PART 5 — TWO CHILDREN, ONE FORBIDDEN TRUTH
For several seconds, I couldn't understand what Evelyn had just said.
A twin.
My daughter had a twin.
I looked through the car window again.
The little girl was still staring at me.
Lily.
My Lily.
She had my eyes.
I knew it instantly.
There was something about the shape of them, the way she tilted her head, the tiny crease between her eyebrows.
I had never held her.
Never heard her cry.
Never kissed her forehead.
Yet somehow, I knew.
A mother knows.
I turned toward Evelyn.
“You said she has a twin.”
Evelyn nodded.
“Where is the other child?”
Her eyes moved toward the hospital.
I followed her gaze.
And my stomach dropped.
Camille was standing at the entrance.
Ethan was in her arms.
His face was wet from crying.
He stared directly at me.
Then he stopped.
His expression changed.
He reached toward me.
Camille looked down at him.
“What is it, sweetheart?”
Ethan stretched his tiny fingers toward me.
I couldn't move.
Camille looked at me.
Then at Ethan.
Then back at me.
Her face slowly drained of color.
“No…”
I stepped closer.
“Camille.”
She backed away.
“No.”
“Let me see him.”
“No!”
Her arms tightened around Ethan.
Reid suddenly moved between us.
“Amelia, stop.”
I stared at him.
“Move.”
“Listen to me.”
“MOVE.”
He didn't.
I pointed toward Ethan.
“Is he my son?”
Reid's face went blank.
I whispered,
“Is Ethan my son?”
Camille looked at Reid.
“Answer her.”
He said nothing.
Camille screamed.
“ANSWER HER!”
Reid finally looked at me.
And whispered:
“Yes.”
Everything inside me stopped.
I didn't hear the cars.
I didn't hear the hospital alarms.
I didn't hear Camille crying.
All I heard was one word.
Yes.
My son.
My baby boy.
Alive.
Standing only a few meters away.
For one year, I had believed I had lost everything.
My husband.
My marriage.
My home.
My career.
My chance to become a mother.
But my children had been alive all along.
And the man I once loved had kept them from me.
I stepped toward Ethan.
Camille immediately backed away.
I stopped.
“Camille…”
She shook her head.
“Don't.”
“Please.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I didn't know.”
“I believe you.”
She looked surprised.
I continued.
“I don't believe you knew the truth.”
Camille's lips trembled.
“But I did something terrible.”
I waited.
She looked down at Ethan.
“I knew about the pregnancy.”
My heart tightened.
“What?”
She wiped her tears.
“Not yours.”
I stared at her.
“What do you mean?”
Camille took a shaky breath.
“Before your divorce was finalized, Reid told me he had found a way to have a child.”
My stomach turned.
“How?”
“He said there had been an embryo.”
My blood went cold.
“An embryo?”
Camille nodded.
“An embryo created during your fertility treatment.”
I looked toward Evelyn.
She closed her eyes.
That was confirmation.
I whispered,
“Reid took my embryos.”
Evelyn finally spoke.
“Yes.”
My knees nearly buckled.
“When?”
“During your final treatment cycle.”
I turned toward Reid.
“You stole them.”
He shook his head.
“It wasn't like that.”
“You stole my embryos!”
“I was protecting our future.”
“Our future?”
I laughed bitterly.
“You divorced me!”
He stepped toward me.
“Because I believed you couldn't carry a pregnancy.”
“And then?”
He didn't answer.
I stared at him.
“You took our embryos.”
His jaw tightened.
“And used them to create my children.”
He looked away.
I could barely breathe.
“Why were they separated?”
Evelyn answered.
“Because the transfer resulted in two viable embryos.”
I stared at her.
“Twins.”
“Yes.”
“Then why didn't I know?”
Evelyn looked at Reid.
“Because Reid ordered the records sealed.”
I turned to him.
“You had no right.”
“I was their father.”
“No.”
My voice was shaking.
“You were their father only in your own mind.”
I pointed toward the car.
“That's my daughter.”
Then I pointed toward Camille.
