Chapter 7: The Daughter Who Came Back from the Dead
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Victoria stood beneath the dim underground lights, staring at the gun lying beside her wedding dress.
Margaret was crying.
Eleanor had both hands pressed against her chest.
And I was trying to understand how the woman who had raised me, loved me, and taught me to ride a bicycle had actually been my grandmother.
Grace Carter had been my grandmother.
My mother was Elizabeth Hayes.
A woman whose photograph I had just discovered in a thirty-year-old file.
I looked at Margaret.
"Where is she?""
Margaret shook her head.
"I don't know.""
"You said she disappeared.""
"She did.""
"Then how does Victoria know she's alive?""
Nobody answered.
I turned toward the bride.
"Tell me what you did to my mother.""
Victoria looked at me for a long moment.
Then she laughed.
"You still don't understand, do you?""
"Understand what?""
"Elizabeth wasn't supposed to exist.""
Nathaniel stepped forward.
"Shut your mouth.""
Victoria ignored him.
"Your father had four children. Four possible heirs. Four different women who believed they had some claim to his affection. And all he ever wanted was control.""
She glanced at Eleanor.
"Your mother-in-law never understood that. She thought being married to Richard made her special.""
Eleanor's voice trembled.
"I loved him.""
"That's what made you pathetic.""
Nathaniel moved toward her.
Marcus caught his shoulder.
"Sir, let me handle this.""
Victoria continued.
"My mother spent her entire life waiting for Richard to choose her. She gave him everything. And when he died, she discovered that he had arranged for his fortune to go to children he barely knew.""
I looked at her.
"So you murdered him?""
Victoria's eyes narrowed.
"Richard died of a heart attack.""
"That's what the death certificate says.""
"Because that's what happened.""
I pointed to the letter.
"Then why would Elizabeth be able to prove otherwise?""
Victoria said nothing.
Thomas suddenly spoke.
"Because she was there.""
Everyone turned toward him.
Victoria's expression changed.
"Thomas.""
He looked exhausted.
"I can't keep doing this.""
Victoria stepped toward him.
"Don't.""
Thomas ignored her.
"Elizabeth was working as a nurse at the estate when Richard died. She had discovered that Victoria was secretly transferring money from several family accounts.""
Nathaniel frowned.
"How much?""
"Nearly forty million dollars.""
Victoria laughed.
"That's a lie.""
Thomas continued.
"Elizabeth confronted Richard. He told her he would report the theft. That night, she found him unconscious in his study.""
I looked at Victoria.
"What did she see?""
Thomas swallowed.
"Victoria was standing over him with an empty medication bottle.""
The room went silent.
Nathaniel stared at his former bride.
"Did you poison my father?""
Victoria's jaw tightened.
"He was an old man with a bad heart.""
"That isn't an answer.""
"He was going to destroy my mother!""
"So you killed him?""
Victoria looked at Nathaniel.
"Your father was going to take everything away from me. The company. The house.
The money. Everything my mother had sacrificed her life for.""
Nathaniel shook his head.
"You were already wealthy.""
"Not wealthy enough.""
She looked at me.
"And then Elizabeth appeared with evidence that could put me in prison.""
I felt sick.
"What happened to her?""
Thomas lowered his eyes.
"Victoria had her arrested on fabricated charges. But Elizabeth escaped before the police arrived.""
Margaret grabbed the edge of the desk.
"Where did she go?""
Thomas shook his head.
"Nobody knew.""
Victoria suddenly smiled.
"Except one person.""
She looked directly at Eleanor.
Eleanor went pale.
"Don't.""
Nathaniel turned.
"Mother?""
Victoria laughed.
"Your mother helped Elizabeth disappear.""
Eleanor closed her eyes.
"I did what I had to do.""
Nathaniel stared at her.
"Where is she?""
"I promised I would never tell.""
"Mother, please.""
Eleanor looked at me.
Then she whispered a name.
"St. Agnes.""
Margaret gasped.
"The old children's hospital?""
Eleanor nodded.
"Elizabeth was injured when she escaped. I arranged for her to receive treatment under a different name.""
I felt my pulse quicken.
"Is she still there?""
"No. She recovered and left. But she promised to contact me when it was safe.""
Nathaniel immediately pulled out his phone.
"Marcus, get the car.""
