Chapter 9 — The Child Celeste Wanted
Chapter 9 — The Child Celeste Wanted
The room behind the nursery had gone silent.
Ethan stood frozen, the DNA report trembling in his hand.
Sophie Brooks.
The child he had raised.
The little girl who called him Daddy.
The little girl whose first steps he had watched.
Whose nightmares he had comforted.
Whose hand he had held on the first day of school.
The report said she wasn't his daughter.
But Ethan couldn't accept it.
“No.”
Daniel stood beside him.
“Ethan—”
“No.”
He tore his eyes from the paper.
“This is wrong.”
Daniel said nothing.
“This is forged.”
“It could be.”
Ethan looked at him.
“You don't sound convinced.”
“Because I've seen what your father was capable of.”
Ethan clenched the report.
“Then we test her ourselves.”
A voice came through the speaker.
Jonathan.
“You can.”
Ethan looked toward the ceiling.
“Who are you?”
“You already know.”
“Show yourself.”
“You'll see me soon.”
“Where is Sophie?”
A pause.
“She's with the person who wanted her most.”
Ethan's blood froze.
“Celeste.”
Jonathan laughed softly.
“Exactly.”
Ethan ran for the door.
Daniel followed.
They found Celeste in the hallway.
She was standing alone.
Her face was pale.
Her hands were trembling.
Ethan immediately confronted her.
“Where is Sophie?”
Celeste looked at him.
“I don't know.”
“Don't lie to me.”
“I swear—”
“Where is my daughter?”
Celeste's eyes filled with tears.
“I never wanted to hurt her.”
“You tried to take her out of the country.”
“I was trying to save her.”
“You put her name on a plane ticket.”
“Yes.”
“You prepared passports.”
“Yes.”
“You arranged everything without telling me.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Celeste looked at Daniel.
Then back at Ethan.
“Because if Sophie stayed here, she would die.”
Ethan froze.
“Who was going to kill her?”
Celeste whispered:
“Your father.”
Ethan shook his head.
“He's dead.”
“No.”
“Stop saying that.”
“He isn't dead.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“You knew?”
Celeste nodded.
“I knew he survived.”
“When?”
“Years ago.”
Ethan stared.
“Then why did you stay with this family?”
Celeste's voice broke.
“Because Emily asked me to.”
Celeste walked toward the old library.
Ethan followed.
She opened a locked cabinet.
Inside were several passports.
One belonged to Sophie.
Another belonged to Celeste.
A third had a different name.
Lydia Carter.
Ethan stared.
“Who is Lydia?”
Celeste whispered:
“Me.”
“You had another identity.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because your father created it for me.”
Ethan's eyes narrowed.
“What were you supposed to do?”
“Disappear.”
“Where?”
“Switzerland.”
“Why?”
Celeste looked down.
“To raise Sophie.”
Ethan stopped breathing.
“You were supposed to raise my daughter?”
Celeste nodded.
“Not as her stepmother.”
“Then as what?”
“As her guardian.”
“Why?”
“Because Emily believed you would eventually be targeted.”
Ethan stared.
“You keep saying Emily believed this. Why?”
“Because she knew something about you.”
“What?”
Celeste's lips trembled.
“She knew your father would eventually come for his heir.”
Ethan frowned.
“Sophie?”
Celeste nodded.
“She was the only child who could legally activate the original trust.”
Ethan looked confused.
“But the second will says Daniel is the heir.”
“That is the amended trust.”
“What does the original say?”
Celeste looked toward the library door.
“The original trust doesn't name Daniel.”
“Then who?”
“Sophie.”
Ethan couldn't speak.
Celeste continued.
“Your father changed the trust after Daniel disappeared.”
“Why?”
“To hide the true beneficiary.”
“Who?”
“Sophie.”
“Why would he name a child who didn't exist yet?”
“He didn't.”
Ethan stared.
Celeste whispered:
“Your mother was pregnant when Daniel disappeared.”
Ethan's face went blank.
“What?”
“Your father knew there would be another generation.”
“So Sophie was planned?”
“No.”
“She was predicted?”
“No.”
Celeste shook her head.
“She was protected.”
Celeste revealed what Emily had discovered.
The Brooks family trust wasn't ordinary.
It contained a hidden clause created nearly forty years earlier.
The original heir would not be the oldest son.
Nor the wealthiest.
Nor the person carrying the Brooks name.
The inheritance would belong to the descendant who could prove direct biological descent from the original founder.
That person was Sophie.
Ethan looked stunned.
“Why her?”
“Because the founder's bloodline continued through your mother's side.”
“So my father couldn't inherit it.”
“Correct.”
“He needed Sophie.”
“Yes.”
“Then why try to take her away?”
“Because he wanted control of the trust.”
Ethan's jaw tightened.
“Then why didn't Celeste just keep her here?”
Celeste looked at him.
“Because your father had people everywhere.”
“In the police?”
“Yes.”
“Courts?”
“Yes.”
“Airports?”
“Yes.”
“Banks?”
“Yes.”
“Then where could Sophie be safe?”
Celeste whispered:
“Nowhere.”
Ethan remembered the night Celeste tried to leave.
The passports.
The tickets.
The packed suitcase.
He had thought she was stealing his daughter.
Now he understood.
She had been trying to hide her.
But one question remained.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
Celeste looked away.
“Because Emily made me promise.”
Ethan's voice became bitter.
“She always chose secrets.”
“She believed secrets kept people alive.”
“They destroyed us.”
Celeste nodded.
“I know.”
Daniel interrupted.
“There is something you haven't told him.”
Celeste froze.
Ethan looked at Daniel.
“What?”
Daniel stared at Celeste.
“Tell him why you were chosen.”
Celeste shook her head.
