Chapter 8: Renee's Hidden Sister
Darius remained silent for nearly a minute.
“James, say that again.””
“Brittany and Renee share the same biological mother.””
“But Renee was an only child.””
“That's what her public family records indicate.””
Darius looked at the photograph of Renee on his desk.
She was smiling, holding baby Kayla.
He had known his wife for eleven years.
They had shared a home, a marriage, countless ordinary mornings, and the experience of raising their daughter.
Yet apparently, there was an entire part of her history he had never known.
“Who was Renee's mother?”” he asked.
“Margaret Ellis. She died before you met Renee.””
“And Brittany?””
“Her birth certificate lists Margaret Ellis as her mother.””
Darius sat down.
“Why would Renee hide a sister?””
James answered carefully.
“We don't know yet. But I found an old family court record involving Margaret Ellis and an infant placed for adoption.””
“An infant?””
“Yes. The child was born twenty-nine years ago.””
Darius looked at the date.
Renee had been twenty-two.
Brittany was twenty-nine.
The ages matched.
“Was the child Brittany?””
“Possibly. I'm requesting the original adoption records.””
Darius rubbed his forehead.
“Why would Renee never tell me?””
James paused.
“Perhaps she believed the circumstances surrounding the adoption were painful.””
Darius thought about the letter.
The video.
The hospital records.
Renee had left clues, but not explanations.
She had known something was coming.
And she had tried to protect Kayla from it.
“James, I want the complete family history.””
“I'll obtain everything legally available.””
“Also, I want to know why Brittany was investigating the trust.””
“I haven't forgotten.””
Darius ended the call.
Marcus entered the office.
“Any news?””
Darius explained the DNA results.
Marcus lowered himself into a chair.
“So Brittany is Renee's sister?””
“Apparently.””
“Half-sister?””
“Same biological mother. We don't know about the father.””
Marcus looked troubled.
“That explains why Renee recognized her.””
Darius frowned.
“What?””
Marcus hesitated.
“Seven years ago, at that charity dinner. Renee mentioned seeing a familiar face.””
Darius stared at him.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“I didn't think it mattered.””
“What did she say?””
Marcus rubbed his chin.
“She told me a woman had approached her and introduced herself as Margaret's daughter.””
Darius's chest tightened.
“Brittany?””
Marcus nodded.
“She said the woman claimed to be her sister.””
Darius stood.
“And Renee said nothing to me?””
“She asked me to leave it alone. She seemed shaken.””
Darius looked toward the window.
“Why would she keep that secret?””
Marcus had no answer.
That evening, Darius visited the family cemetery.
Renee's grave was surrounded by fresh flowers.
He knelt beside the headstone.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
The wind moved gently through the trees.
He placed the hospital photograph beside the flowers.
“I thought I knew everything about you.””
His voice broke.
“But I didn't.””
He remembered Renee's laughter.
The way she sang while brushing Kayla's hair.
The way she held his hand during difficult nights.
And the way she had looked at him when the doctors first explained her illness.
She had known she might not survive.
Perhaps she had decided that some truths would only hurt the people she loved.
His phone vibrated.
James had sent an attachment.
It was an old adoption record.
Darius opened it.
The document identified a female infant born to Margaret Ellis.
The father's name was blank.
The child had been placed with an adoptive family three weeks after birth.
The adoptive parents were listed as William and Patricia Collins.
Brittany's adoptive surname.
Darius stared at the document.
A second attachment arrived.
It was a handwritten note from Margaret Ellis.
I hope one day my daughters can understand why I made this decision.
Darius looked at the date.
The note had been written twenty-nine years earlier.
Then another message arrived from James.
*There is a second adoption record. It concerns a different child.*
Darius opened it.
The second record was dated three years later.
A male infant had been placed with another family.
The mother's name was Margaret Ellis.
But the father was listed as unknown.
Darius stared at the screen.
Renee had a brother too?
He immediately called James.
“What's the second child's name?””
James hesitated.
“Adrian Collins.””
Darius felt the blood drain from his face.
“Brittany and Adrian were both adopted?””
