Chapter 12 — The Woman Who Sold the Secret
Chapter 12 — The Woman Who Sold the Secret
The chapel doors slammed shut.
Lily screamed.
Amelia spun around.
“Who’s there?”
No answer.
Only the echo of the doors locking into place.
Samuel moved in front of Lily.
Eleanor grabbed Amelia's hand.
Sarah whispered:
“He found us.”
Marcus looked at the document.
The words remained on the screen.
SUBJECT 31 — LILY HART — STATUS: NOT THE ORIGINAL CHILD.
Amelia stared at Lily.
Her daughter looked terrified.
“What does it mean?”
“I don't know.”
“You're Lily.”
“Yes.”
“Then why does this say you're not?”
Lily began crying.
“I don't know.”
Amelia immediately pulled her into her arms.
“Whatever this says, you're still my daughter.”
A voice came from the darkness.
“Are you certain?”
Everyone froze.
Edward stepped from behind a stone pillar.
He was alone.
No guards.
No weapons.
Just a black coat and the same calm expression.
Samuel stepped forward.
“You followed us.”
Edward smiled.
“I own this place.”
“Not anymore.”
Edward laughed.
“You still don't understand.”
Amelia held the document.
“Then explain it.”
Edward looked at Lily.
“That girl is not your daughter.”
Amelia's voice became cold.
“Don't.”
“Her name isn't Lily.”
“She is my daughter.”
“She was given to you.”
Amelia stared.
“By whom?”
Edward smiled.
“That is the secret someone sold.”
A second figure emerged behind him.
Amelia recognized her immediately.
Victoria.
But Victoria wasn't alone.
She was holding a small envelope.
Amelia looked at her.
“You.”
Victoria's eyes filled with tears.
Edward smiled.
“She sold you the truth.”
Samuel frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Edward looked at Victoria.
“Tell them.”
Victoria lowered her head.
“I made a deal.”
Amelia felt something inside her break.
“With Edward?”
Victoria nodded.
“What did you sell?”
Victoria couldn't meet her eyes.
“The location of the archive.”
Silence.
Samuel stared.
“You betrayed us.”
“I had no choice.”
“You always have a choice.”
Victoria looked at him.
“I know.”
Amelia stepped closer.
“What did he promise you?”
Victoria whispered:
“My son.”
Amelia stopped.
“You have a son?”
“He's twelve.”
“Where is he?”
Edward answered.
“Safe.”
Victoria looked at him.
“You promised.”
“I keep my promises.”
Samuel shook his head.
“You're lying.”
Edward smiled.
“Perhaps.”
Victoria's face went white.
She realized she had been manipulated.
Amelia looked at her.
“You knew about Lily.”
Victoria nodded.
“How long?”
“Since the wedding.”
“You knew she wasn't my biological daughter?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because I didn't know the whole story.”
Edward interrupted.
“I did.”
Amelia turned toward him.
“Then tell me.”
Edward smiled.
“The girl you call Lily was switched at birth.”
Amelia stared.
“By whom?”
“Sarah.”
Everyone turned.
Sarah shook her head.
“No.”
Edward continued.
“She took the real child.”
Sarah stepped forward.
“I saved her.”
“You stole her.”
“I protected her.”
“From me?”
“Yes.”
Edward laughed.
“You always believed you were protecting children.”
Sarah's voice hardened.
“And you always believed children belonged to you.”
Amelia looked at Sarah.
“What happened?”
Sarah took a shaky breath.
“Twenty years ago, I received a baby.”
“Lily?”
“Yes.”
“From where?”
“A hospital.”
“Whose baby?”
Sarah looked at her.
“Yours.”
Amelia's face went pale.
“What?”
“Lily was born to you.”
Amelia stared.
“That can't be.”
Sarah nodded.
“She was your biological daughter.”
“Then why does the record say she isn't?”
“Because the hospital record was changed.”
“By whom?”
Sarah looked toward Edward.
“Him.”
Edward smiled.
“You're learning.”
Samuel stepped forward.
“Why would Edward change Lily's identity?”
“Because Lily was the first child born after Amelia disappeared.”
Amelia frowned.
“What does that have to do with anything?”
Edward answered:
“Your daughter carried the Hart bloodline.”
“So?”
“She also carried something else.”
“What?”
“The Blackwood marker.”
Marcus froze.
“What marker?”
Edward smiled.
“The genetic combination that would prove the original inheritance claim.”
Amelia stared.
“So Lily could prove I'm the rightful heir.”
“Yes.”
“And that's why he took her.”
“Yes.”
Amelia looked at Lily.
“Where was she?”
Edward smiled.
“Safe.”
“Where?”
“In a house controlled by one of my associates.”
