Chapter 9 — Celeste’s Last Lie
Chapter 9 — Celeste’s Last Lie
“Anna.”
The name seemed to remain in the hallway after Lily whispered it.
I stared toward the staircase.
Every instinct I had developed over twenty years of working with security systems told me the same thing.
Someone had entered the house.
Someone had moved through a secured property without triggering the alarm.
Someone had spoken to my daughter.
And someone wanted me to know exactly who she was.
Celeste pulled Lily against her.
“Marcus…”
I raised one hand.
“Stay here.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Find her.”
My uncle stepped beside me.
“No.”
I looked at him.
“No?”
“You don't know who you're walking toward.”
“I know exactly who she claims to be.”
“That's the problem.”
He lowered his voice.
“Anna is dead.”
I stared at him.
“Daniel says she isn't.”
“Daniel is wrong.”
“Then explain the photograph.”
“I can't.”
“Exactly.”
I drew my weapon.
Celeste's face changed.
“Marcus, please.”
I looked at her.
“You've lied to me before.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I know.”
“How many times?”
She didn't answer.
I stepped closer.
“How many?”
She whispered:
“Too many.”
The upstairs hallway was dark.
I moved slowly.
Every door was open except my father's old study.
The study door was closed.
I reached for the handle.
Locked.
I looked at my uncle.
“Who has access?”
“Your father.”
“He's not here.”
“Then someone used his credentials.”
I took out my phone.
The security system showed no breach.
No door had been opened.
No window had been triggered.
No motion sensor had activated.
I stared at the screen.
Impossible.
Unless the person inside had never entered through a monitored entrance.
I looked at the floor.
Dust.
Then I saw it.
A single footprint.
Barely visible.
Leading toward the study.
I followed it.
The door opened.
The room was empty.
But the window was open.
Snow blew across the floor.
I approached it.
A thin wire was attached to the frame.
A climbing line.
Someone had entered from the roof.
I looked down.
The drop was three stories.
Whoever had done this wasn't an ordinary intruder.
Then I noticed something on the desk.
A photograph.
Lily.
Taken less than an hour ago.
She was standing in the hallway downstairs.
Someone had photographed her from behind me.
My blood ran cold.
On the back of the photograph were six words.
YOU STILL TRUST THE WRONG WOMAN.
I knew immediately who they meant.
Celeste.
I returned downstairs.
Celeste was sitting beside Lily.
My uncle was standing near the fireplace.
“Where is she?” Celeste asked.
“Gone.”
“Did you find anything?”
I placed the photograph on the table.
Celeste stared at it.
Her face went white.
“I didn't take that.”
“I know.”
“Marcus…”
“Who is Anna?”
She closed her eyes.
“I don't know.”
“You're lying again.”
“No.”
“You just said you knew nothing.”
“I don't know who she is now.”
“What does that mean?”
Celeste looked at Lily.
“Can we talk privately?”
“No.”
“Please.”
“Not anymore.”
Her voice broke.
“I was trying to protect you.”
“That sentence has been used against me too many times.”
She looked down.
“I know.”
I sat across from her.
“Start at the beginning.”
She took a breath.
“Your grandmother came to me before our marriage.”
I stared.
“How long before?”
“Three months.”
“What did she want?”
“You.”
“Why?”
“She told me you were going to inherit everything.”
“That isn't what she told you.”
Celeste shook her head.
“She said you were going to destroy the family.”
I frowned.
“Destroy it how?”
“By exposing the Trust.”
I leaned forward.
“What did she know about me?”
“Everything.”
She reached into her pocket.
Removed a small folded paper.
“I was given this.”
I opened it.
It was a list.
My movements.
My meetings.
My travel schedule.
My passwords.
My medical information.
Even the names of people I spoke to.
Someone had been monitoring me for years.
“Who gave you this?”
“Your grandmother.”
“Why?”
“She wanted me to stay close to you.”
“To spy on me.”
“Yes.”
I looked at her.
“And Lily?”
Celeste's hands began shaking.
“She told me I would have to carry the child.”
I froze.
“What?”
“She said the child would be mine legally.”
“But not biologically.”
“No.”
“Whose child?”
Celeste looked toward the stairs.
