Chapter 8 - The Other Child
The photograph trembled in Matteo's hand.
Hadley stared at it.
Two newborn babies.
Two identical hospital bracelets.
Two tiny faces wrapped in white blankets.
And beneath the photograph, written in faded ink:
HADLEY MONROE — BABY A UNKNOWN — BABY B
Her heartbeat became deafening.
“My sister.”
Matteo smiled.
“Yes.”
“Where is she?”
“Closer than you think.”
Leonardo stepped forward.
“Put the photograph down.”
Matteo laughed.
“You still give orders like you're in charge.”
“I am.”
“Not tonight.”
Daniel moved beside Hadley.
“Stay behind me.”
Matteo looked at him.
“You still pretend to be her father.”
Daniel's expression hardened.
“I raised her.”
“You stole her.”
“I saved her.”
Matteo's smile disappeared.
“That's what you tell yourself.”
Hadley looked between them.
“Enough.”
Everyone stopped.
She stepped forward.
“I want the truth.”
Leonardo reached for her.
She pulled away.
“No.”
His hand dropped.
“I've had enough secrets.”
Matteo held up the photograph.
“Then ask the right question.”
Hadley stared at him.
“Where is my sister?”
He smiled.
“Wrong question.”
“Then what's the right one?”
“Who took her?”
Daniel looked away.
Hadley noticed.
“Dad.”
He didn't respond.
“Daniel.”
He finally looked at her.
“I don't know.”
Matteo laughed.
“You always were a terrible liar.”
Daniel's fists tightened.
“Don't.”
Matteo stepped closer.
“You gave one daughter to Evelyn.”
Hadley turned sharply.
“My mother?”
Matteo nodded.
“You kept the other.”
Hadley's face went pale.
“What?”
Matteo looked at Daniel.
“You told Evelyn to run with Baby A.”
He pointed at Hadley.
“But you kept Baby B.”
Hadley shook her head.
“No.”
Daniel whispered,
“It wasn't like that.”
“Then explain it.”
“I couldn't.”
“Why?”
“Because they were hunting both of you.”
Matteo's eyes narrowed.
“That's not what happened.”
Daniel looked at Hadley.
“I was trying to save you.”
“You?”
He swallowed.
“Your mother was supposed to take you out of the city.”
“But she didn't.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because she was told there was only one baby.”
Hadley stared.
Daniel closed his eyes.
“The hospital records were changed.”
Leonardo looked at him.
“By whom?”
Daniel hesitated.
Matteo answered.
“By your grandfather.”
Hadley felt sick.
“My grandfather knew about the twins.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because the twins weren't supposed to exist.”
Silence.
Hadley looked at the photograph again.
“What does that mean?”
Matteo lowered it.
“Your mother wasn't supposed to have children.”
Hadley frowned.
“Why?”
“Because she knew too much.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“That's enough.”
Matteo looked at him.
“You don't get to decide that anymore.”
He turned back toward Hadley.
“Your mother discovered that your grandfather had been using the Vescari family for years.”
Leonardo's face hardened.
“My father.”
“Yes.”
“What was he doing?”
“Moving money.”
“That's all?”
Matteo smiled.
“Moving people.”
Leonardo went still.
Hadley felt a chill.
“People?”
Matteo nodded.
“Witnesses. Informants. Children.”
Daniel whispered,
“Stop.”
“Your grandfather helped Hale build the network.”
Leonardo stared at him.
“And my father?”
“He tried to stop it.”
Matteo looked at Leonardo.
“Your father discovered what was happening.”
“And?”
“He ordered me to destroy the records.”
Leonardo's voice dropped.
“You were working for him.”
“Yes.”
“For how long?”
“Long enough to know your father was trying to protect the wrong people.”
Leonardo looked at the photograph.
“And the twins?”
Matteo nodded.
“That was the leverage.”
Hadley didn't understand.
“Leverage against whom?”
Matteo looked at her.
“Against your mother.”
The old station suddenly felt colder.
“Your mother had something Hale wanted.”
“The ledger.”
“No.”
Matteo shook his head.
“The ledger was only part of it.”
He pointed at Hadley.
“She had proof that the network was using children.”
Hadley's stomach turned.
“Children?”
“Children whose identities were erased.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“Don't tell her.”
“She deserves to know.”
“She deserves to live.”
Matteo smiled.
“That's why I kept her sister alive.”
Hadley stared.
“You know where she is.”
“Yes.”
“Take me to her.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because she doesn't know she's your sister.”
Hadley's heart stopped.
“What?”
“She was raised under another name.”
“Which name?”
Matteo looked toward Leonardo.
Then back at Hadley.
“You're not ready.”
“I've been ready for twenty-six years.”
“No.”
He stepped closer.
“You've spent twenty-six years believing you were abandoned.”
Hadley swallowed.
“What does she believe?”
“That she was the only child.”
Hadley felt tears gather in her eyes.
“Does she know my mother?”
“No.”
“Does she know Daniel?”
“No.”
“Does she know me?”
Matteo paused.
“She knows you.”
Hadley froze.
“How?”
“She has seen your photograph.”
“Where?”
“Every day.”
Leonardo's expression changed.
“Matteo.”
The older man ignored him.
“She knows your face.”
Hadley whispered,
“Why?”
“Because someone wanted her to.”
A gunshot exploded.
