Chapter 5 - ElenaElena was Evelyn's identical twin.
That was the first truth we discovered.
The second was much worse.
She had been declared dead eighteen years earlier.
Nathaniel found her name in an old family medical file.
Elena Reed.
Born seven minutes after Evelyn.
Separated from the family after a childhood accident.
Officially deceased at twenty-four.
But the photograph proved otherwise.
She had been alive.
And she had been near the hospital when Eli was born.
Nathaniel called every investigator he knew.
Within twelve hours, they found an address.
A small house in Vermont.
We drove there before sunrise.
Nathaniel insisted I come.
"I don't want Sophia away from you."
The drive was quiet.
Halfway there, Nathaniel said:
"I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"For bringing you into this."
"You didn't."
"My family's secrets did."
I looked at him.
"Why didn't Evelyn tell you everything?"
He stared through the windshield.
"Because I stopped listening."
"What?"
"Before she died, we fought."
"About Daniel?"
"About everything."
He swallowed.
"I was obsessed with work. My father had left me a company that was collapsing. Evelyn kept telling me someone was watching us."
"You didn't believe her?"
"I thought she was afraid because she was pregnant."
He closed his eyes briefly.
"She told me she wanted to leave."
"What did you say?"
"I told her if she walked out that door, she shouldn't expect me to chase her."
Silence.
"I regret those words every day."
We reached Vermont in the afternoon.
The house was empty.
But there was a note on the door.
I knew you'd come.
Inside, the walls were covered with photographs.
Evelyn.
Nathaniel.
Eli.
Sophia.
Me.
I froze.
"Why are there pictures of me?"
Nathaniel's expression darkened.
"I don't know."
Then we heard a woman's voice.
"You were never supposed to find this house."
We turned.
A woman stood at the top of the stairs.
She looked exactly like Evelyn.
Sophia gasped.
"Lady."
The woman slowly walked down.
Nathaniel couldn't move.
"Elena."
She nodded.
"Hello, Nathaniel."
He stared at her.
"You've been alive all this time."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because your father wanted me dead."
"Why?"
"Because I found out what he did."
Nathaniel stepped forward.
"What did he do?"
Elena looked at Sophia.
"Before I tell you, you need to understand something."
She pointed toward the wall.
"The woman you think was Evelyn wasn't always Evelyn."
Nathaniel frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"After our father's accident, Evelyn disappeared for three months."
"Where?"
"Europe."
"Why?"
"She went looking for me."
Elena's voice trembled.
"She found me."
Nathaniel stared.
"So the woman who came home..."
"Was Evelyn."
"Then why say she wasn't always Evelyn?"
"Because someone had been impersonating her."
Nathaniel went pale.
"When?"
"After she became pregnant."
Elena looked toward Sophia.
"Your daughter was the first person to notice."
My heart stopped.
"What?"
"Children recognize people adults ignore."
She knelt in front of Sophia.
"Sophia, do you remember what the lady told you?"
Sophia nodded.
"She said Daddy wasn't supposed to be alone."
Elena smiled sadly.
"That was Evelyn."
"Then who was the other woman?"
Elena looked at Nathaniel.
"Someone your father hired."
"To impersonate Evelyn?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"To convince you that your wife was unstable."
Nathaniel's face hardened.
"And after Evelyn died?"
"She continued."
"Who?"
Elena didn't answer.
Instead, she handed him a file.
Inside was a photograph of Arthur Vale.
Beside him stood Victoria Hale.
Nathaniel stared.
"Victoria?"
Elena nodded.
"She worked for Arthur."
Nathaniel's expression collapsed.
"She knew."
"She knew everything."
I remembered the white roses.
The ballroom.
The lies.
Then Elena said:
"But Victoria didn't kill Evelyn."
Nathaniel looked up.
"Who did?"
Elena whispered:
"Arthur."
A sound came from upstairs.
A door slammed.
Elena's face changed.
"They found us."
Nathaniel grabbed my arm.
"Get the children."
We ran.
A man appeared at the end of the hallway.
Arthur Vale.
Older.
Elegant.
Smiling.
"Mr. Reed."
Nathaniel stepped between him and the children.
"You killed my wife."
Arthur smiled.
"No."
He looked at Sophia.
"I saved your family."
Then he raised a gun.
Before he could fire, Elena stepped in front of Nathaniel.
May you like
A loud crack filled the house.
Elena fell.
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