Chapter 6 — The Man Behind the Lie
Chapter 6 — The Man Behind the Lie
The door slammed behind Thomas.
Amelia stared at it.
Daniel stood beside her, breathing heavily.
Eleanor remained frozen in the center of the room.
Nobody spoke.
The words Thomas had left behind seemed impossible.
Daniel isn't my son either.
Amelia finally turned.
“Then who is he?”
Eleanor looked at Daniel.
“I don't know.”
Daniel laughed once.
There was no humor in it.
“My entire life has been built on things nobody bothered to tell me.”
He looked toward Eleanor.
“You weren't my mother.”
Eleanor shook her head.
“I believed I was.”
“Thomas wasn't my father.”
“No.”
“And now you're telling me I don't even know who I am.”
Eleanor's eyes filled with tears.
“I am sorry.”
Daniel looked away.
“I don't want your apology.”
“Then what do you want?”
“The truth.”
Eleanor nodded.
“So do I.”
Upstairs, Lily screamed again.
“Mom!”
Amelia started toward the staircase.
Daniel stopped her.
“Wait.”
“My daughter is up there.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you stopping me?”
“Because we're walking into Thomas's trap.”
Amelia glared at him.
“She's nineteen.”
“She can survive.”
“She is terrified.”
“So are you.”
Amelia's anger faltered.
Daniel looked at her.
“And so am I.”
For a moment, they simply stared at each other.
The strange irony wasn't lost on either of them.
They had entered the wedding believing they were about to become husband and wife.
Now they didn't know whether they were related.
They didn't know who their parents were.
And they were standing inside a house belonging to a man who had apparently manipulated their lives since before either of them could remember.
Amelia whispered:
“What are we?”
Daniel answered:
“I don't know.”
Then he looked toward Eleanor.
“But I intend to find out.”
Eleanor walked toward the dining room.
On the wall hung a portrait of Thomas.
Young.
Confident.
Smiling.
She stared at it.
“I loved him.”
Daniel followed.
“I know.”
“I thought he loved me.”
“He probably did.”
Eleanor looked at him.
“Does that make it worse?”
“Yes.”
She closed her eyes.
“I spent twenty-seven years blaming myself.”
“For what?”
“For losing Rose.”
“You didn't lose her.”
“No.”
Eleanor opened her eyes.
“She was taken from me.”
Daniel nodded.
“And someone made sure you blamed yourself.”
Eleanor stared at Thomas's portrait.
“Who?”
A voice came from behind them.
“Thomas.”
Rebecca entered the room.
She had managed to get inside unnoticed.
Daniel looked surprised.
“How did you get here?”
“I followed you.”
Eleanor stared.
“Why?”
“Because I knew this was coming.”
Rebecca walked toward the portrait.
“Thomas Blackwood wasn't the man behind the lie.”
Eleanor frowned.
“Then who was?”
Rebecca turned.
“His father.”
Silence.
Eleanor stared.
“My father-in-law died thirty years ago.”
“Yes.”
“He couldn't have arranged this.”
“He didn't need to.”
“What do you mean?”
Rebecca looked at Daniel.
“Because the plan began before Thomas inherited anything.”
She sat down.
“Your grandfather, Edward Blackwood, had two fears.”
Eleanor listened.
“Losing the family company.”
“And?”
“Losing control of his descendants.”
Daniel frowned.
“That sounds insane.”
“It was.”
Rebecca continued.
“Edward created a private succession agreement.”
Eleanor whispered:
“The trust.”
“Yes.”
“Rose was named heir.”
“Correct.”
“And Daniel?”
“Daniel wasn't named.”
“Then why was he brought into the family?”
Rebecca looked at him.
“Because Thomas needed a replacement heir.”
Daniel's face hardened.
“For Rose?”
“No.”
Rebecca shook her head.
“For the Blackwood bloodline.”
Eleanor looked confused.
“Explain.”
Rebecca took a breath.
“Edward believed that only a male heir could preserve the family empire.”
“That sounds like him.”
“He wanted Thomas to have a son.”
“He had no son.”
“Exactly.”
Rebecca looked at Daniel.
“So Thomas found one.”
Daniel's face went pale.
“Where?”
“St. Catherine's.”
Eleanor's heart stopped.
“The hospital.”
“Yes.”
Rebecca nodded.
“The same night Rose disappeared.”
Daniel whispered:
“So I was there.”
“Yes.”
“Who was my mother?”