“Yes. The records indicate they were biological siblings.””
“Then why did Adrian use Collins?””
“Same adoptive family.””
Darius slowly lowered his phone.
Brittany and Adrian were not merely siblings by adoption.
They were both children Margaret had given up.
And Renee had known.
The following morning, Darius received a call from a private investigator James had hired.
The investigator had reviewed the adoption records, hospital logs, and financial inquiries.
“Mr. Mitchell, I found something concerning.””
“What?””
“Adrian Collins has been using several identities in financial transactions.””
Darius frowned.
“Explain.””
“He established two consulting companies under different names. Both received payments from accounts associated with Brittany.””
“Why?””
“I'm still tracing the transactions. But one company transferred money to a medical records contractor six years ago.””
Darius remembered the hospital incident.
“The same contractor who accessed Renee's records?””
“Yes.””
Darius felt his stomach tighten.
“Can you prove Brittany knew?””
“We have emails indicating she communicated with the contractor.””
“Send them to James.””
“I already have.””
The investigator paused.
“There's another matter.””
“What?””
“Adrian has been contacting a woman named Patricia Collins.””
Darius frowned.
“Who is she?””
“His adoptive mother.””
“Why is that relevant?””
“She recently received a package from Brittany. The package contained several old photographs and a letter.””
“Do you know what the letter said?””
“Not yet. But Patricia has agreed to speak with us.””
Darius ended the call.
He immediately contacted James.
“Arrange a meeting with Patricia Collins.””
“Already working on it.””
“Today.””
Patricia Collins lived in a quiet neighborhood outside Atlanta.
She was in her late seventies, with carefully styled white hair and a warm but tired expression.
When Darius and James arrived, she invited them into a small sitting room.
Photographs covered the walls.
There were pictures of Brittany and Adrian as children.
A family portrait.
A graduation photograph.
And one picture of Renee.
Darius stopped.
“Where did you get that?””
Patricia followed his gaze.
“Brittany brought it to me years ago.””
“Why?””
Patricia looked down.
“Because she wanted to know about her birth mother.””
James sat beside Darius.
“Mrs. Collins, we're investigating events surrounding the birth of Kayla Mitchell.””
Patricia's expression changed.
“Poor little girl.””
Darius leaned forward.
“Did you know Brittany had a connection to my wife?””
Patricia nodded slowly.
“I knew they were biological sisters.””
“Did Renee know?””
“Yes.””
“Then why did nobody tell me?””
Patricia looked toward the photograph.
“Because the two girls had a terrible history.””
Darius waited.
“Margaret Ellis was very young when she gave birth to Brittany. She couldn't raise her, so she arranged an adoption. Three years later, she had Adrian and placed him with the same family.””
“Why?””
“She was struggling. Her circumstances were difficult.””
Patricia folded her hands.
“Renee was born later, after Margaret married another man. She grew up believing she was an only child.””
Darius frowned.
“Then how did she find Brittany?””
“Margaret told her shortly before she died.””
Patricia continued.
“Renee tried to establish contact. She wanted to know her siblings. But Brittany rejected her.””
“Why?””
Patricia looked uncomfortable.
“Brittany believed Renee had received everything she had been denied.””
Darius shook his head.
“What does that mean?””
“Renee had a stable childhood. She had parents who loved her, an education, a successful career, and eventually a wealthy husband.””
Patricia looked at him.
“Brittany felt abandoned.””
Darius's jaw tightened.
“That doesn't explain what she did to my daughter.””
“No,” Patricia whispered.
“It doesn't.””
She stood and walked toward a cabinet.
From inside, she removed a small envelope.
“Brittany gave me this three weeks ago. She said it was important.””
Darius took it.
Inside was a photograph of Renee holding newborn Kayla.
On the back, someone had written:
The child should have been mine.
Darius stared at the words.
Patricia began crying.
“She was obsessed with Renee's life.””
“Did Brittany ever tell you why?””
Patricia nodded.
“She said Renee had stolen something from her.””
“What?””
Patricia looked at him.
“Her chance to be loved.””