Everyone ducked.
The window behind them shattered.
Leonardo grabbed Hadley and pulled her behind a concrete pillar.
Daniel tackled Matteo.
The silver box fell to the floor.
The photograph slid beneath an old bench.
“Stay down!” Leonardo shouted.
Another shot.
Then another.
The station erupted into chaos.
Men rushed through the corridor.
Leonardo returned fire.
Hadley pressed herself against the wall.
She heard Evelyn screaming from outside.
“Hadley!”
“Mom!”
Leonardo looked toward the entrance.
“Stay here!”
He ran.
Hadley couldn't see him anymore.
Daniel crawled toward her.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“Good.”
“Where's Matteo?”
Daniel looked around.
Gone.
The silver box remained on the floor.
Hadley grabbed it.
Inside was a small key.
And a folded note.
She opened it.
Four words.
Find her before midnight.
Her hands shook.
“What does it mean?”
Daniel looked at the note.
His face changed.
“Where did you get that?”
“The box.”
He grabbed her wrist.
“Give it to me.”
“No.”
“Hadley.”
“No more secrets.”
Daniel stared at her.
Then he whispered,
“That key opens the room where your sister was born.”
Hadley's heart pounded.
“Where?”
“St. Catherine's.”
“The hospital?”
“Yes.”
“But it's closed.”
“Not all of it.”
“What does that mean?”
Daniel looked toward the station entrance.
“We have to leave.”
They ran.
Leonardo stood near the doors.
Blood stained his sleeve.
Hadley stopped.
“You're hurt.”
“It's nothing.”
“It is not nothing.”
“Later.”
Evelyn rushed toward them.
“Hadley!”
She pulled her daughter into her arms.
Hadley froze.
For a second, she didn't resist.
Her mother's embrace felt familiar.
Painfully familiar.
Then she whispered,
“Why did you leave me?”
Evelyn began crying.
“I thought I was saving you.”
“You let me grow up without you.”
“I know.”
“You let me think you were dead.”
“I know.”
“You let everyone lie to me.”
Evelyn looked at Leonardo.
“I didn't know who I could trust.”
Hadley stepped back.
“Do you trust him?”
Evelyn hesitated.
That hesitation was enough.
Hadley looked at Leonardo.
“Do you trust my mother?”
He answered immediately.
“With my life.”
Hadley swallowed.
“Then why did you hesitate?”
Evelyn's eyes filled with tears.
“Because I was afraid.”
“Of what?”
“That someone had already found your sister.”
Leonardo went still.
“What?”
Evelyn looked at him.
“I received a message.”
“When?”
“Before we came here.”
“From whom?”
She took out her phone.
The screen showed an unknown number.
A photograph was attached.
Hadley looked.
It showed a young woman sitting alone in a café.
Blonde hair.
Green-hazel eyes.
The same eyes Hadley saw in the mirror every morning.
Hadley's breath caught.
“That looks like me.”
Evelyn nodded.
“It is her.”
Hadley stared.
“How old?”
“Twenty-six.”
Her sister was alive.
And she was the same age.
“What is her name?”
Evelyn looked away.
Leonardo took the phone.
He stared at the photograph.
Then his face went completely still.
Hadley noticed.
“You know her.”
“No.”
“You do.”
“I've seen her before.”
“Where?”
He didn't answer.
“Leonardo.”
His jaw tightened.
“Not here.”
Hadley grabbed his sleeve.
“Where have you seen her?”
Before he could respond, Evelyn's phone rang.
The caller ID was hidden.
She answered.
“Hello?”
Silence.
Then a woman's voice.
Soft.
Young.
Terrified.
“Mom?”
Evelyn's face went white.
Hadley froze.
The voice continued.
“I found the man who raised Hadley.”
Daniel's eyes widened.
Evelyn whispered,
“Where are you?”
The girl gave an address.
Hadley recognized it.
Monroe's Bakery.
The voice became shaky.
“But he's not alone.”
Evelyn stood completely still.
“Who is with him?”
A pause.
Then the girl whispered,
“Someone who says he's my father.”
The call ended.
Hadley looked at Daniel.
He was trembling.
“Dad?”
He didn't answer.
Leonardo slowly turned toward him.
“You knew.”
Daniel shook his head.
“I swear—”
Leonardo grabbed him by the collar.
“You knew she was alive.”
“I suspected.”
“You lied.”
“I was protecting her.”
“From whom?”
Daniel looked at Hadley.
His eyes filled with fear.
“From the man who raised her.”
Hadley felt cold.
“My father?”
Daniel whispered,
“No.”
He looked toward the dark station.
“Your grandfather.”
Leonardo released him.
Then every light in the station went out.
A phone began ringing somewhere in the darkness.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Hadley followed the sound.
It was coming from the old ticket booth.
She reached inside.
A black phone sat beneath the counter.
The screen displayed one word.
MOM.
Hadley looked at Evelyn.
Her mother was standing ten feet away.
Her own phone was still in her hand.
It wasn't ringing.
The black phone rang again.
Hadley slowly picked it up.
She answered.
No one spoke.
Then a man's voice whispered,
“Hadley.”
She knew that voice.
It was the same voice from the recording.
Daniel's face turned white.
Leonardo reached for the phone.
May you like
But before he could take it, the man said one final sentence—
“Your sister is already inside the bakery with your grandfather...”
