Chapter 4: My Sister's Secret
I read the name again.
Rebecca Hale.
My younger sister.
The woman who had helped raise Ava.
The woman who had sat beside me at Elena's memorial.
The woman who had cried harder than anyone when the authorities declared my wife dead.
I couldn't make sense of it.
Rebecca had been there when Daniel was born.
She had visited Elena at the hospital.
She had held Ava as a newborn.
But why would she sign a false death certificate?
My phone rang.
Rebecca.
I answered immediately.
“Where are you?””
“I'm at the hospital with Ava. What's wrong?””
“Did you sign Daniel's death certificate?””
Silence.
Then a faint breath.
“Marcus...””
“Answer me.””
“Where did you find that?””
I closed my eyes.
“So it's true.””
She began crying.
“Please don't do anything until I explain.””
“Explain what?””
“Not over the phone.””
I looked at the safe.
“Rebecca, you have ten minutes to tell me why your name is on my son's death certificate.””
She didn't answer.
Then she whispered:
“Because Daniel was never supposed to survive.””
My blood ran cold.
“What?””
“Marcus, you need to come back to the hospital.””
“I'm coming.””
I hung up.
Rebecca was standing near the hospital's emergency entrance when I arrived.
She wore the same gray sweater she had been wearing earlier.
Her eyes were red.
Ava was asleep in the waiting room with a nurse.
I stopped in front of my sister.
“Talk.””
Rebecca looked around.
“Not here.””
“I'm done being lied to.””
She took a shaky breath.
“Four years ago, Elena discovered that someone had been changing medical records at the hospital.””
“Vanessa?””
Rebecca nodded.
“She was working with Richard. They had been using private medical facilities to move children between families.””
I stared at her.
“What children?””
“Babies born into wealthy families. Children whose parents had no reason to suspect anything unusual.””
I felt nauseated.
“Why?””
“Money. Inheritance. Custody. Sometimes all three.””
“Where did Daniel fit into this?””
Rebecca lowered her eyes.
“Your family trust had a clause. If something happened to you and Elena, your children would inherit a substantial portion of the estate.””
I shook my head.
“That doesn't explain anything.””
“Daniel was your first male heir. Richard believed that if he could control Daniel's identity, he could eventually gain access to the trust.””
I stared at her.
“By pretending my son died?””
Rebecca nodded.
“They planned to register another child under Daniel's identity. Then they would make sure the real Daniel disappeared.””
I gripped her shoulders.
“Where is my son?””
She began crying.
“I don't know.””
“Don't lie to me!””
“I'm not!””
She pulled away.
“I only signed the document because Vanessa told me Daniel had died. She showed me a medical report. She said Elena was unstable and that you wanted the matter kept private.””
“And you believed her?””
Rebecca looked down.
“I was twenty-six. I was working at the hospital administration office. Richard had threatened to destroy my career.””
I stared at her.
“You were my sister.””
“I know.””
“You knew I was grieving.””
“I know!””
Her voice broke.
“I thought I was protecting you.””
I stepped backward.
“Did you know Elena was alive?””
Rebecca shook her head.
“Not at first.””
“When did you find out?””
“Six months ago.””
My chest tightened.
“What?””
“I received a message from an unknown number. It contained a photograph of Elena.””
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because Vanessa sent another photograph.””
Rebecca pulled out her phone.
Her hands shook as she showed me the screen.
It was a picture of Ava.
Taken inside our house.
My daughter was sitting on the living room sofa.
A message appeared beneath the photograph.
Tell Marcus anything, and Ava disappears.
I felt something inside me turn cold.
“Did Vanessa threaten you?””
“Yes.””
“And you said nothing?””
Rebecca started crying harder.
“I was terrified.””
I looked at the photograph again.
The image had been taken from the hallway.
Someone had been watching my daughter.
For months.
I handed the phone back.
“Where did you get the photograph of Elena?””
Rebecca hesitated.
Then she opened another message.
It contained a short video.
A woman sat in a dark room.
Her face was bruised.
Her hands were tied.
But it was clearly Elena.
I watched the video.
She looked directly into the camera.
“Rebecca, if you're seeing this, tell Marcus I found Daniel. Tell him the boy is alive.””
The video ended.
I stared at my sister.
“Where did this come from?””
“An email. Six months ago.””
“Who sent it?””
“I don't know.””
“Why didn't you tell me?””
Rebecca covered her face.
“Because the next message said Daniel would die if I contacted you.””
I wanted to scream.
Instead, I walked toward the wall and pressed my forehead against the cold surface.
My wife had been alive.
My son had been alive.
And the people closest to me had allowed me to believe otherwise.
I turned back.
“Did you ever meet Richard Cole?””
Rebecca nodded.
“Twice.””
“Where?””
“At the hospital.””
“What did he look like?””
“Tall. Dark hair. A scar near his right ear.””
I remembered the security footage from the night Elena disappeared.
A man had been seen entering the property through the service gate.
I had never identified him.
Rebecca suddenly grabbed my arm.
“Marcus, there's something else.””
I looked at her.
“What?””
“Vanessa didn't choose you randomly.””
I frowned.
“She worked for my company.””
“No. She joined your company because of Daniel.””
I felt the floor shift beneath me.
“What does that mean?””
Rebecca looked toward the hospital entrance.
“Richard told me something once. He said your family had been part of a plan long before Elena became pregnant.””
I stared at her.
“What plan?””
She swallowed.
“He said Daniel wasn't the first Hale child they had targeted.””
A cold silence settled between us.
Then my phone rang.
The hospital.
I answered.
“Mr. Hale?””
A nurse was speaking.
“Your wife is asking for you. She's very distressed.””
“What's wrong?””
“She says someone came into her room.””
I straightened.
“Who?””
The nurse hesitated.
“Your fiancée.””
I froze.
“Vanessa?””
“Yes, sir.””
I looked at Rebecca.
She had gone pale.
The nurse continued.
“Mrs. Hale says Vanessa took something from her bedside table.””
“What did she take?””
A pause.
Then the nurse whispered:
“Your wife's wedding ring.””
I ended the call.
May you like
My wife was in danger.
And Vanessa had just entered the one place I thought she couldn't reach.