Rebecca didn't answer immediately.
“That is the question Thomas spent twenty-seven years making impossible to answer.”
Daniel stood.
“I need to know.”
Rebecca looked at him.
“You may not like what you find.”
“I don't care.”
“You should.”
“Why?”
“Because your biological mother was not a stranger.”
Daniel stared.
“Who?”
Rebecca whispered:
“Sarah Hart.”
Daniel froze.
“The nurse?”
“Yes.”
“But she was Amelia's…”
“Adoptive mother.”
Daniel stepped backward.
“That means…”
Rebecca nodded.
“Sarah raised Rose.”
“And gave birth to me?”
“No.”
Daniel frowned.
“Then why are you saying she was my mother?”
“Because she became your mother for the same reason she became Rose's protector.”
Daniel stared.
“She took me too.”
The room fell silent.
Rebecca explained.
“When Sarah discovered Thomas planned to erase Rose, she tried to take Rose away.”
“But she found me too?”
“Yes.”
“She couldn't leave you.”
“Why?”
“Because Thomas had no intention of raising you.”
Daniel's expression tightened.
“What was he going to do?”
Rebecca looked at Eleanor.
“He planned to send you to a private boarding institution.”
“Why?”
“To keep you out of the inheritance.”
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“So I wasn't the replacement heir.”
“No.”
“You said he needed a son.”
“He did.”
Rebecca paused.
“He just didn't know which child he could control.”
Eleanor suddenly remembered something.
A woman standing beside Thomas.
A baby wrapped in a blue blanket.
She had seen them briefly after waking from sedation.
She had assumed the child was hers.
But perhaps it wasn't.
Perhaps Thomas had brought Daniel into the room.
Perhaps he had wanted Eleanor to believe the baby was hers.
Eleanor whispered:
“He showed me a child.”
Rebecca nodded.
“Daniel.”
“I thought he was my son.”
“You were sedated.”
“Yes.”
“And Thomas told you that you'd given birth to a boy.”
Eleanor closed her eyes.
“He lied.”
“Yes.”
“Why would I believe him?”
“Because you had just lost Rose.”
Eleanor's eyes opened.
“You mean…”
“He used your grief to make you accept Daniel.”
Daniel looked at Eleanor.
“You loved me because you thought I was the son you had.”
Eleanor shook her head.
“I loved you because you were you.”
Daniel's expression softened.
For the first time, he believed her.
Suddenly, footsteps sounded upstairs.
Amelia turned.
“Lily.”
She ran toward the stairs.
Daniel followed.
Rebecca shouted:
“Wait!”
But Amelia was already halfway up.
They reached the second floor.
A hallway stretched ahead.
Doors lined both sides.
“Lily!”
No answer.
Amelia opened the first door.
Empty.
Second.
Empty.
Third.
Locked.
“Lily!”
A voice came from inside.
“Mom?”
Amelia grabbed the handle.
“Lily!”
“I can't open it.”
Daniel tried the handle.
Locked.
Rebecca reached them.
“Move.”
She pulled a small tool from her pocket.
Within seconds, the lock clicked.
The door opened.
Lily stood inside.
She ran into Amelia's arms.
Amelia held her tightly.
“My baby.”
Lily sobbed.
“I knew you'd come.”
Amelia kissed her hair.
“I'm sorry.”
“You came.”
“Yes.”
“I knew you would.”
Daniel stood behind them.
Lily looked at him.
“Who is he?”
Amelia looked at Daniel.
“I don't know.”
Lily frowned.
“He looks like you.”
Daniel froze.
“What?”
Lily pointed.
“Your eyes.”
Amelia looked at them both.
Green-gray.
Identical.
Her breath caught.
“Daniel.”
He stared at Lily.
Then at Amelia.
Rebecca whispered:
“That's impossible.”
“What?”
“Lily was never supposed to see him.”
“Why?”
Rebecca's face changed.
“Because she knows something.”
Lily looked frightened.
“What?”
Rebecca crouched beside her.
“Lily, what did the man downstairs tell you?”
Lily whispered:
“He said I shouldn't trust Daniel.”
Everyone froze.
Daniel stepped forward.
“Why?”
Lily shook her head.
“He showed me a picture.”
“What picture?”
“Of a baby.”
Daniel's expression changed.
“Who?”
Lily looked at him.
“You.”
Downstairs, Thomas poured himself a drink.
Richard entered.
“You let them find her.”
Thomas nodded.
“It was necessary.”
