Chapter 8 — The Sister Who Wanted Everything
Chapter 8 — The Sister Who Wanted Everything
For three seconds, Maren heard nothing.
Not the ventilation system.
Not the faint electrical hum beneath the floor.
Not even the frantic breathing of the people surrounding her.
Only one sentence remained in her mind.
Reed isn't your brother. He's my son.
Adrian Whitaker stood behind the glass partition with a gun pressed against Reed's temple.
Reed's face was bruised.
His shirt was torn.
But his eyes were fixed on Maren.
And there was something in them that terrified her more than the weapon.
Regret.
"Adrian," Marcus said quietly.
His brother smiled.
"You always did have a dramatic voice."
"Put the gun down."
"No."
"You don't understand what you're doing."
"I understand perfectly."
Adrian looked at Maren.
"She deserves to know."
Maren's voice was barely audible.
"Know what?"
Adrian smiled.
"That your entire life was built on a lie."
Celeste stood beside the wall, trembling.
She looked at Adrian.
Then at Reed.
Then at Maren.
And for the first time, Maren realized something.
Celeste wasn't surprised.
"You knew," Maren whispered.
Celeste closed her eyes.
"Yes."
The word landed like a blade.
Maren stared at her sister.
"You knew Reed wasn't Gabriel."
Celeste's lips trembled.
"I knew there was another child."
"That's not what I asked."
"I knew Reed wasn't who he claimed to be."
"And you still married him?"
Celeste flinched.
"I didn't marry him."
"You slept with my husband."
"I know."
"You helped him destroy me."
"I know."
"You knew my brother might still be alive."
"I knew."
Maren's voice hardened.
"And you never told me."
Celeste looked at her.
"Because I wanted what you had."
Silence.
There it was.
The truth neither of them could hide anymore.
No manipulation.
No excuses.
No carefully constructed story.
Just jealousy.
Raw and ugly.
"I wanted the house," Celeste whispered.
"The company."
"The money."
"The name."
She wiped her tears.
"And I wanted Reed."
Maren stared at her.
"Why?"
"Because he looked at me the way nobody ever looked at me."
Maren almost laughed.
"He used you."
"I know."
"He never loved you."
"I know."
"He was using you to get to me."
Celeste nodded.
"I know that now."
Maren shook her head.
"No."
Celeste looked up.
"You knew."
Celeste didn't answer.
Maren rolled closer.
"You knew when you stood beside him."
"You knew when you wore my robe."
"You knew when you helped him poison me."
"You knew when you watched me choke."
Celeste began sobbing.
"I was afraid."
Maren's expression became empty.
"So was I."
Adrian suddenly pulled Reed backward.
"Enough."
Everyone turned toward him.
"You're all wasting time."
Maren looked at Reed.
"Who are you?"
Reed stared back.
"I don't know."
"What?"
"I don't know anymore."
Adrian laughed.
"That's the problem with stolen identities."
Reed's jaw tightened.
"You told me I was your son."
"I told you what you needed to hear."
"You said my mother died giving birth to me."
"She did."
"You said the Whitakers killed my father."
"They did."
Marcus shouted:
"That's a lie!"
Adrian turned toward him.
"You abandoned us."
"I was trying to save the family."
"You were trying to save yourself."
Marcus stepped forward.
"You stole my brother's child."
Adrian's smile disappeared.
"You think this is about you?"
"No."
Adrian looked at Maren.
"It's about her."
Maren's stomach tightened.
"Why?"
"Because your grandfather left everything to you."
Marcus shook his head.
"Not everything."
Adrian smiled.
"That's what you think."
He pulled a document from his coat.
Maren stared at it.
"What's that?"
"The original trust."
Marcus's face changed.
"Where did you get that?"
"From the man who wrote it."
Maren looked at him.
"My grandfather?"
Adrian nodded.
"He gave it to me."
Marcus went pale.
"That's impossible."
"Is it?"
Adrian held the document up.
"Your father knew you would betray the family."
Maren looked at Marcus.
