Chapter 10 — The Witness Nobody Expected
Chapter 10 — The Witness Nobody Expected
The countdown kept moving.
11:58:31
Maren stared at the screen.
Nobody spoke.
The number dropped another second.
Then another.
A threat had never felt so precise.
Eleven hours.
Not days.
Not weeks.
Eleven hours until someone intended to turn her children into leverage.
"Whoever sent this knows we're watching," Marcus said.
Maren turned toward him.
"Then let's stop watching."
Helena closed the laptop.
"We need to get to Beacon Crest."
Marcus nodded.
"Agreed."
Daniel entered the study.
"Cars are ready."
Maren looked at the security team.
"How many people are inside the hospital?"
"Almost three hundred staff members tonight."
"Then anyone could be involved."
Daniel's expression tightened.
"That's what worries me."
Maren looked at the countdown again.
11:57:42
"Then we don't trust anyone."
The convoy left the estate under heavy security.
Maren sat in the back seat beside Marcus.
Helena sat opposite them, clutching the insurance file.
Nobody spoke for several minutes.
Then Maren asked:
"Where is my mother?"
Marcus looked toward the window.
"At the estate."
"Why?"
"Security is protecting her."
"She knows something."
"I know."
"Something about Isabelle."
Marcus nodded.
"You'll have answers soon."
Maren looked at him.
"You've said that before."
"I know."
"And every answer has created three more questions."
Marcus gave a tired smile.
"Welcome to the Whitaker family."
Maren didn't smile.
She looked at her hands.
"I want Reed alive."
Marcus turned toward her.
"Why?"
"Because I need him to tell me the truth."
"And if he can't?"
"Then I'll find another way."
At Beacon Crest, the night security team received the emergency alert.
A red message appeared on every monitor.
LEVEL BLACK — UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS.
Security chief Daniel Cho picked up the phone.
"Lock neonatal administration."
A voice answered.
"Already done."
"Restrict elevators."
"Done."
"Check every camera."
"We're seeing interference."
Daniel frowned.
"From where?"
"Unknown."
"Can you trace it?"
"No."
Daniel looked at the main monitor.
One camera showed an empty corridor.
Then the image flickered.
For less than one second, a woman appeared.
White coat.
Blonde hair.
Then she vanished.
Daniel stared.
"Run that frame again."
The technician replayed it.
There she was.
Isabelle.
Daniel whispered:
"She's inside."
The elevator opened on Level Twelve.
Maren emerged first.
The corridor was empty.
Too empty.
She looked toward the neonatal wing.
"Where are the nurses?"
Helena checked her phone.
"They were ordered to remain in the secure station."
"Then why is the hallway open?"
Nobody answered.
Marcus raised his hand.
The security team stopped.
A sound came from behind the door.
A child's cry.
Maren's heart stopped.
"My babies."
She moved forward.
Marcus grabbed her arm.
"Wait."
"That's my children."
"It could be a recording."
The cry came again.
Maren pulled away.
"Let me go."
Marcus looked at Daniel.
"Check it."
Daniel opened the door.
The NICU was dark.
Only the incubators were illuminated.
No nurses.
No doctors.
No staff.
Maren rolled inside.
"Noah?"
No response.
"Elise?"
The monitors continued blinking.
Everything appeared normal.
Then she saw the incubator.
Noah was there.
Elise was there.
Both alive.
Maren exhaled.
She nearly collapsed from relief.
Then she noticed something.
A third incubator.
Empty.
Maren stared.
"What is that?"
Daniel looked at the monitor.
"That wasn't here before."
Marcus stepped closer.
A label had been placed on it.
BABY WHITAKER.
Maren's blood ran cold.
"Why would someone put that here?"
A voice answered from the darkness.
"Because there should have been three."
Everyone turned.
A nurse stepped out from behind the medication cabinet.
Her hands were raised.
She was crying.
"I didn't hurt them."
Daniel pointed his weapon toward her.
"Identify yourself."
"My name is Nora Bennett."
Maren stared.
She recognized her.
"You were here the night my twins were born."
Nora nodded.
"Yes."
"Then you know what's happening."
"I know more than I should."
"Tell me."
Nora looked toward the cameras.
"They're listening."
Daniel immediately checked the ceiling.
Nora whispered:
"Not those."
She pointed toward the walls.
"There are microphones inside the oxygen panels."
Everyone froze.
Marcus looked at Daniel.
"Can you disable them?"
"Maybe."
Nora shook her head.
"Don't."
"Why?"