“And that's my son.”
Reid's expression hardened.
“Biology isn't everything.”
I stared at him.
“You really said that?”
He stepped closer.
“I raised Ethan.”
I laughed.
“For a year.”
“He knows me.”
“He doesn't know me because you made sure he never met me.”
Reid's face tightened.
I stepped forward.
“And Lily?”
Silence.
“Who raised her?”
Nobody answered.
I looked at Evelyn.
“You did?”
She shook her head.
“No.”
“Then who?”
Evelyn looked toward the black sedan.
The driver lowered his window.
I recognized him.
My breath caught.
“Dr. Marcus Vale.”
He stepped out.
Older than I remembered.
Gray hair.
Dark coat.
And the same silver cross hanging around his neck.
The same cross from the photograph of my father.
He walked toward us.
Reid immediately stepped backward.
Marcus looked at him.
“You should have left her alone.”
Reid's voice became cold.
“You don't get to lecture me.”
Marcus ignored him.
He looked at me.
“Amelia.”
I stared at him.
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
“You knew my daughter was alive.”
“Yes.”
“You knew my son was alive.”
“Yes.”
I stepped closer.
“And you knew Reid had taken my embryos.”
Marcus lowered his eyes.
“Yes.”
My voice broke.
“Why?”
He didn't answer immediately.
Then he said:
“Because Reid wasn't the only person who wanted your children.”
A cold sensation moved through me.
“Who else?”
Marcus looked toward the hospital.
“Your father's family.”
I froze.
“My father is dead.”
Marcus looked at me.
“No.”
My heart stopped.
“Reid said he wasn't.”
Marcus nodded.
“Your father is alive.”
Everything became silent.
My entire childhood had been built around one story.
My father died before I was born.
My mother raised me alone.
She never spoke about him.
Never showed me photographs.
Never explained why.
And now two men were telling me the story was a lie.
I turned toward Reid.
“You knew my father was alive.”
“Yes.”
“How long?”
“Since before I met you.”
My stomach twisted.
“You married me knowing this?”
Reid looked away.
Marcus stepped closer.
“Reid didn't marry you by accident.”
I stared at him.
“What does that mean?”
Marcus's voice lowered.
“Your father wanted access to the Halbrook family trust.”
I frowned.
“My father?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Marcus hesitated.
“Because your father wasn't simply a businessman.”
“What was he?”
Marcus looked at Reid.
“Your father was one of the people who built the financial network behind Halbrook Holdings.”
I stared at him.
“That makes no sense.”
“It does if you understand what your father was hiding.”
“What?”
Marcus looked at me.
“Your father wasn't running from your mother.”
He paused.
“He was running from the people who wanted to kill him.”
My breath caught.
“Who?”
Marcus didn't answer.
Instead, he reached inside his coat.
He removed a small envelope.
Then he handed it to me.
My name was written across the front.
AMELIA HART.
My maiden name.
I stared at the handwriting.
I knew it.
My mother used to write like this.
I opened the envelope.
Inside was a photograph.
My mother.
My father.
And two newborn babies.
I stared at the photograph.
There were two babies.
One was Lily.
The other was Ethan.
But the photograph had been taken before Reid and I were even divorced.
Before Camille became pregnant.
Before anyone knew I was pregnant.
I looked at Marcus.
“How?”
He said quietly,
“The photograph was taken the night they were born.”
My fingers trembled.
“That's impossible.”
“No.”
Marcus looked at me.
“Your twins were born eighteen months ago.”
I couldn't breathe.
“Eighteen months?”
He nodded.
I looked at Ethan.
He was one year old.
That didn't match.
I stared at Reid.
“What did you do?”
He didn't answer.
“Why does Marcus say my children were born eighteen months ago?”
Reid's face became pale.
Marcus answered.
“Because Ethan isn't one year old.”
Camille's head snapped up.
“What?”
Marcus continued.
“His birth certificate was falsified.”
Camille stared at Reid.
“Reid?”
He said nothing.
Marcus looked at me.
