The Hidden heir’s revenge

Chapter 52 — The Mother Standing Beside Him

Varek slowly lowered the phone.

The woman’s voice was still in his ears.

“My name is Isabel Thorne.”

He looked at Helena.

She was standing only a few steps away, her face covered with tears.

Then he looked at Grace.

Grace had gone completely pale.

“Who is it?” Evelyn asked.

Varek didn’t answer.

He raised the phone again.

“You’re saying you’re Isabel Thorne?”

“Yes.”

“Then prove it.”

A short silence followed.

“I knew you would ask that. When you were a baby, you had a small birthmark beneath your right shoulder. It looked like a little crescent. The doctors said it would probably disappear as you grew older.”

Varek instinctively touched his shoulder.

The mark was still there.

His eyes narrowed.

“That doesn’t prove you’re my mother. Plenty of people could have seen my medical records.”

“Then ask Helena about the silver bell.”

Varek looked at Helena.

Her tears stopped.

“What silver bell?” he asked.

The woman on the phone continued.

“Your grandmother gave it to me before you were born. She said every child in our family should have one. It had a small inscription beneath the handle.”

Varek waited.

“Never let them choose your name.”

His grip tightened around the phone.

He looked at Helena again.

“Do you know about this?”

Helena couldn’t meet his eyes.

Grace stepped forward.

“End the call.”

Varek turned toward her.

“Why?”

“Because whoever that is, she’s trying to manipulate you.”

The woman on the phone laughed bitterly.

“Grace, you haven’t changed.”

Grace froze.

“Isabel?”

“Hello, Grace.”

Evelyn moved closer.

“Is this really her?”

Grace didn’t answer.

Varek spoke into the phone.

“Where are you?”

“Somewhere you cannot reach tonight.”

“Then tell me why you said my mother is standing beside me.”

The woman took a breath.

“Because the woman who gave birth to you isn’t necessarily the woman who raised you. And the woman who raised you isn’t necessarily the woman who stole you.”

Varek glanced at Helena.

“Are you saying Helena isn’t my mother?”

“I’m saying Helena knows exactly whose child you are.”

Helena suddenly stepped forward.

“Isabel, stop this!”

The voice on the phone became cold.

“You have no right to tell me to stop anything.”

“You’re supposed to be dead!”

“And you were supposed to protect the children. We both failed.”

The call ended.

For a moment, the only sound was Daniel breathing softly against Adrian’s shoulder.

Varek turned toward Helena.

“Who is my mother?”

Helena looked at him.

“I told you already. I gave birth to you.”

“Then why did Isabel know about my birthmark?”

“Because she was present.”

“Why did she give me that message?”

Helena looked at the bracelet in his hand.

“Because she wanted you to believe I was dangerous.”

Grace stepped forward.

“She was trying to save you.”

Helena turned sharply.

“Don’t pretend you know what happened that night.”

“I was there!”

“And you helped them!”

Grace’s face tightened.

“Yes. I helped them. I have never denied that I made mistakes. But I did not give Varek away because I wanted to hurt him.”

Varek stepped between them.

“Both of you will stop speaking in riddles. I want the truth.”

Helena looked exhausted.

“Twenty-nine years ago, I gave birth to a boy. I was told he was stillborn.”

Varek stared at her.

“What?”

“Alistair told me the child had died. I never saw his body. I was still recovering when they took me away from the maternity room.”

“And you believed him?”

“I was young. I was frightened. I had no power in that family.”

Grace shook her head.

“That isn’t the whole story.”

Helena glared at her.

“Then tell him.”

Grace looked at Varek.

“Alistair took the baby and ordered us to register another child in his place. The child you know as Varek was brought to Helena several hours later.”

Varek’s expression hardened.

“Where did that child come from?”

Grace hesitated.

“Isabel.”

Silence followed.

Varek looked at the phone.

“Are you saying Isabel gave birth to me?”

Grace nodded.

“She delivered a boy and a girl. But the records were changed. The boy was taken away, and the girl was hidden.”

Evelyn stepped forward.

“Isabella.”

Grace nodded.

“Possibly.”

Samuel looked confused.

“Then why did Helena say she gave birth to Varek?”

“Because she was made to believe the child placed in her arms was hers.”

Varek looked at Helena.

“Did you know?”

Helena shook her head.

“Not then.”

“When did you find out?”

Her lips trembled.

“Years later.”

Varek felt anger rising inside him.

“And you said nothing?”

“I was told that if I revealed the truth, the child would be killed.”

“Which child?”

Helena looked toward Daniel.

“All of them.”

⸻

Naomi interrupted through Varek’s earpiece.

“I’ve located the two cemetery records.”

Varek touched the device.

“Tell me.”

“The first grave belongs to a woman named Isabel Thorne. The second record is attached to an unidentified female body.”

“Who authorized the second burial?”

“Richard Thorne.”

Varek frowned.

“Richard?”

“Yes. But there’s something else. The second grave was opened again six years ago.”

“Who opened it?”

Naomi checked the record.

“The authorization came from Eleanor.”

Varek went still.

“Eleanor?”

“Yes. She requested the grave be reopened and the remains examined. But the report was deleted.”

Varek looked at the others.

“Eleanor has been hiding something.”

Grace nodded.

