“The child Thomas wanted…”

My mother’s voice trembled.

“…was you.”

The words should not have surprised me.

After everything I had learned in the last few days, I thought nothing could surprise me anymore.

I was wrong.

Because hearing the truth was one thing.

Hearing that the man who had stolen my brother had also been watching me my entire life was something else.

I stared at Margaret.

My mother.

The woman who raised me.

The woman who taught me how to bake bread, how to forgive people, how to survive disappointment.

The woman who had spent thirty-two years protecting a secret.

“Why?”

The question came out broken.

“Why me?”

Margaret closed her eyes.

A tear slipped down her cheek.

“Because you were the only thing he couldn’t control.”

I looked at Daniel.

He looked just as confused.

“Margaret, explain.”

My mother took a shaky breath.

“Thomas didn’t just want money.”

Daniel stepped closer.

“Then what did he want?”

She looked at him.

“Power.”

The word felt heavier than it should have.

“He wanted to own everything around him.”

My mother’s fingers tightened around the blanket.

“People. Businesses. Families.”

Her voice became quieter.

“He believed love was just another thing a person could possess.”

I felt a coldness move through me.

“Then why take Daniel?”

“Because Daniel was proof that I could love someone else.”

She looked at him.

“And because he knew I would never stop searching.”

Daniel looked down.

“So he erased me.”

“Yes.”

My mother’s eyes filled with tears.

“But he underestimated you.”

Daniel gave a sad smile.

“He did a good job hiding me.”

“No.”

Margaret shook her head.

“He did a good job hiding the truth.”

A silence followed.

Then I asked the question that had been burning inside me.

“If Thomas wanted control…”

I looked at my mother.

“Why keep me?”

The room became still.

My mother looked away.

That was when I knew.

There was another secret.

Another wound.

Another piece of the story nobody had told me.

“Mom.”

She closed her eyes.

“Because you reminded him of what he lost.”

I frowned.

“What does that mean?”

“When Daniel was taken…”

Her voice cracked.

“Thomas thought I would break.”

Daniel looked angry.

“He wanted her broken.”

“Yes.”

My mother nodded.

“But I wasn’t.”

She looked at me.

“Because I had you.”

I swallowed.

“I was a baby.”

“Yes.”

“And he knew?”

“Yes.”

“Then why didn’t he take me too?”

My mother was silent.

Too long.

Then she whispered:

“He tried.”

The room stopped.

“What?”

Daniel stepped forward.

“He tried to take Evelyn?”

My mother nodded.

“After Daniel disappeared, Thomas came back.”

Her breathing became unsteady.

“He told me I had lost my son because I was stubborn.”

My hands became cold.

“He told me if I kept fighting him…”

She looked at me.

“…I would lose my daughter too.”

I couldn’t speak.

The memories came back.

Not clear memories.

Fragments.

A man’s voice.

A shadow near the doorway.

My mother holding me tightly.

Whispering:

“Don’t make a sound.”

I had forgotten.

Or maybe my mind had protected me.

“Why don’t I remember?”

My mother looked at me sadly.

“Because you were four years old.”

Four.

I felt dizzy.

“I was four.”

“Yes.”

“And you ran?”

She nodded.

“I took you and left that night.”

“Where did we go?”

“Everywhere.”

A bitter smile appeared.

“We changed houses. Changed cities. Changed our names.”

I looked at Daniel.

“That’s why I was Sarah.”

He nodded.

“Yes.”

My mother squeezed my hand.

“I wanted you to disappear from Thomas’s world.”

“But he found us.”

“Yes.”

“When?”

My mother looked toward the window.

“He always found us.”

The sentence made my skin crawl.

“What do you mean?”

“He never stopped watching.”

Daniel became serious.

“Margaret.”

She looked at him.

“Tell them.”

My mother looked confused.

“Tell us what?”

Daniel’s face hardened.

“The truth about Thomas.”

The room became silent.

