The Hidden heir’s revenge

Chapter 78 — The Mother Who Wore Another Face

“Mary Thorne is not my grandmother.”

The little girl’s words remained in the room.

Varek looked at Mary.

Then he looked at Eleanor.

Neither woman spoke.

“What is she talking about?” he demanded.

Mary lowered her eyes.

Eleanor took a step backwards.

The little girl smiled.

“Nobody wants to tell you, do they?”

Varek turned towards her.

“Start talking.”

The girl raised the photograph again.

“Look at the woman.”

Varek examined it.

The photograph showed a young woman holding a newborn baby. Her face had been scratched out, but her hands were visible. A small silver ring sat on her left finger.

Varek recognized the ring.

He had seen it on Eleanor’s hand.

He looked up.

“Eleanor?”

She quickly covered her left hand.

“Where did you get that photograph?”

The little girl laughed.

“She knows exactly where it came from.”

Varek stepped towards Eleanor.

“Is that you?”

Eleanor shook her head.

“Not everything you see is what it appears to be.”

“That’s not an answer.”

Mary finally spoke.

“The woman in the photograph is Eleanor.”

Varek turned towards her.

“Then why did she say you’re not my grandmother?”

Mary looked at the little girl.

“Because I am not her biological grandmother.”

The girl nodded.

“Now you’re getting somewhere.”

Varek’s patience was disappearing.

“Who is her biological mother?”

Mary looked at Eleanor.

“Me.”

The room went silent.

Eleanor closed her eyes.

Varek looked between them.

“You’re saying Mary is your mother?”

Eleanor nodded slowly.

“Yes.”

“Then who is my grandmother?”

Mary answered.

“Isabella.”

Varek stared at her.

“Isabella Thorne?”

“The original Isabella.”

He remembered the records Naomi had found. The woman declared dead before the burial authorization. The child who had been buried alive. The identity that had appeared in photographs with Grace.

But none of it made sense.

“Then why did everyone call you Mary Thorne?”

Mary took a breath.

“Because I was given Isabella’s identity after she disappeared.”

Eleanor stepped forward.

“Mother, stop.”

Mary looked at her.

“You have kept this secret long enough.”

Varek felt his head begin to ache.

“Wait. If Isabella was your mother, and you are Eleanor’s mother, then Eleanor is my mother?”

Mary nodded.

Varek looked at Eleanor.

“Is that true?”

Eleanor’s eyes filled with tears.

“I gave birth to you.”

He stepped backwards.

“No.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, you don’t get to say that and expect me to accept it.”

Eleanor reached towards him.

Varek moved away.

“You told me you carried me out of the nursery. You told me you were only following orders. You allowed me to believe I was someone else’s child.”

“I was trying to protect you.”

“From what?”

“From the truth.”

Varek laughed bitterly.

“Everyone has been protecting me from something. Yet I’m the one who has spent my entire life not knowing who I am.”

Eleanor began crying.

“I didn’t want you to grow up inside that system.”

“Then why did you leave my sister?”

Eleanor looked towards the little girl.

“I didn’t leave her.”

The girl laughed.

“You handed me over.”

Eleanor shook her head.

“I had no choice.”

“You always had a choice.”

The little girl’s voice was no longer playful.

“You chose him.”

Varek looked at the child.

“Why do you look like that?”

She turned towards him.

“Because this is how they remember me.”

“How old are you really?”

The girl smiled.

“Twenty-nine.”

“Then why are you still a child?”

Mary answered.

“Because her body never grew beyond six.”

Matthew Cross moved closer.

“That’s medically impossible.”

“Not in the chamber,” Mary replied. “They kept her in a suspended medical state after the fire. Her body was preserved while the memory system continued recording her experiences.”

Adrian looked horrified.

“They kept a child alive for twenty-three years?”

Mary nodded.

“Yes.”

The little girl looked at him.

“Sometimes they woke me up. Sometimes they made me sleep. Sometimes I could hear people talking outside, but nobody could hear me.”

Varek felt anger rising inside him.

“Who did this?”

The girl pointed towards Jonathan.

“He did.”

Jonathan looked away.

Varek moved towards him.

“Why?”

Jonathan remained silent.

The little girl answered for him.

“Because I remembered everything.”

Varek turned.

“What did you remember?”

