Varek stared at the hospital bracelet in his hand.MOTHER: GRACE CROSS.The words seemed to move in front of his eyes.Grace had looked him in the face and told him she was only a nurse. She had spoken about the children, the hospital records, and the switched identities, but she had never once claimed to be his mother.Now her name was printed on a bracelet bearing his date of birth.“That’s impossible,” Evelyn whispered.Varek looked at her.“Your mother just said the sixth child wasn’t Samuel. Then the screen went off. Now I find this.”Evelyn shook her head.“Grace never gave birth to you.”“How can you be so sure?”“Because I grew up with her. I know what happened to her after the hospital closed. I know the years she spent searching for someone.”“Who was she searching for?”Evelyn opened her mouth, but no answer came.Samuel picked up the gun Matthew had dropped.“Maybe we’re asking the wrong questions.”Adrian immediately raised his weapon.“Put that down.”Samuel looked at hi

“Your sister is alive.”Eleanor’s words continued to echo in Varek’s mind even after the call ended.He stared at the phone, hoping she would call again.She didn’t.Evelyn wiped her tears and looked at him.“What did she say?”Varek slowly lowered the phone.“She said Grace gave birth to two children. But neither of them was the child Alistair wanted.”Samuel stepped forward.“And the girl?”Varek looked at him.“She said my sister was supposed to have died twenty-five years ago. But she’s alive.”Adrian glanced at the laptop.“Then why does the system identify an unknown female as the sixth beneficiary?”“Because someone has been hiding her identity,” Varek replied.Naomi’s voice came through the earpiece.“There’s something else. The hospital has just received a remote instruction to transfer the original maternity records to an external server.”“Can you stop it?”“I’m trying, but the instruction is coming from an authorized account.”“Whose account?”Naomi paused.“Alistair Thorn

Nobody spoke.Daniel stood beside his father, looking confused by the silence.Adrian stared at the phone in Varek’s hand.“Call Marcus back.”Varek immediately dialled the number, but it was switched off.“He’s not answering.”Adrian shook his head.“I want to see those records.”Naomi’s voice came through the earpiece.“I’ve already opened the original birth registration. But I need you to prepare yourselves.”Varek looked at Adrian.“What did you find?”“The name Adrian Thorne was registered to a child born at St. Catherine’s. However, the original hospital entry was later amended.”“Amended how?”“The child was originally registered under another name.”Adrian stepped closer to the phone.“Read it.”Naomi hesitated.“Damian Mercer.”Adrian’s expression changed.Varek looked at him.“That’s the name you used before.”“Yes.”Naomi continued.“The original record identifies the mother as Helena Vale. The father is listed as Richard Thorne.”Adrian shook his head.“Matthew told us my

Varek stared at the photograph.The little girl had dark eyes, a small nose, and a serious expression. Even though the picture was old, there was something familiar about her face.Evelyn stood beside him.“Why does she look like me?”Nobody answered.She took the phone from Varek and examined the photograph.“That’s not possible. I have never seen this child.”Grace approached her slowly.“Look at her left ear.”Evelyn zoomed in.There was a tiny mark just below the girl’s ear.Evelyn touched the same spot on her own ear.“I have this mark.”Grace nodded.“Your mother used to say it was a family mark.”Evelyn looked at her.“Then who is she?”Grace lowered her eyes.“Your sister.”Evelyn stepped backward.“No. You said you had one daughter.”“I lied.”“About what?”Grace’s voice trembled.“About everything that happened at St. Catherine’s.”Varek moved closer.“Start talking.”Grace looked toward the wounded old man.“We don’t have much time.”“Then don’t waste it.”She took a deep b

Varek stared at the photograph on his phone.Daniel was sitting in a dark room, his small hands resting on his knees. His eyes were wide, and there was a bruise near his forehead.Beside him was a handwritten note.ONE CHILD FOR ONE HEIR.Varek felt something tighten in his chest.“Adrian.”Adrian looked up.“What is it?”Varek turned the phone toward him.For a moment, Adrian didn’t move.Then he reached for the phone and enlarged the photograph.“Daniel.”His voice was barely audible.“Where is he?” he demanded.Varek took the phone back.“Alistair wants me at the estate alone.”Adrian’s expression changed.“Then we’re going together.”“That’s exactly what he wants to prevent.”“He’s holding my son. You think I’m going to stand here while you walk into a trap?”“Adrian, listen to me.”“No. You listen to me. Daniel is the only person in this family who has never asked to be part of this inheritance war. He’s a child. I’m not leaving him there.”Evelyn stepped between them.“We need t