“What truth?”

Daniel looked at me.

“The reason he was never caught.”

I frowned.

“He was rich?”

“Yes.”

“He had connections?”

“Yes.”

“Then what?”

Daniel looked at Margaret.

“She protected him.”

I froze.

“What?”

My mother’s face changed.

Pain.

Shame.

“I didn’t have a choice.”

Daniel nodded.

“I know.”

I looked between them.

“What are you talking about?”

My mother started crying.

“Thomas had something.”

“What?”

“Evidence.”

“Against who?”

She looked at me.

“Against me.”

The words made no sense.

“You?”

“Yes.”

“What could he possibly have against you?”

My mother closed her eyes.

“The night Daniel disappeared…”

Daniel became still.

“What?”

My mother whispered:

“I wasn’t supposed to survive.”

The room went silent.

“What does that mean?”

She looked at Daniel.

“Thomas planned to make it look like I abandoned both children.”

Daniel’s face hardened.

“But you escaped.”

“Yes.”

“How?”

My mother looked at me.

“Because someone helped me.”

I waited.

“Who?”

Her eyes moved toward Daniel.

“His father.”

Daniel froze.

“What?”

“Thomas’s own father.”

I stared.

“There’s more?”

My mother nodded weakly.

“Thomas was not the only monster in that family.”

A cold feeling moved through me.

“Then why didn’t you tell anyone?”

She looked at me.

“Because Thomas had proof that could destroy Daniel.”

“What proof?”

My mother looked at Daniel.

“Proof that he had been there that night.”

Daniel’s face changed.

“What?”

My mother whispered:

“He wanted everyone to believe you were responsible.”

The silence was unbearable.

“You?”

I looked at Daniel.

“They blamed you?”

He didn’t answer.

Because he didn’t need to.

I saw it on his face.

Thirty-two years of guilt.

Thirty-two years of believing he had failed.

Thomas hadn’t just stolen a child.

He had stolen Daniel’s life.

Then my phone rang.

The sound made everyone jump.

I looked at the screen.

Unknown number.

For some reason, I already knew.

I answered.

“Hello?”

Nobody spoke.

Only breathing.

Then a voice.

Older.

Calm.

Familiar.

A voice I had not heard in thirty years.

“Evelyn.”

My entire body froze.

I couldn’t speak.

Daniel immediately stood.

“Who is it?”

I looked at him.

My lips barely moved.

“My father.”

The voice continued.

“You finally found him.”

My hand shook.

“Thomas?”

A quiet laugh came through the phone.

Not angry.

Not emotional.

Almost amused.

“I was wondering how long it would take.”

Daniel stepped closer.

“Put it on speaker.”

I did.

Thomas’s voice filled the room.

“Daniel.”

Nobody moved.

“You were always better at finding things than hiding them.”

Daniel’s face turned pale.

“You.”

“Yes.”

A pause.

“I see you finally met your sister.”

My heart stopped.

Not because he knew.

Because of the way he said it.

Like he had been waiting.

Like this was all part of his plan.

“Where are you?”

I asked.

Thomas laughed softly.

“Still asking the wrong questions.”

“What do you want?”

Silence.

Then:

“I want my family back.”

My anger exploded.

“Your family?”

I gripped the phone.

“You stole my brother.”

Thomas’s voice remained calm.

“No.”

He corrected me.

“I saved him.”

Daniel went still.

“What?”

Thomas continued.

“You don’t know the truth, Daniel.”

A pause.

“You never did.”

The call became silent.

Then Thomas said:

“Come see me.”

Nobody spoke.

“Bring Evelyn.”

My blood turned cold.

“Why?”

Thomas answered:

“Because she deserves to know why I chose her.”

The line went dead.

I stared at the phone.

Daniel looked at me.

My mother began crying.

And for the first time…

I wondered if the man I called my father all my life…

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Had been waiting for this moment.

END OF CHAPTER 9