Darius felt anger rising.
“Renee didn't steal anything.””
“I know.””
Patricia reached for another envelope.
“There's something else.””
She handed it to James.
It contained copies of several financial transactions.
James examined them.
His expression changed.
“Mrs. Collins, where did you get these?””
“From Adrian. He asked me to keep them safe.””
“What are they?””
“Payments.””
James looked closer.
The payments had been made over several years.
Some were sent to Brittany.
Others went to a company associated with Adrian.
One payment had been made to a private investigator shortly before Renee died.
Darius pointed to the transaction.
“Who authorized this?””
Patricia shook her head.
“I don't know.””
James examined the reference number.
“It's connected to the Mitchell estate.””
Darius stared.
“Someone used my family's money?””
James nodded slowly.
“That's what it appears to be.””
Patricia covered her face.
“I begged Brittany to stop. I told her that Renee was gone and the child had done nothing wrong.””
Darius looked at her.
“What did she say?””
Patricia's voice trembled.
“She said she didn't want Renee's money.””
“Then what did she want?””
Patricia looked directly at him.
“She wanted Kayla.””
Darius stood.
“Why?””
Patricia hesitated.
Then she spoke.
“Because Brittany believed that if she raised Renee's daughter, she would finally have the life she thought her sister had stolen.””
Darius felt sick.
The haircut.
The punishment.
The obsession with Kayla's appearance.
It wasn't simply jealousy.
Brittany had been trying to erase Renee from the little girl's life and replace her.
But Patricia wasn't finished.
She reached into the envelope and removed one final photograph.
It showed Brittany standing outside the Mitchell residence several years earlier.
She was holding a little boy's hand.
Darius stared at the child.
“Who is that?””
Patricia looked away.
“My grandson.””
“Brittany has a son?””
Patricia nodded.
“He was born before she met you.””
Darius looked closer.
The boy appeared to be about eight years old.
“What happened to him?””
Patricia's voice cracked.
“Brittany gave him up.””
Darius stared.
“Why?””
“Because she believed having a child would interfere with her plans.””
James slowly placed the photograph on the table.
“Plans?””
Patricia nodded.
“She told me she wanted to marry a wealthy man. Someone who could give her the kind of life Renee had.””
Darius felt his blood turn cold.
“How long has she been planning this?””
Patricia looked at him.
“Since before she met you.””
That night, James received another message from the private investigator.
The message contained a scanned email.
It had been sent from Brittany's account to Adrian six weeks before their engagement.
The subject line read:
*Mitchell Wedding Strategy.*
Darius opened it.
The email was short.
Once the wedding is complete, we can request control of the household assets. The little girl is the only obstacle. If she becomes attached to me, the transition will be easier.
Below it was Adrian's reply.
What if he refuses?
Brittany had answered:
He won't. He wants a mother for his daughter. I know exactly what to give him.
Darius stared at the screen.
Then another message arrived.
It contained a second email.
This one was dated just four days before the haircut.
*Brittany:* She still looks too much like Renee.
*Adrian:* Then make sure she stops.
Darius's hands tightened.
He read the exchange again.
There was no misunderstanding.
No confusion.
No accidental cruelty.
Brittany had deliberately targeted a six-year-old child because she reminded her of Renee.
Then the final message appeared.
*Adrian:* Once you find the mark behind her ear, we'll know whether she's the right child.
Darius felt his stomach turn.
He looked at James.
“They knew about the birthmark.””
James nodded.
“And they knew about the hospital records.””
Darius stared at the email.
“Then why did they need to shave her head?””
James didn't answer.
A new message appeared.
It was from the investigator.
*We located the missing hospital bracelet.*
Darius opened the attachment.
The photograph showed the bracelet that had disappeared from Renee's wooden box.
It was lying on a desk beside an old document.
The document was a birth certificate.
But the name printed at the top wasn't Kayla Mitchell.
It was another name.
*Charlotte Collins.*
Darius stared at it.
Then he noticed the date.
It matched Kayla's birthday.
May you like
And beneath the name was a handwritten note.
The child belongs with her real family.