“Your twins were born prematurely eighteen months ago.”
My heart hammered.
“But Lily is only eleven months.”
“Her official records say eleven months.”
I understood.
The records.
Again.
The records had been altered.
I looked toward Ethan.
“Then how old is he really?”
Marcus answered:
“Eighteen months.”
Camille stared at the baby.
Her entire face changed.
She whispered,
“You've been lying about his age.”
Reid finally snapped.
“Enough!”
Marcus looked at him.
“You're running out of places to hide.”
Reid's eyes became murderous.
“You don't know what you're talking about.”
Marcus smiled sadly.
“I delivered them.”
I froze.
“What?”
Marcus looked at me.
“Both children.”
My breath caught.
“You delivered my babies?”
“Yes.”
“Then you knew who their father was.”
Marcus nodded.
“Reid is not their biological father.”
Silence.
Camille looked at Ethan.
Then at me.
“Then who is?”
Marcus didn't answer.
He looked toward the photograph.
At the man standing behind my mother.
The man wearing the silver cross.
Then he looked at me.
“Your father.”
I stared at him.
“What?”
Marcus whispered:
“The biological father of your twins is not Reid.”
I couldn't understand.
“My father?”
“No.”
He shook his head.
“Not your biological father.”
He pointed toward the man beside my mother.
“Your father's name was Daniel Hart.”
I stared at the photograph.
“Yes.”
“Daniel was your father.”
“Then who is the children's father?”
Marcus took a breath.
“Daniel's identical twin.”
My entire body went cold.
“Your uncle.”
I stared at him.
“My uncle?”
Marcus nodded.
“Ethan and Lily were conceived using genetic material from a man whose identity Reid deliberately concealed.”
I looked at Reid.
“Why?”
He said nothing.
Marcus answered.
“Because that man owns something Reid desperately needs.”
“What?”
Marcus looked at me.
“Control of Halbrook Holdings.”
Reid suddenly pulled a gun from inside his jacket.
Everyone froze.
Camille screamed.
Evelyn stepped backward.
Marcus raised his hands.
Reid's eyes were fixed on me.
“Give me the photograph.”
I stared at the weapon.
Then at him.
“No.”
“Amelia.”
“No.”
His hand trembled.
“You don't understand what happens if that photograph gets out.”
I held it against my chest.
“Tell me.”
He stared at me.
“Your father isn't hiding from the family.”
My blood ran cold.
“He's hiding from you.”
I whispered,
“Why?”
Reid's voice dropped.
“Because he knows what you inherited.”
I frowned.
“What did I inherit?”
Reid's eyes moved toward the photograph.
“Not money.”
“Then what?”
His expression changed.
“You inherited the controlling shares.”
I froze.
“Of what?”
He stared directly at me.
“Halbrook Holdings.”
My heart stopped.
“That isn't possible.”
“It is.”
Marcus suddenly shouted:
“Amelia, get down!”
A gunshot exploded through the parking garage.
I dropped to the ground.
Glass shattered behind me.
Camille screamed.
Ethan began crying.
And when I looked up...
Reid was no longer holding the gun.
Someone had shot it from his hand.
A second figure stepped out from behind the parked cars.
An older man.
Gray hair.
Dark coat.
And a face I had spent my entire life believing was buried six feet underground.
My breath stopped.
The man looked directly at me.
His eyes filled with tears.
Then he whispered:
“Amelia.”
I couldn't move.
He took one step forward.
“My daughter.”
I stared at him.
The world disappeared.
Because the dead man I had mourned since childhood...
was standing ten feet away.
Alive.
And behind him stood another man who looked almost exactly like him.
His identical twin.
The man Marcus had just claimed was the biological father of my children.
Then my father said the sentence that changed everything:
“Reid didn't steal your children because he wanted an heir.”
He looked at Reid.
“He stole them because he knew what their blood could prove.”
My heart pounded.
“What can their blood prove?”
My father looked at Lily.
Then Ethan.
And his voice dropped to a whisper.
“That the Halbrook family has been built on a lie for three generations.”