Her father said nothing.
Adrian continued.
"He knew you would eventually choose power over blood."
Marcus's voice cracked.
"I never—"
"You did."
Adrian looked at Maren.
"And that's why the inheritance was never really yours."
Maren's hands were cold.
"What does it say?"
Adrian smiled.
"Read it."
The document was passed through the security opening.
Maren took it.
The first page was old.
The ink had faded.
But the signature was unmistakable.
Her grandfather.
She read slowly.
Then stopped.
"No."
Marcus looked at her.
"What?"
Maren couldn't speak.
Adrian laughed.
"Tell him."
Maren looked up.
"The trust doesn't belong to me."
Marcus's face went pale.
"Then who?"
Maren swallowed.
"Celeste."
Everyone froze.
Celeste stared at her.
"What?"
Adrian smiled.
"Exactly."
Celeste's mouth opened.
"No."
Maren continued reading.
"Upon the death of the first heir..."
She stopped.
Her voice trembled.
"...the secondary heir shall assume controlling authority."
Celeste whispered:
"But you're alive."
Maren looked at her.
"That's the problem."
Adrian nodded.
"The trust was designed to activate if Maren was legally declared incapacitated."
Celeste slowly understood.
"Her accident."
Adrian smiled.
"Her disability."
"The wheelchair."
"The medical evaluations."
"The insurance claims."
"The guardianship petition."
Celeste looked horrified.
"You planned to declare her incompetent."
Adrian nodded.
"And then you would control the estate."
Celeste turned toward Reed.
"Is that why you married her?"
Reed didn't answer.
Maren looked at him.
"Was it?"
He lowered his eyes.
"At first."
Her heart broke.
"And later?"
He looked at her.
"I couldn't do it."
Adrian laughed.
"Don't pretend you're noble."
Reed's voice became bitter.
"I tried."
"You failed."
"I fell in love with her."
Adrian's expression hardened.
"That was your weakness."
Maren stared at Reed.
He looked at her with tears in his eyes.
"I'm sorry."
She whispered:
"You should have told me."
"I was afraid."
"Of what?"
"Of losing you."
"You lost me anyway."
He looked down.
"I know."
Celeste suddenly stepped forward.
"You promised me the estate."
Adrian turned.
"I promised you an opportunity."
"You said I would own everything."
"You misunderstood."
Celeste's expression changed.
"You lied to me."
Adrian laughed.
"Of course I lied."
Celeste stared at him.
"I helped you."
"You were useful."
"I betrayed my sister."
"Yes."
"I destroyed her marriage."
"Yes."
"I helped you get inside this family."
"And now you're finished."
Celeste looked toward Maren.
Something broke inside her.
For years, Maren had been the person she envied.
The woman who had everything.
The woman who was admired.
The woman who never seemed to need anyone.
Celeste had spent half her life trying to become her.
And now she finally understood.
She hadn't wanted Maren's life.
She had wanted to erase it.
Celeste turned toward Adrian.
"You used me."
"Yes."
"You never intended to give me anything."
"No."
She looked at the gun.
Then at Maren.
Then at Reed.
And something changed in her face.
Maren saw it immediately.
"Celeste."
Her sister looked at her.
"I'm sorry."
Maren shook her head.
"Don't."
"I'm serious."
"Don't make another mistake."
Celeste looked toward Adrian.
Then suddenly lunged.
She grabbed his wrist.
The gun fired.
The bullet struck the wall.
Reed ducked.
Marcus rushed forward.
Security officers surged into the room.
Adrian struck Celeste across the face.
She fell.
Marcus tackled him.
The gun skidded across the floor.
Maren shouted:
"REED!"
Reed ran.
Not toward the exit.
Toward Celeste.
He dropped beside her.
"Are you hurt?"
She stared at him.
"You came for me."
"You saved me."
"I destroyed your wife."
Reed looked at Maren.
Then back at Celeste.
"I know."
Celeste began crying.
"I don't deserve forgiveness."
"No."
Reed's voice was quiet.
