The Hidden heir’s revenge

Chapter 57 — The Mother Who Remembered

“Victor?”

Isabel’s voice broke as she stared at the wounded man.

Victor slowly lowered his hand from his shoulder.

“Mother?”

For several seconds, nobody moved.

Varek looked between them, trying to understand what was happening.

“You know him?”

Victor nodded, but his eyes never left Isabel.

“I remember her.”

Isabel took a step forward.

“Victor, my son.”

He moved away.

“Don’t.”

She stopped.

“You were little when I last saw you.”

“How little?”

“Almost three years old.”

Victor shook his head.

“I remember a room. I remember a woman singing. I remember someone telling me not to cry because my mother would come back.”

Isabel covered her mouth.

“That was me.”

“Then why did you leave me?”

“I didn’t.”

“Why did I grow up believing Mara was my mother?”

“Because Mara was protecting you.”

Victor laughed bitterly.

“Everybody was protecting somebody. Nobody protected me from the truth.”

Varek stepped between them.

“Enough. We need answers, not another emotional reunion.”

He turned to Isabel.

“Why does Victor remember you, but I don’t?”

“Because you were taken away before you were old enough to remember.”

“And Matthew?”

Isabel’s expression changed.

“Matthew was different.”

“How?”

“He was old enough to understand what was happening. He knew he had two younger brothers. He knew I was his mother. But after the transfer, he disappeared.”

“You’re still avoiding the question. Who was the man called Matthew Cross?”

Isabel looked at Victor.

“That man was not my firstborn.”

Victor frowned.

“Then who was he?”

“A child who was given Matthew’s identity.”

Varek folded his arms.

“Naomi found a record connecting Samuel to the name Matthew Cross.”

“Samuel was one of the children involved in the exchange,” Isabel replied.

“Which exchange?”

Isabel took a deep breath.

“After I gave birth, Alistair discovered that I had three sons. He wanted the firstborn for himself. Richard wanted the second child because of the inheritance. Helena was supposed to receive the third child.”

“But the children were moved.”

“Yes. And when everything went wrong, Alistair created new identities for the children who survived.”

Varek stared at her.

“You’re saying our entire family history was manufactured?”

“Not everything. But enough to make it impossible to know who belonged to whom.”

Grace stepped forward.

“Isabel, stop speaking in riddles. Tell them what happened to the real Matthew.”

Isabel looked at her.

“You know what happened.”

Grace shook her head.

“I know what you told me. I don’t know what happened.”

“Then perhaps you should tell Varek why you were the person who carried the third child out of St. Catherine’s.”

Varek turned sharply.

“Grace?”

Grace’s face lost its color.

“That isn’t what happened.”

“Then explain it,” Isabel said.

Grace looked at Varek.

“I was working in the maternity ward. Richard gave me instructions to transfer one of the children. I didn’t know the entire plan.”

“Which child?”

She swallowed.

“Matthew.”

Varek’s voice became cold.

“Where did you take him?”

“To the private nursery.”

“Who was waiting there?”

Grace hesitated.

“Alistair.”

Varek stepped closer.

“And what happened next?”

Grace looked down.

“He wasn’t there when I returned.”

⸻

At Naomi’s secure location, Samuel was pacing.

He had heard enough of the conversation to understand that his identity was being questioned again.

Evelyn approached him.

“Samuel.”

“Don’t.”

“I know you’re angry.”

“I’m not angry. I’m tired.”

She stopped.

“Nobody can tell me who I am. Every day, somebody brings another document and tells me I was born to a different person.”

Evelyn nodded.

“I understand.”

“No, you don’t. You have a family. You have a name. Even if some things are uncertain, you know where you came from.”

Evelyn looked away.

“Do I?”

Samuel stared at her.

She continued.

“Grace told me I was her daughter. Matthew was supposed to be my father. But the girl we found at the hospital recognized me as her sister. She knew things about my childhood that I had forgotten.”

Samuel sat down.

“So we’re both trapped in somebody else’s story.”

“Maybe.”

Naomi’s laptop sounded.

She rushed toward it.

“What is it?” Evelyn asked.

“I recovered a deleted section of the transfer register.”

Naomi opened the file.

There were three entries.

CHILD ONE — MATTHEW THORNE.

CHILD TWO — VAREK THORNE.

CHILD THREE — ADRIAN THORNE.

Below them was a separate section.

SUBSTITUTE IDENTITIES APPROVED:

MATTHEW CROSS.

SAMUEL CROSS.

DAMIAN MERCER.

Naomi frowned.

“These names were not assigned to the three children in the way we thought.”

Samuel moved closer.

