Chapter 13: The Twin They Buried Alive
“Bring us the girl.””
I read the words again.
The paper trembled between my fingers.
Elizabeth grabbed my wrist.
“Don't let them take you.””
Richard moved toward the door.
“Lock the building. Nobody leaves until we know who's inside.””
The nurse looked frightened.
“Mr. Williams, there are two men downstairs asking for Elizabeth Carter. They said they're from the hospital.””
Daniel immediately pulled out his phone.
“Call the police.””
“No,” Elizabeth said sharply.
Everyone turned.
She looked at the message.
“They aren't here for me.””
Her eyes moved to mine.
“They're here for your sister.””
Michael stood.
“Where is she?””
Elizabeth shook her head.
“I don't know.””
“You said your father took her.””
“He did.””
“Then where?””
Elizabeth wiped her tears.
“When the four of us were born, my father discovered that one of the babies had a rare blood disorder. The doctors believed she might not survive without a specific treatment. He arranged for her to be transferred to a specialist facility.””
“Which facility?”” I asked.
“St. Mary's.””
The same hospital.
The same place where I had been born.
Daniel looked at Michael.
“Room 307.””
Michael nodded.
“That's where the fourth birth record disappeared.””
Richard turned toward Elizabeth.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because I didn't know if she survived.””
I stared at my mother.
“You spent twenty-four years believing one of your daughters might be alive?””
Elizabeth's face crumpled.
“I spent twenty-four years believing I had failed all of you.””
I reached for her hand.
“Then we're going to find her.””
A loud crash came from the corridor.
The nurse screamed.
Daniel pushed the meeting room door shut.
“Everyone back!””
Two men entered the hallway.
One shouted, “Elizabeth Carter! We know you're in there!””
Richard stepped in front of us.
“Get out.””
A familiar voice answered.
“Richard, don't make this difficult.””
Thomas.
Daniel looked at me.
“He found us.””
Michael searched the room.
“There must be another exit.””
The nurse pointed toward a service door.
“Through the laundry corridor. It leads to the parking area.””
Richard shook his head.
“We're not leaving Elizabeth.””
Elizabeth took his hand.
“Richard, please. Take our children.””
He looked at her.
“I lost you once.””
“And if you stay, you'll lose them too.””
For a moment, he couldn't speak.
Then he nodded.
Daniel pushed the service door open.
We moved quickly through the narrow corridor.
My wheelchair caught against a metal cart.
Michael helped me over it.
Behind us, someone slammed against the meeting room door.
“Go!”” Daniel shouted.
We reached the parking area.
A black SUV was waiting.
The driver lowered his window.
“Get in.””
Richard stopped.
“Who are you?””
The driver removed his sunglasses.
I recognized him immediately.
Marcus Reed.
The maintenance worker who had sabotaged my wheelchair.
The man Ethan had paid.
Richard stepped toward him.
“You.””
Marcus raised both hands.
“I know what I did. I know what I owe her.””
Daniel grabbed his collar.
“You almost killed her.””
Marcus looked at me.
“I can take you to your sister.””
Nobody moved.
I stared at him.
“How do you know about her?””
He reached into his jacket and pulled out an old photograph.
A baby lay in a hospital cot.
Pinned to the blanket was a small silver bracelet.
The same bracelet Elizabeth had given me.
On the back of the photograph was a name.
*Lily Carter.*
My twin.
Marcus swallowed.
“Because I was the one who drove her out of St. Mary's.””
Elizabeth's voice came from behind us.
“Marcus?””
We turned.
She had followed us into the parking area, supported by the nurse.
Her face was white.
“Where is my daughter?””
Marcus looked down.
“I don't know where she is now. But I know who took her.””
“Who?””
He hesitated.
Then he said the name.
“Margaret Hayes.””
My adoptive mother.
I felt the world disappear beneath me.
“No.””
Marcus nodded.
“She raised you because she was supposed to raise both of you.””
Richard stepped forward.
“Explain.””
Marcus opened the passenger door.
“Get in. I'll tell you everything on the way.””
We drove for nearly an hour before Marcus finally spoke.
“Twenty-four years ago, I worked for Thomas Carter. I was young. I thought I was helping a family protect a child.””
Daniel glared at him.
“You helped Thomas steal babies.””
“I know.””
Marcus continued.
“Elizabeth gave birth to four children. Thomas wanted all four separated because he believed the inheritance could only be controlled if nobody knew the real family structure.””
Elizabeth stared out the window.
“And Margaret?””
“Margaret was given two babies. The girl who became your sister, and the girl she was supposed to protect.””
I looked at him.
“Me.””
Marcus nodded.
“But Thomas changed the plan. He wanted you to disappear.””
“Why?””
“Because your blood type was the key to identifying the fourth child. Your grandfather had ordered a confidential genetic test before he died. The results were hidden.””
Michael leaned forward.
“What did the test prove?””
Marcus looked at me through the rearview mirror.
“That all four children shared the same biological mother. But only one had a genetic marker that could expose the person who fathered them.””
I frowned.
“Who?””
Marcus took a breath.
“Alexander Reed.””
The name hung in the air.
Richard stared at him.
“Your father?””
Marcus nodded.
“Alexander was your mother's first love. He was also the biological father of one of the children.””
Elizabeth closed her eyes.
“And which child?””
Marcus looked at me.
“Your twin sister.””
My heart pounded.
“Then who is my father?””
Marcus said nothing.
Instead, he reached into the glove compartment and handed me an envelope.
Inside was a DNA report.
The name at the top was mine.
The biological father was listed as Thomas Carter.
But beneath it, in handwritten ink, someone had added:
Sample deliberately contaminated. Repeat test required.
I looked at Richard.
He shook his head.
“I don't know what to believe anymore.””
Marcus turned onto a narrow road.
“There's someone who can answer that.””
At the end of the road stood a small white house.
A woman was waiting on the porch.
She had silver hair, a familiar smile, and the same crescent-shaped birthmark beneath her ear that I had seen in my mother's photographs.
She looked at me.
Then she whispered:
“Little Moon.””
I couldn't move.
Elizabeth began crying.
“Lily.””
My twin sister stepped down from the porch.
And behind her stood Margaret Hayes.
My adoptive mother.
She was holding a photograph of two newborn girls.
One wore a silver bracelet.
The other wore a gold one.
Margaret looked directly at me.
“I'm sorry, sweetheart.””
Then she said the one thing I never expected.
“I didn't raise you because I was paid to.””
May you like
She looked at Lily.
“I raised you because I was told your mother would never come back.””