Richard frowned.
“Why?”
“Because Daniel needed to see her.”
“And Amelia?”
“Amelia needed to see Daniel.”
Richard stared.
“You're still using them.”
Thomas smiled.
“Of course.”
“They could expose everything.”
“They don't know enough.”
“What about Eleanor?”
Thomas looked toward the staircase.
“She knows too much.”
Richard's voice dropped.
“Then why is she still alive?”
Thomas turned.
“Because I need her.”
“For what?”
Thomas smiled.
“The final signature.”
Richard understood.
“The trust.”
“Yes.”
“But Eleanor can't sign.”
“She can.”
“Not legally.”
Thomas took a sip.
“That's why we need Daniel.”
Richard frowned.
“What does he have?”
Thomas looked toward the ceiling.
“His mother's DNA.”
Richard froze.
“You mean…”
Thomas nodded.
“The original Blackwood heir wasn't Rose.”
Richard stared.
“Then who?”
Thomas smiled.
“That is the lie I've been protecting.”
Upstairs, Lily handed Daniel a photograph.
It showed a baby.
A hospital bracelet was visible.
Daniel stared at it.
The name on the bracelet was not Daniel Blackwood.
It read:
Samuel Hart.
His breathing stopped.
“Who is Samuel?”
Rebecca answered quietly.
“Your birth name.”
Daniel looked at Amelia.
“And Hart?”
Rebecca nodded.
“You and Amelia were both registered under the Hart family.”
Amelia stared.
“My mother knew?”
“Yes.”
“She knew he was my brother?”
“No.”
“She raised both of us?”
Rebecca shook her head.
“Not exactly.”
Daniel stared at the photograph.
“What happened?”
Rebecca took a breath.
“Sarah found you and Rose together.”
“Then why were we separated?”
“Because she couldn't protect both of you.”
Daniel looked devastated.
“She chose her.”
“No.”
Rebecca shook her head.
“She chose the child she believed was in greater danger.”
“Rose.”
“Yes.”
“And me?”
“You were taken by Thomas.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
He finally understood.
His entire childhood had been constructed.
His name.
His family.
His inheritance.
Even the woman he called Mother.
Everything had been designed around a lie.
Amelia held Lily's hand.
“We're leaving.”
Daniel nodded.
“Yes.”
They moved toward the staircase.
But when they reached the bottom, Thomas was waiting.
Security surrounded him.
Eleanor stood nearby.
Her hands were bound.
Amelia stopped.
“Mom!”
Eleanor looked at her.
“Don't come closer.”
Thomas smiled.
“Good.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“Let her go.”
Thomas shook his head.
“You still think you have power.”
“I don't.”
Daniel looked at him.
“But you don't have it either.”
Thomas laughed.
“You're bluffing.”
Daniel held up the photograph.
“Samuel Hart.”
Thomas's smile disappeared.
“Where did you get that?”
“From Lily.”
Thomas stared at the girl.
For the first time, fear appeared in his eyes.
Daniel continued.
“You spent twenty-seven years calling me Daniel.”
Thomas said nothing.
“My mother knew me as Samuel.”
Still nothing.
“You forged my identity.”
Thomas stepped forward.
“You have no idea what you're holding.”
Daniel smiled.
“No.”
He looked toward Rebecca.
“But she does.”
Rebecca stepped beside him.
Thomas's expression hardened.
“What did you tell him?”
“The truth.”
Thomas raised his hand.
Security moved.
Then Eleanor shouted:
“Thomas!”
Everyone stopped.
She looked directly at him.
“You want my signature?”
Thomas stared.
“Yes.”
“You want control of the trust?”
“Yes.”
“You want the Blackwood fortune?”
“Yes.”
Eleanor nodded.
“Then I'll give it to you.”
Amelia looked shocked.
“Mom?”
Eleanor smiled faintly.
“But on one condition.”
Thomas frowned.
“What?”
Eleanor looked toward Daniel.
“Let my children walk out.”
Thomas laughed.
“You don't have children.”
Eleanor looked at Amelia.
Then Daniel.
“Yes.”
Her voice was firm.
“I do.”
Thomas stared.
Eleanor continued:
“And for the first time in twenty-seven years…”
She smiled.
“…I know exactly who they are.”
Thomas's expression changed.
Because he finally understood.
Eleanor wasn't surrendering.
May you like
She was buying time.
And somewhere beneath the fear, she had already begun planning how to destroy him.