“What does that mean?”

“It means these identities were created for people who were moved into the original children’s places.”

Evelyn pointed at the screen.

“Where is the original Matthew?”

Naomi opened another page.

The file contained a photograph of a young boy.

Six years old.

His face was familiar.

Samuel leaned closer.

“That’s…”

He stopped.

Naomi enlarged the image.

The boy had the same eyes as Samuel.

And the same small scar beneath his chin.

Samuel touched his face.

“I’ve had that scar since I was a child.”

Naomi looked at him.

“Samuel, I think we found the boy who was registered as Matthew Cross.”

He stepped backward.

“Then who am I?”

Naomi opened the next photograph.

It showed a different child.

A boy of about three years old.

Under the photograph was a name.

MATTHEW THORNE — ORIGINAL FIRSTBORN.

Evelyn stared at it.

“That isn’t Samuel.”

“No,” Naomi replied.

“Then where is he?”

Naomi opened the final section.

The page had been partially damaged, but one line remained readable.

CURRENT GUARDIAN: DR. MATTHEW CROSS.

Evelyn’s blood ran cold.

“That’s impossible.”

Naomi looked up.

“Why?”

“Because the man called Matthew Cross is the person who supposedly raised Varek.”

Samuel slowly turned toward them.

“Unless…”

He could not finish.

Naomi understood.

“Unless the real Matthew was using the identity of the person who had been assigned to replace him.”

⸻

Back at Eleanor’s house, Varek’s phone rang again.

It was Eleanor.

He answered immediately.

“Where are you?”

“I don’t have much time.”

“Are you safe?”

“For now.”

“Isabel is here.”

Silence.

Then Eleanor whispered, “She found you.”

“She says she is Isabel.”

“Do not trust her.”

Varek closed his eyes.

“You’re going to have to give me something better than that.”

“Listen to me. The woman standing with you is not the woman who gave birth to you.”

Varek looked at Isabel.

She was watching him.

“She knows Victor.”

“Of course she does. She raised him.”

“She says she is Isabel.”

“She was given Isabel’s identity after the real Isabel disappeared.”

Varek’s stomach tightened.

“Then who is she?”

“Her name is Mara Mercer.”

Victor stepped forward.

“That’s impossible.”

Eleanor continued.

“She was the woman who raised you and Victor. She was also the person who helped Richard move the children.”

Varek looked at the woman who had just claimed to be his mother.

“Is this true?”

Isabel—or Mara—did not answer.

“Eleanor, where is the real Isabel?”

A strange sound came through the phone.

Then Eleanor whispered:

“Matthew has her.”

Varek straightened.

“Where?”

“I don’t know. But I found the location of the original medical archive. It is beneath the old nursery at the Thorne estate.”

“What’s inside?”

“The original birth register. The photographs. And the truth about all the children.”

“Send me the location.”

“I can’t. Matthew has already discovered that I escaped.”

A loud crash sounded through the phone.

“Eleanor?”

Her breathing became uneven.

“Varek, there’s one more thing you must know.”

“What?”

“The man you call Matthew Cross is not the only Matthew.”

Varek froze.

“What do you mean?”

“There are two men using that name.”

Before Varek could respond, the call ended.

He immediately tried calling back.

No answer.

Victor approached him.

“Who was that?”

“Eleanor.”

“What did she say?”

Varek looked at Isabel.

“She says the woman standing here isn’t Isabel.”

Victor’s face changed.

“Then who is she?”

Varek did not answer.

He was looking at the photograph still lying on the table.

The photograph of the two newborn boys.

Something had caught his attention.

There was a small handwritten number in the corner.

FOUR.

He turned the photograph over.

Beneath the original message, almost hidden by a fold, were four names.

Matthew.

Varek.

Adrian.

And one final name.

VICTOR.

Varek stared at it.

“Four children?”

Grace stepped closer.

“No. Isabel only gave birth to three boys.”

“Then why is Victor’s name here?”

Nobody answered.

Suddenly, Victor’s phone rang.

He looked at the screen.

His face went pale.

The caller ID displayed one name.

MATTHEW CROSS.

Victor answered.

A man’s voice came through.

“Hello, little brother.”

Victor’s eyes widened.

The voice continued.

“Tell Varek that Mother has lied again.”

Varek moved closer.

“Who is this?”

The man laughed.

Then he said:

“You’re looking at the wrong woman, Varek. The real Isabel is not missing.”

A pause.

“She’s standing right beside you.”

The call ended.

Varek slowly turned toward the woman.

She was no longer looking at Victor.

She was staring at the photograph.

And for the first time since he had met her, she looked genuinely afraid.