Amelia's voice shook.
“Who?”
Edward looked at Victoria.
“She knows.”
Victoria closed her eyes.
“I knew the location.”
“Tell me.”
Victoria whispered:
“The Hart orphanage.”
Amelia froze.
“There hasn't been a Hart orphanage in years.”
“Exactly.”
Marcus suddenly opened another file.
“Wait.”
He looked at the database.
“There are two Lily Harts.”
Amelia stared.
“What?”
“One registered at birth.”
“And the other?”
“Registered three days later.”
Samuel leaned closer.
“Same mother?”
Marcus shook his head.
“No.”
“Then who?”
He read the name.
“Charlotte Vale.”
Everyone froze.
Amelia frowned.
“Who is Charlotte Vale?”
Edward smiled.
“Another child.”
“How many children did you steal?”
“Enough.”
Amelia looked at Marcus.
“Find her.”
Marcus began searching.
“She's alive.”
“Where?”
He stared at the screen.
“New York.”
“Doing what?”
“Working at a law firm.”
Amelia looked stunned.
“She doesn't know who she is?”
“No.”
“Then she was another subject.”
Edward nodded.
“Subject thirty.”
Victoria stepped forward.
“There is something else.”
Amelia turned.
“What?”
“I didn't sell the archive.”
Edward looked at her.
“What?”
“I sold you.”
Everyone froze.
Edward's expression changed.
Victoria continued:
“I told him you would come here.”
Amelia stared.
“Why?”
“Because I knew he would follow you.”
Samuel frowned.
“Then what was your plan?”
Victoria pulled out a phone.
“I sent the coordinates to the police.”
Edward lunged.
Victoria stepped back.
“Too late.”
Sirens sounded outside.
Edward's face hardened.
“You betrayed me.”
Victoria looked at him.
“No.”
She smiled through her tears.
“I stopped being afraid of you.”
The chapel doors burst open.
Police flooded inside.
Edward attempted to escape through the underground passage.
Samuel followed.
“Don't!”
Amelia shouted.
Samuel stopped.
Edward disappeared into darkness.
Amelia looked at him.
“Let him go.”
Samuel stared.
“Why?”
“Because he's running toward the evidence.”
Marcus understood.
“He'll lead us to the remaining archive.”
Amelia nodded.
“Exactly.”
Edward ran through the tunnel.
He reached a hidden chamber.
Inside were dozens of files.
Photographs.
Passports.
Birth certificates.
He opened a safe.
But before he could retrieve anything, police surrounded him.
“Edward Blackwood!”
He froze.
An officer stepped forward.
“Hands where we can see them.”
Edward slowly raised his hands.
Then he smiled.
“You think this ends with me?”
The officer cuffed him.
“It ends with you.”
Edward laughed.
“No.”
He looked toward the camera hidden in the corner.
“It begins with her.”
Back in the chapel, Amelia examined the files.
One envelope had her name on it.
ROSE — FINAL RECORD
She opened it.
Inside was a photograph of a woman.
Amelia stared.
The woman looked like her.
Same eyes.
Same hair.
Same face.
But older.
Standing beside a child.
Amelia's hands shook.
“Who is she?”
Sarah stepped closer.
Then gasped.
“That isn't possible.”
“What?”
Sarah stared at the photograph.
“That woman is…”
She couldn't finish.
Eleanor looked at her.
“Who?”
Sarah whispered:
“Julian's sister.”
Amelia frowned.
“She died before I was born.”
“No.”
Sarah shook her head.
“She disappeared.”
Samuel looked at the photograph.
“Another missing heir.”
Marcus nodded.
“And if she's alive…”
He paused.
“…she may be the person who knows where the original Lily is.”
Suddenly, Lily grabbed Amelia's arm.
“Mom.”
“What?”
“I remember something.”
Amelia knelt.
“What do you remember?”
“A woman.”
“Who?”
“She used to visit me.”
“Where?”
“The orphanage.”
“What did she look like?”
Lily closed her eyes.
“She had a scar.”
“Where?”
“Here.”
Lily touched her left cheek.
“Did she tell you her name?”
Lily nodded.
“She said…”
“What?”
Lily whispered:
“I'm your real mother.”
Amelia froze.
Sarah covered her mouth.
Eleanor stared.
Samuel looked at Marcus.
“What does that mean?”
Marcus didn't answer.
Because the truth had just become more complicated.
The woman who had sold the secret wasn't Victoria.
Victoria had only sold the location.
The real secret seller had been someone else.
Someone who had spent twenty years hiding the truth.
Someone who knew exactly where the original Lily was.
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And according to the little girl standing beside Amelia…
that woman had claimed to be her mother.