“Who was born first. Who was taken away. Who was replaced. Who was buried. Who was supposed to die.”

She paused.

“And who gave the order.”

Varek looked at Jonathan.

“Was it you?”

Jonathan finally spoke.

“I didn’t create the system alone.”

“Who helped you?”

“Alistair.”

Varek turned towards the old man.

Alistair was no longer smiling.

“And who else?” Varek asked.

Jonathan looked at Eleanor.

Eleanor shook her head.

“Don’t.”

But Jonathan continued.

“Richard.”

Adrian stepped forward.

“Richard was involved from the beginning?”

“Yes.”

Matthew Cross looked towards the second Matthew.

“And you?”

The stranger smiled.

“I was created to make sure the original records never reached the wrong hands.”

“Who created you?”

“Alistair.”

Alistair sighed.

“Enough.”

The little girl suddenly laughed.

“You’re all still lying.”

She walked towards the computer and placed her hand against the screen.

A new file appeared.

ORIGINAL BIRTH RECORD — FOUR CHILDREN.

Varek moved closer.

The file contained four entries.

CHILD ONE: VAREK THORNE — FEMALE.

CHILD TWO: VAREK THORNE — MALE.

CHILD THREE: SAMUEL CROSS — MALE.

CHILD FOUR: DANIEL CROSS — MALE.

Varek stared at the names.

“Two Vareks?”

The little girl nodded.

“We were twins.”

Mary covered her mouth.

Varek looked towards Eleanor.

“Did you give birth to both of us?”

Eleanor nodded.

“Yes.”

The girl continued.

“They wanted one of us to carry the memories and the other to receive them. But something went wrong.”

Matthew Cross examined the record.

“Both children were registered under the same name.”

“Because they wanted to see which one would survive the transfer,” the girl replied.

Varek looked at her.

“Which one was supposed to survive?”

She smiled sadly.

“Me.”

He stared.

“Then why am I alive?”

“Because someone switched our bracelets.”

Varek slowly turned towards Mary.

“Who?”

Mary’s eyes filled with tears.

“I did.”

The little girl shook her head.

“No. You didn’t.”

Mary looked at her.

The child continued.

“You were already gone when it happened.”

Varek’s attention shifted towards Eleanor.

Eleanor began shaking her head.

“Don’t make me say it.”

“Say what?” Varek demanded.

Eleanor covered her mouth.

The little girl stepped closer.

“She switched us.”

Varek froze.

“You?”

Eleanor nodded through her tears.

“I couldn’t let them take you.”

“And you left her behind?”

“I thought they would protect her.”

The little girl laughed.

“They didn’t.”

Varek stared at Eleanor.

“You chose me.”

“I was your mother.”

“And she wasn’t?”

Eleanor had no answer.

Samuel suddenly moved towards the computer.

He stared at the four names.

Then he pointed at the last entry.

“That’s not Daniel.”

Adrian immediately turned.

“What?”

Samuel looked at him.

“The boy in the hospital wasn’t Daniel.”

“How do you know?”

“I remember him.”

Adrian crouched beside the child.

“Who was he?”

Samuel pointed towards the damaged fourth photograph.

Then he whispered:

“His name was Lucian.”

Adrian’s face drained of colour.

Varek looked towards the computer again.

A fifth record had appeared beneath the original four.

CHILD FIVE: LUCIAN VALE.

STATUS: TRANSFERRED.

GUARDIAN: RICHARD THORNE.

Adrian slowly stood.

“Lucian?”

Varek stared at the screen.

Lucian Vale had been involved in Naomi’s abduction and the disappearance of Adrian’s son.

He had been another name in the long list of people connected to the Black Ledger.

But now there was a record showing that he had been a child in the original arrangement.

The computer suddenly began flashing.

A message appeared.

ORIGINAL FAMILY RECORD RESTORED.

FIVE CHILDREN IDENTIFIED.

ONE GUARDIAN STILL UNACCOUNTED FOR.

Varek frowned.

“Who is the missing guardian?”

A final photograph appeared.

It showed a young woman standing beside five children.

The woman’s face was clear.

Varek recognized her immediately.

Naomi.

But the photograph was dated twenty-nine years ago.

And beneath it was a name.

ORIGINAL GUARDIAN: NAOMI THORNE.