"You don't."
The struggle ended seconds later.
Adrian was handcuffed.
Marcus stood over him.
"You killed my father."
Adrian smiled.
"Your father died naturally."
Marcus stared.
"Then why did you hide the body?"
Adrian's smile disappeared.
Maren looked up.
"What body?"
Adrian said nothing.
Marcus turned toward him.
"What did you do?"
Adrian remained silent.
Then the emergency speaker crackled.
A voice came through.
"He's not telling you."
Everyone froze.
Maren recognized it.
Her grandfather.
Impossible.
The recording continued.
"If you're hearing this, the family has finally reached the locked room."
Maren's eyes widened.
A hidden projector activated.
Her grandfather appeared on the wall.
Older.
Weak.
Sitting behind his desk.
"My dear Maren."
She covered her mouth.
"I knew one day you would find this."
The old man's eyes softened.
"I am sorry."
Maren began crying.
"I made mistakes."
The recording continued.
"I trusted the wrong people."
A photograph appeared.
Her father.
Adrian.
Evelyn.
Celeste.
And Reed.
"Every one of them has lied to you."
Maren looked at the others.
"But not all for the same reason."
Her grandfather paused.
"Your sister wanted my fortune."
Celeste lowered her head.
"Your uncle wanted control."
Adrian stared at the screen.
"Your mother wanted to protect you."
Evelyn began crying.
"And your husband..."
The image changed.
Reed.
"...wanted to discover who he truly was."
Reed stared at the screen.
His grandfather's voice softened.
"His name is not Gabriel."
Maren froze.
Reed looked up.
"What?"
The recording continued.
"Nor is he Richard Mercer's son."
Adrian went pale.
"Then who is he?" Marcus whispered.
The old man smiled sadly.
"He is the child I hid from all of you."
Maren's heart stopped.
Her grandfather continued:
"Because the boy who disappeared twenty-seven years ago was not my grandson."
Silence.
"Reed was never Gabriel."
Maren stared at him.
"Then who was?"
The recording changed.
A photograph appeared.
A baby.
Another baby beside him.
Two bracelets.
One marked GABRIEL.
The other marked REED.
Maren whispered:
"Twins."
Her grandfather nodded on the screen.
"Two boys."
"Two heirs."
"Two secrets."
The room went silent.
Then he said the words that shattered everything.
"One of them was born to your mother."
"And one was born to Richard's wife."
Maren stared.
Reed looked horrified.
Adrian whispered:
"No."
The recording continued.
"They were switched before sunrise."
Maren looked at Reed.
He looked at her.
Neither could speak.
Her grandfather's final words echoed through the room:
"Your brother is still alive."
The screen went black.
Maren whispered:
"Then where is Gabriel?"
A phone began ringing.
Everyone looked toward the floor.
It was Adrian's phone.
Marcus picked it up.
The caller ID showed no name.
Only a number.
He answered.
Nobody spoke.
Then a man's voice said:
"Stop looking for me."
Marcus froze.
Maren leaned closer.
"Who is this?"
A pause.
Then:
"I've been watching you all night."
Maren's blood turned cold.
"Gabriel?"
The man laughed softly.
"No."
He whispered:
"I'm the man Gabriel became."
The call ended.
At that exact moment, every light in the locked room went out.
And when the emergency lights returned, Celeste was gone.
Only one thing remained on the floor.
Her sister's engagement ring.
Inside it was a tiny folded piece of paper.
Maren opened it.
Four words had been written in black ink:
SHE KNOWS WHERE HE IS.
Maren looked toward her mother.
Evelyn's face went white.
Because she knew exactly who "she" was.
And for the first time that night, she whispered a name Maren had never heard before.
"Isabelle."
Maren frowned.
"Who is Isabelle?"
Evelyn looked toward the darkness beyond the locked room.
"Your sister."
Maren stared.
"I have only one sister."
Evelyn shook her head.
"No."
Her voice broke.
May you like
"You have two."
And somewhere beneath the hospital, a door opened.
