Chapter 34 - The Other Child
Eleanor's image filled the monitors.
She wasn't smiling.
That frightened me more than when she had been.
“You found Thomas's room.”
Gabriel stepped toward the screen.
“You followed us.”
“No.”
She looked directly into the camera.
“I led you.”
Rachel looked around.
“There are cameras everywhere.”
Martin checked the equipment.
“She's controlling the entire building.”
Eleanor continued.
“Thomas always believed people could be protected by giving them information.”
She paused.
“He was wrong.”
I held up the envelope.
“You wrote none of this.”
“No.”
“Then why are you here?”
“To tell you the truth.”
Jonathan scoffed.
“We've heard enough truth from you.”
“No.”
Eleanor's voice softened.
“You've heard stories.”
She looked at me.
“There's a difference.”
I stepped closer to the screen.
“Tell me about Noah.”
Her eyes shifted.
“You found him.”
“He says my mother sent him.”
“She did.”
Gabriel stared at the monitor.
“Where is Elise?”
Eleanor didn't answer.
“Where is she?”
“She made her choice.”
Gabriel's face tightened.
“What does that mean?”
“She chose Noah.”
I looked at my brother.
“No.”
Noah shook his head.
“She didn't.”
Eleanor smiled sadly.
“She loved both of you.”
“Then why did she hide him?”
“To keep him from becoming what you became.”
“What did I become?”
“The visible child.”
I didn't understand.
“You were raised in records.”
She continued.
“School records. Medical records. Tax records. Identification records. Everything connected.”
She looked at Noah.
“He was raised outside them.”
Gabriel stepped forward.
“Because we thought the network would track both children.”
Eleanor nodded.
“Exactly.”
I turned to Gabriel.
“So you knew he existed.”
“Yes.”
“For nineteen years.”
“I knew he was alive.”
“But you didn't know where.”
“No.”
Noah looked at him.
“Not true.”
Gabriel froze.
Noah pulled the photograph from his jacket.
“This was taken when I was fourteen.”
It showed Gabriel standing outside a small house.
Gabriel stared.
“I've never seen that.”
“You came.”
“I didn't.”
“You did.”
Noah pointed to the person beside him.
My mother.
Elise.
Gabriel's face collapsed.
“I thought that was another man.”
“No.”
Noah looked at him.
“It was you.”
Eleanor interrupted.
“Gabriel was never allowed to see you.”
“By whom?”
“By Elise.”
Gabriel shook his head.
“She wouldn't do that.”
“She did.”
I looked at the photograph again.
My mother looked terrified.
Not happy.
Not trapped.
Terrified.
“Why?”
Eleanor answered.
“Because she knew one of you would eventually have to inherit the original trust.”
Noah held up the final document.
“Me.”
“Yes.”
“And Hannah?”
Eleanor looked at me.
“You were supposed to be the shield.”
My stomach dropped.
“What does that mean?”
“You were the child people could see.”
She spoke slowly.
“Your identity drew attention away from the child who carried the actual succession.”
I stared at Noah.
“They wanted you.”
“No.”
Eleanor shook her head.
“They wanted the trust.”
Then one of the monitors changed.
A security camera appeared.
A woman was sitting in a dark room.
Her hands were tied.
My breath stopped.
“Mom.”
Gabriel moved toward the screen.
“Elise.”
My mother raised her head.
She looked older.
Tired.
Alive.
Her eyes found the camera.
Then she spoke.
“Hannah.”
I pressed my hand against the screen.
“Mom.”
She looked at me.
“I need you to listen carefully.”
Eleanor turned away from the camera.
“Don't.”
Elise continued.
“Do not trust the man who raised you.”
My heart broke.
Elias stepped backward.
I looked at him.
Then my mother.
She wasn't finished.
“And don't trust Gabriel either.”
Gabriel stared.
Elise closed her eyes.
“The only person who knows what really happened is Thomas.”
Jonathan laughed bitterly.
“Thomas is dead.”
Elise opened her eyes.
“He left a second recording.”
Martin looked toward the desk.
“There must be another drive.”
Eleanor said sharply:
“Martin.”
Everyone looked at him.
Martin froze.
Eleanor's face appeared on another monitor.
“You've known about the second recording for eight years.”
Martin went pale.
Jonathan raised his weapon.
“What?”
“I didn't know.”
Eleanor laughed.
“You told me it was destroyed.”
Martin's voice broke.
“I thought it was.”
Gabriel stepped toward him.
“You worked for Eleanor.”
“No.”
“You lied.”
“I was under orders.”
“Whose orders?”
Martin looked at me.
Then Noah.
Then the screen showing Elise.
“I can't say.”
Jonathan grabbed his collar.
“You're going to.”
Martin shook.
“I'll tell you.”
He pointed at Elias.
“It wasn't Eleanor who ordered the first cover-up.”
Silence.
Elias closed his eyes.
Martin whispered:
“It was him.”
I stared at the man who raised me.
“No.”
Elias didn't deny it.
My hand fell from the screen.
“Dad?”
He looked at me.
“I didn't order your mother's disappearance.”
Martin swallowed.
“You ordered the records to disappear.”
My body went cold.
“You erased her.”
Elias's eyes filled.
“I erased the trail.”
“So no one could find her.”
“Yes.”
“And me?”
“I protected you.”
“By making me believe you were my father?”
“Yes.”
I turned away.
Noah touched my shoulder.
Then the lights flickered.
The monitors went black.
One final message appeared.
ELISE CARTER — LOCATION TRANSFERRED.
I screamed.
“Where?”
Martin stared at the screen.
“She was moved.”
“Where?”
May you like
He looked terrified.
“To the place where the network began.”
