The Hidden heir’s revenge

Chapter 90 — The Fourth Child Returns

The computer screen continued flashing.

JONATHAN THORNE HAS JUST ENTERED THE MATERNITY WARD.

Varek stared at the message.

“That’s impossible. Jonathan is supposed to be upstairs.”

The older woman slowly backed away from the medical table.

“No. He isn’t.”

Adrian turned towards her.

“What do you mean?”

She looked at the entrance.

“Jonathan has never been where you thought he was.”

A metallic sound came from the corridor.

Someone was approaching.

The little girl immediately grabbed Varek’s hand.

“He’s coming.”

Varek looked down at her.

“Do you know him?”

She nodded.

“He used to sing to us.”

Adrian frowned.

“Jonathan?”

The girl shook her head.

“Not the old man. The other one.”

Before Varek could ask another question, the lights went out.

A loud mechanical noise followed.

Then the emergency lights came on.

The door at the far end of the corridor opened.

A man entered.

He was wearing a dark suit, and he walked without assistance.

Varek recognized his face immediately.

Jonathan Thorne.

But something was wrong.

The man looked younger than the Jonathan they had encountered before. His face was smoother, his hair darker, and he had no sign of the injuries from the shooting.

Adrian raised his weapon.

“Stop!”

The man continued walking.

“Put that down, Adrian.”

“Don’t come closer.”

Jonathan stopped.

He looked at the boy on the hospital bed.

Then he smiled.

“My little Daniel.”

The boy began shaking.

“You’re not my father.”

Jonathan’s smile disappeared.

“Who told you that?”

The boy pointed at the older woman.

“She did.”

Jonathan turned towards her.

For several seconds, neither spoke.

Then he said, “You should have stayed buried.”

The woman laughed bitterly.

“You should have stayed a child.”

Varek looked between them.

“Somebody is going to explain what’s happening.”

Jonathan finally looked at him.

“Hello, Varek.”

“Who are you?”

Jonathan tilted his head.

“You know me.”

“I know the old man who claims to be Jonathan Thorne. I don’t know you.”

The man smiled.

“That old man is also Jonathan Thorne.”

Varek tightened his grip on his weapon.

“Then why are there two of you?”

“Because one of us was supposed to die.”

⸻

At the secure location, Evelyn was trying to override the security lockdown.

Richard was still outside.

Naomi stood behind her, holding the pendant.

“He’s not leaving until he gets this.”

Evelyn glanced at her.

“Then we need another way out.”

“Where’s Daniel?”

“Inside the safe room.”

Naomi looked towards the hallway.

“I want to speak to my mother.”

Richard’s voice came through the speakers again.

“Naomi, time is running out.”

She approached the security monitor.

“Show me the woman in the photograph.”

Richard lifted his phone.

The image appeared on the screen.

Naomi’s mother was sitting in a dark room. Her hands were tied, and her face looked tired.

“Where is she?”

Richard smiled.

“Somewhere you cannot reach.”

“Let her go.”

“Give me the pendant.”

Naomi looked down at the small object.

“Why do you need it?”

“Because it opens something that belongs to me.”

Evelyn shook her head.

“He’s lying. If the pendant were all he needed, he wouldn’t have waited this long.”

Richard heard her.

“Miss Cross, you have always been a clever woman. Unfortunately, you have also been very loyal to the wrong people.”

Evelyn raised her weapon towards the screen.

“Come inside and say that.”

Richard laughed.

Then he said something that made Naomi’s blood run cold.

“Ask your mother what happened to the first Evelyn.”

The screen went black.

Evelyn slowly lowered her weapon.

Naomi turned towards her.

“What does he mean?”

Evelyn didn’t answer.

“Who is the first Evelyn?”

Evelyn looked at the floor.

“I don’t know.”

But her voice lacked confidence.

⸻

Inside the maternity ward, Jonathan approached the medical table.

Varek moved to block him.

“Don’t touch anything.”

Jonathan ignored him.

He picked up the photograph of the four newborn boys.

“Still keeping this?”

The older woman stared at him.

“You destroyed the original.”

“I destroyed one copy.”

“Why did you keep the children?”

Jonathan looked at her.

“Because you asked me to.”

The woman shook her head.

“That isn’t true.”

Jonathan sighed.

“Must we do this again?”

Adrian stepped forward.

“Who is Isabella?”

Jonathan looked at him.

“Which one?”