"Because they'll know we found them."
Maren moved closer.
"Who are you protecting?"
Nora's eyes filled with tears.
"No one."
"Then why are you afraid?"
Nora swallowed.
"Because I was the one who delivered you."
Maren stared.
"You were my nurse."
"No."
Nora shook her head.
"I was the nurse assigned to your mother twenty-seven years ago."
The room went silent.
Marcus stepped forward.
"You."
Nora looked at him.
"I remember you."
Marcus's face changed.
"You were there."
"Yes."
"Where was my son?"
Nora looked at Maren.
"Which one?"
Maren's heart stopped.
"What do you mean?"
Nora whispered:
"That night, three babies were born."
Nobody moved.
Maren stared at her.
"Three?"
Nora nodded.
"Your mother gave birth to twins."
"Yes."
"And another woman gave birth to a boy."
"Who?"
Nora looked toward Marcus.
"Richard Mercer's wife."
Marcus's face hardened.
"So the third baby was his."
"Yes."
Maren whispered:
"And they were switched."
Nora shook her head.
"Not exactly."
"What happened?"
Nora looked down.
"The babies were switched twice."
Maren's breath caught.
"Twice?"
"The first switch was done by Richard."
"The second?"
Nora's eyes filled with tears.
"By your grandfather."
Marcus stepped backward.
"No."
Nora nodded.
"He discovered what Richard had done."
"And?"
"He changed the records."
"Why?"
"To protect one of the children."
"Which one?"
Nora looked at Maren.
"You."
Maren stared.
"Why me?"
"Because Richard wanted you dead."
"Why?"
"Because your grandfather had named you the primary heir."
Maren looked toward the empty incubator.
"And the third child?"
Nora whispered:
"He was supposed to be the heir."
"Who?"
Nora hesitated.
Then:
"Gabriel."
Maren's heart stopped.
"Where is he?"
Nora looked toward the door.
"I don't know."
"You're lying."
"I'm not."
"You delivered him."
"I did."
"Then you know."
Nora's face crumpled.
"I knew where he was for twenty years."
Maren leaned closer.
"What changed?"
"He came back."
"Where?"
Nora pointed toward the floor.
"Here."
Maren looked down.
"Under the hospital."
A loud bang echoed from the corridor.
Security officers turned.
Daniel shouted:
"Stay here."
He moved toward the door.
Another bang.
Then silence.
Daniel opened it.
No one was there.
A folded piece of paper lay on the floor.
He picked it up.
His expression changed.
"What?"
He handed it to Maren.
She opened it.
THE WITNESS IS LYING.
Maren looked at Nora.
Nora's face went pale.
"Who left this?"
Nora whispered:
"I know."
"Who?"
"Isabelle."
The hospital lights suddenly went out.
Emergency illumination came on.
Nora screamed.
A door slammed somewhere in the NICU.
Daniel shouted:
"Secure the infants!"
Maren moved toward the incubators.
Noah.
Elise.
Still there.
Still breathing.
She touched the glass.
"I'm here."
Then the monitor beside Elise began beeping.
Not an alarm.
A message.
The screen changed.
DNA MATCH FOUND.
Maren stared.
A name appeared.
ISABELLE WHITAKER — 99.98%
Her heart stopped.
"That's impossible."
Marcus looked at the screen.
"She's related."
"To Elise?"
"Yes."
"How?"
Nora whispered:
"Because Isabelle is not your sister."
Maren turned.
"What?"
Nora looked terrified.
"She's your daughter."
Silence.
Maren couldn't understand the words.
"My daughter?"
Nora nodded.
"The DNA sample wasn't from Isabelle."
"Then whose was it?"
"Yours."
Maren stared at the monitor.
"You're saying Isabelle is my daughter?"
"No."
Nora's voice broke.
"I'm saying someone used your daughter's DNA to create Isabelle's identity."
Maren's blood ran cold.
"Why?"
Nora looked toward the dark corridor.
"Because they needed a woman who could legally inherit your estate."
Maren whispered:
"Celeste."
Nora shook her head.
"No."
"Then who?"
Nora closed her eyes.
"The woman you thought was your sister."
Maren stared.
"Isabelle."
Nora nodded.
"She was created."
"Created?"
"New identity."
"Why?"
"To replace someone."
Maren's heart pounded.
"Who?"
Nora looked directly at her.
"You."
A crash came from the hallway.
Daniel rushed outside.
Then shouted:
"STOP!"
Gunshots erupted.
Maren screamed.
