Chapter 4: The Child Who Was Never Supposed to Exist
"Someone who may be standing much closer to you than you think.""
Rose stared at Evelyn.
For several seconds, she couldn't even find her voice.
"Are you saying I have a brother or sister?""
Evelyn nodded slowly.
"Your mother gave birth to another child before the fire.""
Rose looked down at the letter again.
"Why didn't my grandmother ever tell me?""
"Because she was afraid.""
"Afraid of what?""
Evelyn glanced at Daniel.
"Of what your grandfather was capable of.""
Daniel pulled out a chair and sat down.
"Mom, you're telling me my grandfather had something to do with hiding a child?""
Evelyn folded her hands.
"Arthur Whitmore controlled everything. The family business. The household.
The people who worked for us. He believed money gave him the right to decide what happened to everyone around him.""
"That doesn't explain the child.""
Evelyn looked at Rose.
"Grace's second baby was born six months before the fire. It was a girl.""
Rose's eyes widened.
"A girl?""
"Yes. Her name was supposed to be Lily.""
Rose pressed a hand against her mouth.
She had spent her entire life believing she was an only child.
Now, within a single evening, she had discovered that her mother might still be alive and that she might have a sister.
"Where is she?""
Evelyn looked away.
"I don't know.""
"How can you not know?""
"Because Arthur made sure nobody could find her.""
Daniel stood abruptly.
"That's enough. We need to contact the police and get those records.""
Evelyn shook her head.
"The original records were removed from the hospital.""
"How do you know?""
"Because I went looking for them.""
Rose leaned forward.
"When?""
"Three months after the fire.""
Evelyn described the morning she had arrived at the hospital with a bouquet of white roses, expecting to see Grace and her newborn daughter.
Instead, she had found an empty room.
The nurse on duty told her that the baby had been transferred.
Nobody could explain where.
Nobody could produce the transfer paperwork.
And when Evelyn asked to speak to the hospital director, she was informed that the matter had already been handled by Arthur Whitmore.
"Your grandfather told me Grace had suffered a mental breakdown," Evelyn explained.
"He said she had abandoned the baby and disappeared.""
Rose shook her head.
"My mother would never abandon her children.""
"I know that now.""
"Then why didn't you keep searching?""
Evelyn's eyes filled.
"Because I was a coward.""
The admission hung between them.
Daniel looked at his mother.
"Mom, you can't blame yourself for everything Grandpa did.""
"I can blame myself for believing him.""
A knock interrupted them.
A security guard entered.
"Mrs. Whitmore, the police have finished collecting statements. There's someone downstairs asking to see Rose.""
Rose frowned.
"Who?""
The guard hesitated.
"She says her name is Margaret Carter.""
Rose immediately stood.
"My grandmother?""
"Yes, ma'am. She's refusing to speak to anyone except you.""
Evelyn looked alarmed.
"Don't bring her here.""
Rose turned.
"Why not?""
"Because she knows something.""
"That's precisely why I need to talk to her.""
Daniel stepped between them.
"We'll do it together.""
Margaret was waiting in the hotel's private reception room.
She wore a dark blue coat and held a leather handbag tightly against her chest.
When Rose entered, Margaret immediately stood.
"Thank God.""
Rose didn't hug her.
Instead, she placed the old photograph on the table.
"Tell me the truth.""
Margaret looked at the picture.
Then she looked at Evelyn, who had entered behind Rose.
Her expression turned bitter.
"So you've finally decided to tell her.""
Evelyn said nothing.
Rose pulled out a chair.
"Sit down, Grandma.""
Margaret remained standing.
"I raised you. I fed you. I protected you.""
"I know.""
"I gave up everything so you could have a normal life.""
"Then why did you lie about my mother?""
Margaret's eyes filled.
"Because I promised her.""
Rose's voice trembled.
"Promised her what?""
Margaret slowly sat down.
"Grace came to my house three days before the fire. She was terrified. She told me someone was following her.""
"Who?""
"Arthur Whitmore.""
Evelyn lowered her head.
Margaret continued.
"Your mother had discovered that Arthur was using a private charity foundation to move money out of the family company. She had copies of the financial records. She planned to take them to the authorities.""
Daniel frowned.
"That's impossible. Grandpa's foundation was audited every year.""
Margaret gave him a cold look.
"Audited by people he paid.""
Daniel went silent.
"Grace was afraid he would hurt the children," Margaret continued.
"She asked me to take you somewhere safe.""
Rose's eyes filled.
"What about Lily?""
Margaret's lips trembled.
"Your mother took her with her that night.""
"And?""
"I never saw either of them again.""
Rose gripped the edge of the table.
"But you told me she died.""
Margaret began crying.
"Arthur sent men to my house. They showed me photographs of a burned vehicle and told me Grace had been inside. They said if I ever tried to find her, you would disappear next.""
Rose's face went pale.
"Why didn't you tell me when I grew up?""
"Because I received another warning when you turned eighteen.""
"From whom?""
Margaret reached into her handbag.
She removed a folded piece of paper and placed it on the table.
Rose opened it.
There was no signature.
Only one sentence.
Some families survive because certain truths remain buried.
Rose looked up.
"Was this from Arthur?""
Margaret nodded.
"But Arthur died fifteen years ago," Daniel said.
Margaret slowly shook her head.
"That wasn't the last letter.""
She reached deeper into her handbag and produced a second envelope.
This one was addressed to Rose.
The date printed on the back was only four months earlier.
Rose recognized the handwriting immediately.
It was her mother's.
Her hands began shaking.
"Where did you get this?""
Margaret whispered, "Someone left it at my door.""
Rose opened the envelope.
Inside was a photograph of a woman standing outside a small white house.
She looked older, thinner, and her dark hair was streaked with gray.
But Rose recognized those eyes.
She had seen them every day in the mirror.
Beneath the photograph were six handwritten words.
Rose, my darling, I'm still alive.
Rose sank into the chair.
Then she turned the photograph over.
May you like
On the back, her mother had written one more sentence.
Don't trust the man who calls himself your brother.