“The original Isabella.”

For the first time, Jonathan’s expression became serious.

“Your mother.”

Adrian stared.

“You knew her?”

“I knew all of you before you had names.”

Varek looked at the photograph.

“You’re the fourth child.”

Jonathan smiled.

“That’s what the records say.”

“Is it true?”

“Yes.”

“Then why did you become the man who controlled the family?”

Jonathan looked at the little girl.

“Because I was the only child who wasn’t transferred.”

The girl shook her head.

“You were transferred.”

Jonathan’s smile disappeared.

“What did you say?”

“You were moved to another room. Mother said you were the one who would remember everything.”

Jonathan slowly turned towards her.

“Who told you that?”

“I remember.”

He stared at her for a long moment.

Then he crouched until they were almost at the same height.

“Little one, do you remember my name?”

She nodded.

“You called yourself Samuel.”

Varek froze.

Adrian looked towards the computer.

“Samuel?”

Jonathan stood up.

“That name should have disappeared.”

Varek remembered the boy in the nursery.

Samuel Cross.

The child who shared his mark and carried memories from the original archive.

“Are you saying Samuel is you?”

Jonathan shook his head.

“No. Samuel is what I became after they removed me from the family.”

Adrian frowned.

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“It will.”

Jonathan pointed at the hospital bed.

“That child is Daniel. You are Daniel. Varek is Varek. And I am the fourth child.”

He paused.

“But the four of you were never the complete family.”

The computer suddenly activated.

A new warning appeared.

ORIGINAL FAMILY STRUCTURE RESTORED.

CHILDREN IDENTIFIED: FOUR.

MISSING CHILDREN: THREE.

TOTAL: SEVEN.

Varek looked at Jonathan.

“Where are the other three?”

Jonathan slowly turned towards the older woman.

“Ask her.”

The woman shook her head.

“Don’t.”

Jonathan continued.

“One became the guardian. One became the keeper. And the last one became the mother.”

Adrian’s expression changed.

“Who became the mother?”

Jonathan looked directly at him.

“Your real mother.”

The older woman suddenly grabbed the silver device from the table.

“Don’t let him finish!”

She pressed a button.

A sharp alarm filled the room.

The hospital bed began moving.

Daniel screamed.

Adrian rushed towards him, but the restraints locked around the boy’s wrists.

“Help me!”

Varek pulled at the straps.

Jonathan stood still, watching.

“Stop it!” Adrian shouted.

The older woman looked at the computer.

“Transfer sequence initiated.”

Varek turned towards her.

“What have you done?”

She looked at him with tears in her eyes.

“I am trying to bring her back.”

“Who?”

The woman looked at the little girl.

“Your mother.”

The girl began crying.

“No. Don’t bring her back.”

Adrian stared at the woman.

“Why?”

The woman swallowed.

“Because the woman you have been calling your mother is not the only person who gave birth to you.”

The computer screen changed.

MATERNAL IDENTITY FOUND.

ORIGINAL MOTHER: ISABELLA THORNE.

CURRENT STATUS: ALIVE.

A second message appeared.

LOCATION: ROOM 001.

Varek looked at Jonathan.

“Where is Room 001?”

Jonathan’s face had gone pale.

Then he slowly pointed towards the wall behind the hospital bed.

“Behind that wall.”

A hidden door unlocked.

It opened with a heavy sound.

Inside was a small room containing a single hospital bed.

An elderly woman lay beneath a white blanket.

Her face was turned towards the wall.

Adrian took one step forward.

The woman moved.

Then, in a weak voice, she spoke.

“Daniel?”

Adrian stopped breathing.

The woman slowly turned her head.

Her eyes settled on him.

“My son.”

Adrian’s weapon slipped from his hand.

But before he could move closer, Jonathan spoke.

“Don’t touch her.”

Varek turned.

“Why?”

Jonathan looked at the woman on the bed.

“Because that woman died twenty-nine years ago.”

The woman opened her eyes wider.

Then she whispered:

“Jonathan, you promised you would never tell them I survived.”

Varek stared at her.

The woman reached beneath her pillow and pulled out an old photograph.

It showed the seven newborn children.

On the back was a message written in faded ink.

THE FOURTH CHILD IS NOT JONATHAN.

Varek slowly looked towards the man standing beside him.

Jonathan’s expression changed.

And the woman on the bed spoke again.

“That’s not your brother. That’s the man who stole his face.”