“Anna's.”
My blood ran cold.
“How could Anna have a child three years ago if she died twenty-seven years ago?”
Celeste swallowed.
“She didn't.”
“Then who gave birth to Lily?”
She looked at me.
“I did.”
Silence.
I stared at her.
“You just said Lily was Anna's.”
“I carried her.”
“Then why did Daniel say Anna was her biological mother?”
“I don't know.”
“Celeste.”
“I don't know!”
She began crying.
“I carried Lily.”
I watched her.
“You were pregnant.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because your grandmother threatened to kill you.”
My anger stopped.
“What?”
“She told me if I told you the truth, you'd disappear.”
I stared at her.
“She said Richard would make sure you never came home.”
“And you believed her?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because she showed me photographs.”
“Of what?”
“You.”
I waited.
“You being watched.”
“By whom?”
“Everyone.”
Celeste wiped her eyes.
“Your grandmother had people following you in Australia.”
I felt sick.
“For how long?”
“Years.”
I looked at my uncle.
He wasn't surprised.
“You knew.”
He nodded.
“I knew.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because your father ordered me not to.”
I laughed bitterly.
“Of course.”
Everyone had an excuse.
Everyone had a reason.
And every reason had somehow required me to remain ignorant.
Lily stirred beside Celeste.
She looked at me.
“Daddy?”
I turned toward her.
“Yes?”
“Are you mad at Mommy?”
I looked at Celeste.
Then at Lily.
“No.”
It was a lie.
But it wasn't her lie to carry.
She smiled.
Then asked:
“Is Anna coming back?”
I froze.
“Did she tell you that?”
Lily nodded.
“She said she missed me.”
Celeste covered her mouth.
I looked at my uncle.
“Anna has met Lily.”
“Yes.”
“How?”
He didn't answer.
I stepped toward him.
“How?”
He finally said:
“She has been watching her.”
“For how long?”
“Since birth.”
“Then she isn't trying to hurt her.”
“Not necessarily.”
“What does that mean?”
“She may believe Lily belongs to her.”
I looked at Celeste.
“Does she?”
Celeste shook her head.
“She isn't Lily's mother.”
“But you are.”
Celeste nodded.
“Yes.”
I stared at her.
“Then why did Daniel say Anna was?”
“I don't know.”
I looked at the photograph again.
Anna.
Lily.
The dates.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
At midnight, the house lost power.
Every light went out.
Lily screamed.
I moved instantly.
“Stay with Celeste.”
My uncle drew his weapon.
“Basement.”
We moved through the darkness.
Then a voice came from the speakers.
My father's voice.
“Marcus.”
I froze.
“Dad?”
The voice continued.
“If you're hearing this, Celeste has told you enough.”
I looked at her.
She began shaking.
The recording continued.
“But she has not told you everything.”
Celeste whispered:
“No.”
My father's voice became colder.
“Celeste knows what happened to Anna.”
I turned toward her.
She closed her eyes.
“Tell me.”
She didn't speak.
The recording continued.
“She knows where Anna disappeared.”
“Where?”
“Ask her about the hospital.”
Celeste's face went white.
My father continued.
“Ask her what happened nine months before Lily was born.”
The recording ended.
Emergency lights came on.
I stared at Celeste.
“What hospital?”
She didn't answer.
“What hospital?”
“St. Mary's.”
“Why?”
She began crying.
“Because that's where Lily was born.”
I froze.
“And Anna?”
“She was there.”
“What happened?”
Celeste shook her head.
“I can't.”
“You can.”
“I promised.”
“To whom?”
“Anna.”
I stepped closer.
“You promised a dead woman?”
Celeste looked at me.
“She wasn't dead.”
My heart stopped.
“She was alive?”
“Yes.”
“Then where is she?”
Celeste whispered:
“She gave birth before me.”
I frowned.
“That doesn't make sense.”
“She had a baby.”
“What baby?”
Celeste looked at Lily.
“Another girl.”
I felt the room tilt.
“Another daughter?”
“Yes.”
“Where is she?”
Celeste didn't answer.
“Where?”
“She was taken.”
“By whom?”
“Your grandmother.”
I stared.
“And Lily?”