“No.”
“Tell him.”
“No.”
“Tell him before Jonathan does.”
Ethan's eyes narrowed.
“Chosen for what?”
Celeste began crying.
“Your father didn't choose me because I was trustworthy.”
“Then why?”
“Because I was Sophie’s biological aunt.”
Silence.
Ethan stared.
“What?”
Celeste whispered:
“Emily was my sister.”
Ethan stepped backward.
“No.”
Daniel nodded.
“It’s true.”
Ethan stared at Celeste.
“You're Emily's sister.”
“Yes.”
“You knew her before you met me.”
“Yes.”
“You planned everything with her.”
“Yes.”
“You helped her disappear.”
“Yes.”
“You knew she was alive.”
“Yes.”
“And you raised Sophie because—”
Celeste's voice broke.
“Because Sophie was my sister's child.”
Ethan felt the world tilt.
“Why didn't Emily tell me?”
Celeste shook her head.
“Because she believed your father was watching you.”
“But you were in our home.”
“I was there to protect you.”
Ethan stared at her.
“Then why did you betray us?”
Celeste's face crumpled.
“I didn't.”
“You took Sophie.”
“I was trying to save her.”
“You lied.”
“Yes.”
“You manipulated me.”
“Yes.”
“You watched me mourn Emily.”
“Yes.”
“You knew she was alive.”
Celeste closed her eyes.
“Yes.”
Ethan whispered:
“I don't know whether to hate you or thank you.”
Celeste looked at him.
“You don't have to do either.”
“Then what do you want?”
“Emily.”
Ethan froze.
“She wants to come home.”
A noise came from the hallway.
Everyone turned.
A small object rolled across the floor.
A child's bracelet.
Sophie's.
Ethan picked it up.
His blood ran cold.
On the bracelet was a tiny piece of paper.
He unfolded it.
Three words.
CELESTE WAS RIGHT.
Ethan looked up.
“Where did this come from?”
Daniel looked toward the staircase.
“She left it.”
“Who?”
Daniel didn't answer.
Then Ethan heard footsteps.
Slow.
Careful.
Someone was coming down the stairs.
A woman appeared.
Dark coat.
Wet hair.
Pale face.
Ethan stopped breathing.
The world disappeared.
“Emily?”
She stood there.
Alive.
Tears in her eyes.
She looked at Ethan.
For several seconds neither moved.
Then she whispered:
“I’m sorry.”
Ethan couldn't speak.
She took one step toward him.
“I wanted to come home.”
Ethan's voice broke.
“Then why didn't you?”
“Because I couldn't.”
“You could have called.”
“I did.”
“I never got anything.”
“Because they intercepted everything.”
“You could have sent a message.”
“I did.”
“Who stopped it?”
Emily looked at Celeste.
“Her.”
Ethan's face changed.
Celeste closed her eyes.
“I had no choice.”
Emily continued.
“I asked her to keep you away from me.”
Ethan stared.
“Why?”
Emily looked at him.
“Because Jonathan had found you.”
Ethan's heart stopped.
“He knew everything.”
“What everything?”
Emily's eyes moved toward the secret room.
“The children.”
Ethan tightened his grip on Sophie's bracelet.
“What about them?”
Emily whispered:
“He wasn't after Sophie.”
Ethan stared.
“He was after the other child.”
The baby.
Ethan felt cold.
“Why?”
Emily looked at Celeste.
Then Daniel.
Then Ethan.
“Because the child is the key to the original trust.”
Ethan shook his head.
“But Sophie is the heir.”
Emily nodded.
“She is.”
“Then who is the baby?”
Emily's expression became devastated.
“The baby is the person who can destroy the trust.”
Ethan stared.
“Why?”
“Because he's not biologically yours.”
Ethan looked down.
His hands trembled.
“Then whose son is he?”
Emily didn't answer.
Ethan stepped closer.
“Whose son?”
Emily whispered:
“Jonathan Vale's.”
Silence.
Daniel's face hardened.
Celeste covered her mouth.
Ethan couldn't breathe.
“The dead lawyer?”
Emily nodded.
“He isn't dead.”
“Where is he?”
Emily looked toward the window.
“Watching us.”
The lights suddenly went out.
A gunshot shattered the silence.
Glass exploded across the room.
Emily screamed.
Ethan grabbed her and pulled her to the floor.
Daniel moved toward the window.
“Sniper!”
Another shot.
The wall splintered.
Celeste dragged Ethan behind the desk.
“Stay down!”
Ethan looked at Emily.
She was shaking.
“Where is Sophie?”
Emily grabbed his arm.
“Ethan.”
“Where is she?”
Emily looked into his eyes.
“She's safe.”
“Where?”
“Your father's old estate.”
Ethan stared.
“That's where Jonathan will take her.”
Emily shook her head.
“No.”
“Then who?”
Emily whispered:
“Daniel.”
Ethan looked toward his brother.
Daniel was gone.
The window stood open.
Ethan's heart dropped.
“Daniel?”
No answer.
Emily closed her eyes.
“He took Sophie.”
Ethan stared at her.
“Why?”
Emily whispered:
“Because he finally knows the truth.”
“What truth?”
Emily looked at him.
“That Sophie isn't the only heir.”
Ethan froze.
Emily's voice trembled.
“There are two children.”
“One controls the trust.”
“The other can destroy it.”
Ethan looked toward the darkness outside.
“And Daniel has taken the one who can destroy everything.”
A final gunshot echoed across the mansion.
Then silence.
Ethan stood.
His face had changed.
He was no longer searching for answers.
He was searching for his children.
And somewhere in the darkness—
Daniel was already running.
May you like
With Sophie.
And the secret that could destroy the Brooks empire forever.