The babies' monitors began alarming.
Marcus moved between Maren and the door.
"Stay back!"
Nora grabbed Maren's hand.
"We have to leave."
"No."
"If we stay, they'll take the children."
"I'm not leaving them."
Nora looked at her.
"Then trust me."
Maren hesitated.
The gunfire continued.
Then stopped.
Suddenly, a voice came over the hospital intercom.
Calm.
Female.
"Good evening, Maren."
Maren froze.
Isabelle.
The voice continued.
"You've been asking too many questions."
Maren stared at the ceiling.
"Where is Reed?"
A soft laugh echoed through the speakers.
"Still alive."
"Where?"
"Somewhere you can't reach."
Maren's voice shook.
"What do you want?"
"Your inheritance."
"I'll give you money."
"I don't want money."
"Then what?"
"Your name."
Maren frowned.
"What?"
"I want the Whitaker name."
Maren looked at Marcus.
Isabelle continued:
"Your grandfather built an empire."
"He built hospitals."
"He built universities."
"He built a dynasty."
A pause.
"And tomorrow, that dynasty will belong to me."
Maren shook her head.
"Why?"
The answer came quietly.
"Because you were never supposed to be born."
The speakers went silent.
Maren stared at the incubators.
Noah.
Elise.
Her babies.
The children who had survived everything.
She suddenly noticed something beneath Elise's incubator.
A small black envelope.
She reached for it.
Inside was a photograph.
Maren's mother.
Twenty-seven years younger.
Holding three newborn babies.
Maren stared.
On the back was written:
ONLY ONE OF THEM WAS YOURS.
Her hands began trembling.
Nora saw the photograph.
Her face collapsed.
"No."
Maren looked at her.
"What?"
Nora whispered:
"I thought they destroyed that photograph."
"Who?"
"Your grandfather."
"Why?"
"Because it proves what happened."
Maren turned the photograph over again.
Three babies.
Three bracelets.
Three names.
MAREN.
GABRIEL.
ISABELLE.
Maren's blood ran cold.
"Three heirs."
Nora nodded.
"But only two were supposed to survive."
Maren looked toward the door.
"Who was supposed to die?"
Nora didn't answer.
A shadow appeared behind the glass.
A woman stood in the corridor.
Blonde hair.
White coat.
Silver necklace.
Isabelle.
She slowly raised one hand.
In it was a remote control.
Maren's phone rang.
She answered.
Isabelle smiled through the glass.
"Now you know."
Maren's voice shook.
"Know what?"
"Why your grandfather was so afraid of me."
"What are you?"
Isabelle's smile disappeared.
"The child he tried to erase."
Maren looked at the photograph.
"You're the third baby."
"Yes."
"Then why does your DNA match mine?"
Isabelle's eyes filled with something that looked almost like hatred.
"Because I'm your identical twin."
Maren froze.
"No."
Isabelle touched the glass.
"He lied about everything."
Maren's heart pounded.
"Where is Gabriel?"
Isabelle smiled.
"Closer than you think."
"Where?"
She pointed.
Behind Maren.
Maren turned.
Reed stood in the doorway.
Alive.
Blood on his face.
A gun in his hand.
His eyes fixed on Isabelle.
"She's lying."
Isabelle laughed.
Reed stepped into the NICU.
"She's been lying for twenty-seven years."
Maren stared at him.
"Then tell me the truth."
Reed looked at her.
"I will."
He lowered the gun.
"But first, we have to get your children out."
A sudden explosion shook the floor.
The lights died.
The incubators began screaming.
And when emergency power returned, one incubator was empty.
Elise was gone.
Maren screamed her daughter's name.
"ELISE!"
Reed grabbed her.
"Maren!"
She fought him.
"LET ME GO!"
He held her tighter.
"They took her."
Maren looked toward the dark corridor.
Then she saw a small pink blanket lying on the floor.
And beneath it was a handwritten message.
BRING GABRIEL TO THE OLD CHAPEL.
Maren looked at Reed.
"Who is Gabriel?"
Reed's face went pale.
He whispered:
"Me."
Maren stared.
"But you said—"
"I lied."
He looked toward the empty incubator.
"Because if they knew Gabriel was alive..."
His voice broke.
"They would kill Elise."
Then the hospital alarm sounded again.
And somewhere deep beneath Beacon Crest, a newborn baby's cry echoed through the tunnels.
This time, it wasn't Elise.
It was another child.
May you like
And somebody whispered:
"Welcome home, Gabriel."