Marcus nodded.
But before he could move, Victoria stepped forward.
"You're not going anywhere.""
Nathaniel looked at the pistol on the floor.
"You have no weapon.""
Victoria smiled.
Then she reached into the folds of her wedding dress and pulled out a small remote control.
Marcus immediately raised his weapon.
"Drop it!""
Victoria pressed the button.
A loud metallic bang sounded somewhere above us.
Then another.
The lights flickered.
A red warning signal appeared on the underground control panel.
Marcus looked at the ceiling.
"What did you do?""
Victoria smiled.
"Your father's old security system. It was designed to protect the estate from intruders.""
Nathaniel stared at her.
"You activated the lockdown?""
"Every door in this building is now sealed.""
Thomas looked horrified.
"Victoria, you said nobody would get hurt.""
She turned toward him.
"Nobody will. If everyone cooperates.""
Then she looked at me.
"Rose, I want the photograph.""
I tightened my grip on it.
"Why?""
"Because Elizabeth left something behind. Something your grandmother has kept for years.""
Margaret shook her head.
"I don't have it.""
Victoria stepped closer.
"Don't lie to me.""
"I swear.""
Victoria's expression became cold.
"Then perhaps you need a reminder of what happens when people refuse to cooperate.""
She grabbed Margaret's handbag and emptied it onto the desk.
A lipstick, a wallet, a small notebook, and a folded photograph fell out.
Victoria picked up the photograph.
Her face changed.
It showed a young woman standing beside Richard Callaway.
On the back was a handwritten message.
For Elizabeth. The truth is in the red room.
Victoria looked at Margaret.
"Where is the red room?""
Margaret shook her head.
"I don't know.""
Victoria slapped her.
The sound echoed through the chamber.
I lunged forward.
Nathaniel caught my arm.
"Rose, wait.""
Victoria pointed at me.
"Give me the photograph.""
I refused.
She took a step closer.
Then Thomas moved between us.
"Enough, Victoria.""
She stared at him.
"Get out of my way.""
"No.""
"You work for me.""
"I worked for Richard.""
"And he is dead!""
Thomas looked at the photograph.
"Yes. And I've spent ten years wishing I had done something to stop you.""
Victoria's hand trembled.
Then she reached down and picked up the gun.
Marcus raised his weapon.
"Drop it!""
But Thomas suddenly lunged.
The gun fired.
The bullet struck the stone wall.
Thomas collapsed.
Margaret screamed.
Nathaniel pulled me behind the desk.
Marcus rushed forward and kicked the gun away.
"Everyone stay down!""
I crawled toward Thomas.
Blood was spreading across his shirt.
"Thomas?""
He looked at me.
"Listen.""
His breathing was shallow.
"Your mother... Elizabeth...""
"Where is she?""
He struggled to reach into his jacket.
He pulled out a small silver key.
"Red room.""
I took it.
"Where?""
Thomas gripped my wrist.
"Not the estate. The hospital.""
His eyes moved toward Margaret.
"She knows.""
Then he looked at me again.
"Your grandmother didn't just save you.""
He swallowed.
"She saved the fourth child too.""
His hand went limp.
Marcus immediately called for medical assistance.
I sat frozen, clutching the key.
The fourth child.
Another sister.
Another secret.
And somewhere above us, the estate's emergency alarms began screaming.
Nathaniel looked at the locked staircase.
"We need to get out.""
Margaret wiped her face.
"I know another way.""
She pointed toward a narrow door behind the filing cabinets.
"Richard built a passage connecting this room to the old greenhouse.""
Nathaniel helped her stand.
"Then let's move.""
As we hurried toward the passage, Victoria remained beside the desk.
Marcus ordered two guards to restrain her.
But she didn't resist.
Instead, she looked at me and smiled.
"Go ahead, Rose.""
I stopped.
"What?""
Victoria tilted her head.
"Find Elizabeth.""
Then she whispered:
"Ask her why she left you with Grace.""
My stomach tightened.
"She didn't know me.""
Victoria's smile widened.
"Are you sure?""
The guards pulled her away.
And as I followed Nathaniel into the passage, I realized the most painful possibility of all.
Perhaps my mother hadn't been missing for thirty years.
May you like
Perhaps she had known exactly where I was.
And had chosen never to come back.