“She knows more than all of us.”

“Where is she?”

“I don’t know.”

Varek looked at Naomi.

“Find her.”

“I’m trying. Her last registered location was an apartment in the city, but nobody has seen her there in weeks.”

Varek turned toward Victor.

“You gave us the estate address. How did you know about it?”

Victor looked uncomfortable.

“I was raised around the family. I know their properties.”

“Who raised you?”

“Mara Mercer.”

“And where is she now?”

“I don’t know.”

Varek studied him.

“You’re going to start giving us answers, Victor.”

Victor looked away.

“I have told you what I know.”

“No. You’ve told us what you want us to know.”

Before Victor could respond, Evelyn’s phone rang.

She looked at the screen.

It was an unknown number.

She answered cautiously.

“Hello?”

A woman’s voice came through.

“Evelyn?”

Evelyn froze.

“Who is this?”

“It’s me.”

Evelyn’s eyes widened.

“Isabella?”

The woman on the other end began crying.

“I don’t know if that’s the name they gave me, but I remember you.”

Evelyn turned away from everyone.

“Where are you?”

“Please don’t tell Grace.”

Grace immediately looked up.

Evelyn covered the phone.

“She says she doesn’t want to speak to you.”

Grace’s face crumpled.

“Let me talk to her.”

Evelyn ignored her.

“Why shouldn’t I tell her?”

The woman answered.

“Because Grace is the reason I was taken from the hospital.”

Grace stepped forward.

“That’s not true!”

Evelyn moved away.

“Tell me what happened.”

“I was taken from my mother’s room. Grace helped them change my identity. She gave me to a woman who promised to protect me.”

“Who?”

“Mara Mercer.”

Victor suddenly stepped forward.

“What did you say?”

Evelyn looked at him.

“She said Mara Mercer raised her.”

Victor’s expression changed.

“That’s impossible.”

“Why?”

“Because Mara never had a daughter.”

The woman on the phone began crying harder.

“She did. She raised me with another boy.”

Victor went completely still.

“Which boy?”

The answer came slowly.

“His name was Varek.”

Everyone turned toward Varek.

He stared at the phone.

“That’s impossible. Eleanor raised me.”

The woman spoke again.

“No. Eleanor brought you to her home after Mara disappeared. You lived with her, but she wasn’t the first woman who raised you.”

Varek felt the ground shift beneath him.

“How do you know that?”

“Because I was there.”

A long silence followed.

Then the woman added:

“When we were children, you used to call me your sister. You promised you would never leave me.”

Varek closed his eyes.

A faint memory appeared.

A little girl.

A small bedroom.

Two children hiding beneath a bed while someone searched the house.

A voice whispering, Don’t cry. I’ll protect you.

He opened his eyes.

“Where are you?”

“I can’t tell you yet.”

“Why?”

“Because Alistair has found me before. And he will find me again if you come looking.”

Varek’s voice softened.

“You’re safe now.”

“No, Varek. You don’t understand.”

“What?”

She took a shaky breath.

“Alistair didn’t take me because I was his granddaughter.”

Varek waited.

“He took me because I was the only person who saw what happened to the original heir.”

Varek frowned.

“Who was the original heir?”

The woman whispered:

“Your twin brother.”

Then the call ended.

⸻

Nobody moved.

Victor looked disturbed.

Grace covered her face.

Helena began shaking her head.

Varek slowly turned toward Victor.

“Do you have a twin brother?”

Victor didn’t answer.

“Victor.”

He finally looked up.

“I was told I was an only child.”

“Who told you?”

“Mara.”

Varek looked at Grace.

“And you?”

Grace swallowed.

“There were two boys and one girl in that house. I was told one of the boys had died.”

Samuel stepped closer.

“Which boy?”

Grace looked directly at Varek.

“I don’t know.”

Varek shook his head.

“You’re all telling me different stories.”

Adrian adjusted Daniel in his arms.

“We need to get the children somewhere safe before we continue.”

Varek nodded.

“Naomi, prepare a secure location. Nobody uses their real names.”

“Understood.”

Then another message appeared on Varek’s phone.

It was from the unknown number that had called him.

There was an attachment.

A photograph.

It showed two little boys standing beside a young girl.

The girl was holding both boys’ hands.

One boy looked exactly like Varek.

The other looked exactly like Victor.

But the photograph had something written across the bottom.

MARA MERCER’S THREE CHILDREN.

Varek zoomed in.

The little girl was wearing a necklace with two connected circles.

The same necklace Daniel had described seeing on the woman who gave him his name.

And beneath the photograph was a final message.

ASK ELEANOR WHICH BOY SHE BROUGHT HOME.

Varek stared at the words.

Then his phone rang again.

This time, the caller’s name was visible.

ELEANOR.

He answered immediately.

“Where are you?”

Her voice was weak.

“Varek, listen carefully. You must not trust the woman who called you.”

“Which woman?”

“Isabel.”

Varek tightened his grip on the phone.

“Why?”

Eleanor’s answer came in a whisper.

“Because Isabel Thorne died twenty-five years ago.”

Then he heard a door slam on her end.

A man’s voice shouted.

And Eleanor screamed.

“VAREK, DON’T LET HIM TAKE THE—”

The call disconnected.