""
"Not biologically.""
I stepped backward.
"You're telling me Nia gave birth to Lily?""
"Yes.""
"Then why did everyone say she was one of Rebecca's twins?""
"Because Thomas needed Vanessa to believe that.""
My mind raced.
The two newborn bracelets.
The photographs.
The adoption records.
The hospital documents.
Someone had deliberately mixed two different children's identities.
I looked at Robert.
"Who was Rebecca's other baby?""
He lowered his voice.
"Vanessa.""
"And Lily?""
"She was born three years after the twins.""
I felt my knees weaken.
"Then why did Nia have two hospital bracelets in her music box?""
"Because she was investigating the original baby transfer.""
I gripped the desk.
"Why would Thomas tell Vanessa she was Lily's twin?""
Robert closed his eyes.
"Because he needed her to believe she had a claim to your family.""
I stared at him.
The cruelty of it was almost impossible to comprehend.
Vanessa had been manipulated into believing that the family she wanted had been stolen from her.
But that didn't excuse what she had done.
"Why did you help him?""
Robert looked exhausted.
"Because Thomas had something on me.""
"What?""
He opened another drawer.
Inside was a photograph of a young woman standing outside a hospital.
My breath caught.
My mother.
But she was much younger.
And beside her stood a newborn baby.
Robert whispered:
"Your mother gave birth to a child before you were born.""
I stared at him.
"What?""
"Thomas told everyone the baby died.""
I looked at the photograph again.
The child was alive.
Robert continued.
"That child was adopted by Rebecca Miller.""
I felt the room spinning.
Rebecca.
The woman whose twins had been separated.
The woman whose daughter had been raised by the Prices.
And my mother had been involved long before any of this happened.
"Who was the baby?""
Robert looked directly at me.
"Vanessa.""
My mouth went dry.
Vanessa wasn't my daughter's twin.
She was my half-sister.
My father's daughter with Rebecca.
And my mother's biological child.
The woman who had tried to take my daughter was actually my sister.
I stared at the report.
Then I looked at Robert.
"Does Vanessa know?""
He shook his head.
"Not yet.""
Before I could ask another question, the office door opened.
Officer Reynolds entered with two detectives.
"Robert Hayes, you're under arrest for conspiracy, identity fraud, and evidence tampering.""
Robert didn't resist.
He simply looked at me.
"Marcus, there's one thing I never told Nia.""
I stepped closer.
"What?""
He leaned toward me.
"Your father didn't choose Vanessa because he wanted to raise her.""
He swallowed.
"He chose her because she was the only person who could legally challenge your mother's estate.""
I frowned.
"What estate?""
Robert looked at the detectives.
May you like
Then back at me.
"Your mother left everything to Vanessa.""