Celeste's voice broke.
“Lily wasn't the baby your grandmother wanted.”
My blood ran cold.
“Then who was?”
Celeste looked at me.
“The other girl.”
I couldn't speak.
The entire mystery shifted again.
Lily wasn't the center.
She was the decoy.
Someone had spent three years convincing everyone that Lily was the important child.
But another baby had been born.
Another girl.
And my grandmother had taken her.
I looked at Celeste.
“Who is she?”
“I don't know.”
“You're lying.”
“I swear.”
“You know something.”
“I know her name.”
“What?”
Celeste whispered:
“Evelyn.”
My mother's name.
I felt sick.
“My mother?”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“The baby was named Evelyn.”
I stared.
“Why would Anna name her after my mother?”
“She didn't.”
“Who did?”
Celeste looked toward the window.
“Your father.”
I sat down.
Nothing made sense anymore.
My father.
Anna.
Celeste.
My mother.
Two babies.
One Trust.
Twenty-seven years of lies.
I looked at Lily.
She was asleep against the couch.
Completely unaware.
I walked over and gently lifted her.
She rested her head against my shoulder.
I whispered:
“I've got you.”
Then I heard a sound.
A phone ringing.
Not mine.
Celeste's.
She looked at the screen.
Her face changed.
“Who is it?”
She didn't answer.
“Celeste.”
She turned the phone toward me.
Unknown number.
I answered.
A woman's voice spoke.
“Marcus.”
I knew it immediately.
Anna.
“Who are you?”
“You know who I am.”
“Where are you?”
“Closer than you think.”
“What do you want?”
“I want my daughter.”
I looked at Lily.
“You don't have a daughter here.”
A soft laugh.
“Yes, I do.”
“Who?”
The line went silent.
Then she said:
“Not Lily.”
My heart stopped.
“Then who?”
“Evelyn.”
The call ended.
I looked at Celeste.
“What did she mean?”
Celeste was crying.
“She knows.”
“Knows what?”
“The baby survived.”
“What baby?”
“The baby your father told everyone had died.”
I stared at her.
“Where is she?”
Celeste whispered:
“I don't know.”
Then a second phone began ringing.
My uncle's.
He answered.
His face changed instantly.
He handed me the phone.
A video was playing.
A little girl.
About three years old.
Dark hair.
Standing in a room I didn't recognize.
She looked directly into the camera.
Then smiled.
Behind her stood an older woman.
My grandmother.
And beside them...
my father.
Alive.
I stopped breathing.
My father looked into the camera.
“Marcus.”
He paused.
“I need you to forgive me.”
The video ended.
I stared at the screen.
My father was alive.
My grandmother was alive.
And another little girl was alive.
A child named Evelyn.
The child everyone had told me had never existed.
Then my uncle whispered the sentence that made everything worse.
“Marcus…”
I looked at him.
“That isn't your daughter.”
“What?”
He pointed toward the frozen image.
“That little girl…”
His voice broke.
“She is your sister.”
I couldn't breathe.
My entire life had been built around one lie.
I thought I had been searching for my daughter.
But the people who had controlled my family had been hiding something much bigger.
They hadn't just hidden a child.
They had hidden my sister.
And if she was alive...
then my mother had lied about her birth.
My father had lied about her death.
And my grandmother had been protecting her for a reason.
I looked at Celeste.
“What's the reason?”
She shook her head.
“I don't know.”
Then the front door opened.
Everyone turned.
A man walked inside.
Daniel.
Blood covered his shirt.
He closed the door behind him.
Then looked directly at me.
“Marcus.”
“What happened?”
He took a breath.
“Your father has been captured.”
My heart dropped.
“By whom?”
Daniel looked at Celeste.
Then at my uncle.
Then at me.
“By the one person none of you have been willing to suspect.”
“Who?”
Daniel's eyes filled with something I had never seen before.
Fear.
“Your mother.”
I froze.
“My mother is in the hospital.”
Daniel shook his head.
“The woman in that hospital isn't Evelyn.”
He looked toward the window.
“Evelyn disappeared twenty-seven years ago.”
My blood ran cold.
“The woman you've been calling your mother…”
May you like
He swallowed.
“…is Anna.”
