Chapter 5 - What the Silver Key Unlocked
“R-17…”
Julian’s voice came through the narrow opening of the door.
I stood frozen beside Nora.
For one second, none of us moved.
Then Julian pushed the door open.
He stepped inside alone.
His eyes immediately went to the box of letters on the table.
Then to me.
Then to Nora.
“You shouldn't be here,” he said.
Nora stood.
“Neither should you.”
Julian's expression hardened.
“This doesn't concern you.”
“It concerns me more than you think.”
I stepped between them.
“Enough.”
Both of them looked at me.
I held up my phone.
The photograph of the young woman was still on the screen.
“Who is she?”
Julian stared at it.
His face changed.
Not surprise.
Recognition.
“You know her.”
He said nothing.
“Julian.”
“She isn't who you think she is.”
I laughed bitterly.
“You've said that about everyone.”
I walked toward him.
“You said our daughter died.”
He looked away.
“You said Evelyn was confused.”
Silence.
“You said I was imagining things.”
His jaw tightened.
“And now I find out I had twins.”
His eyes closed.
“Clarissa…”
“How many lies are there?”
He opened his eyes.
“Too many.”
The answer stunned me.
For once, he didn't deny it.
Nora crossed her arms.
“Tell her everything.”
Julian looked at her.
“You have no idea what you're asking.”
“I know exactly what I'm asking.”
“No.”
He shook his head.
“You know what Evelyn told you. You don't know what happened afterward.”
I stepped closer.
“Then tell me.”
He stared at me for several seconds.
Then he walked to the table.
He picked up one of Evelyn's letters.
“She never intended for you to see these.”
“She gave me the key.”
“She regretted giving it to you.”
“No.”
My voice was firm.
“She knew exactly what she was doing.”
Julian looked at the silver key hanging from my fingers.
“That key doesn't open what you think it opens.”
I stared at him.
“What does it open?”
He hesitated.
“A second room.”
“Where?”
“In the old estate.”
“What old estate?”
“My father's property.”
Nora suddenly went pale.
“You mean Blackridge?”
Julian looked at her.
“You've heard of it?”
“My mother used to work there.”
His expression tightened.
“Then you know why you shouldn't be involved.”
Nora shook her head.
“No. I know why Evelyn wanted someone outside your family involved.”
I looked between them.
“What is Blackridge?”
Julian didn't answer.
I slammed my palm against the table.
“What is Blackridge?”
“A private estate,” he finally said.
“Why does Evelyn have a key to it?”
“She didn't.”
“You just said—”
“My father did.”
I frowned.
“Then why did she give me the key?”
“Because she wanted you to open something there.”
“What?”
“A vault.”
My heart skipped.
“What is inside?”
Julian looked at me.
“Proof.”
“Proof of what?”
“That your daughter was alive.”
I couldn't breathe.
Nora stepped closer.
“Does the vault contain her location?”
Julian's expression became grim.
“No.”
“Then what?”
“A ledger.”
“What kind of ledger?”
“The kind that can destroy several people.”
He looked at me.
“My father kept records of every payment he made to the hospital.”
I stared at him.
“For what?”
“Birth certificates. Medical records. Transfers.”
My stomach twisted.
“Babies?”
Julian nodded.
“Babies.”
The room became silent.
I thought of the photograph.
Two newborns.
Two names.
One erased.
“How many?”
“Seventeen.”
I felt sick.
“Seventeen babies?”
“Seventeen documented transfers.”
Nora covered her mouth.
I looked at Julian.
“You're telling me my daughter wasn't the only one?”
“No.”
“Then what was R-17?”
He looked directly at me.
“Your daughter.”
My hands began shaking.
“Why did your father take her?”
“He didn't.”
I frowned.
“You just said—”
“My father ordered the transfer.”
“Who carried it out?”
Julian looked at Nora.
Then at me.
“Evelyn.”
I couldn't move.
“No.”
“She took your daughter from the nursery.”
“Why?”
“To save her.”
“From what?”
Julian's eyes filled with regret.
“From my father.”
I shook my head.
“You expect me to believe Evelyn stole my baby to protect her?”
“She didn't steal her from you.”
He stepped closer.
“She stole her from the people who were going to kill her.”
My breath caught.
“Kill her?”
Julian nodded.
“My father believed the second baby was a threat.”
“Why?”
“I don't know.”
“You know.”
“I know part of it.”
“Tell me.”
He looked toward the window.
“My father had a private medical program.”
Nora whispered, “The children.”
Julian nodded.
“He wasn't selling babies.”
“Then what?”
“He was using them.”
“For what?”
“Medical research.”
The words made my stomach turn.
“On infants?”
“He called it treatment.”
I stared at him.
“What treatment?”
“Genetic testing.”
My mind raced.
“Why my children?”
Julian swallowed.
“Because you weren't supposed to have twins.”
“What?”
“You were told you had one baby because the hospital records showed one pregnancy.”
I shook my head.
“That makes no sense.”
“It does if someone altered your prenatal records.”
“Who?”
“My father.”
“Why?”
Julian didn't answer.
I stepped toward him.
“Why?”
He whispered, “Because one of the babies carried something he wanted.”
“What?”
“I don't know.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“No.”
He looked at me.
“I expect you to understand that I was twenty-three years old and terrified of my father.”
I stared at him.
“You knew.”
“I knew something was wrong.”
“When?”
“Before we married.”
My eyes filled with tears.
“You knew before you married me?”
“Yes.”
“And you still married me?”
“I loved you.”
I laughed through my tears.
“You loved me?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did you let me believe my baby died?”
He looked down.
“Because Evelyn told me that was the only way to keep you alive.”
“Evelyn?”
“She made the decision.”
My anger shifted.
Not disappeared.
Shifted.
“Where is my daughter?”
“I don't know.”
“You've said that twice.”
“Because it's true.”
“Then who is sending me photographs?”
Julian looked at my phone.
“I don't know.”
“Who is the woman?”
“I don't know.”
“Then what do you know?”
He stared at me.
“I know someone has been watching you.”
My skin prickled.
“For how long?”
“Three years.”
I froze.
Three years.
The message had said the girl had been watching me for three years.
“Why?”
Julian looked at the photograph.
“Because she wanted to know whether you still remembered her.”
I stared at him.
“She remembers me?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“I don't know.”
I stepped closer.
“Did she know I was her mother?”
Julian hesitated.
“Yes.”
My heart cracked open.
“She knew?”
“Yes.”
“And she watched me?”
“Yes.”
“Without coming to me?”
“She was afraid.”
“Of what?”
“Of being found.”
I looked at Nora.
“You knew?”
Nora shook her head.
“I knew there was a girl. I didn't know she had contacted you.”
Julian suddenly reached into his pocket.
He pulled out a folded piece of paper.
“I found this in Evelyn's room six months ago.”
He handed it to me.
I unfolded it.
A handwritten address.
A date.
And one sentence.
When Clarissa is ready, take her to the room beneath Blackridge.
My pulse quickened.
“What date?”
Julian pointed.
Tomorrow.
I looked at him.
“Tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
“Why tomorrow?”
“I don't know.”
Nora stepped forward.
“Because Evelyn knew she was dying.”
Julian looked at her.
“She planned this.”
I folded the paper.
“Take me there.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because the vault is dangerous.”
“I don't care.”
“You should.”
“I spent twenty years believing my daughter was dead.”
My voice broke.
“I buried a child who wasn't in the coffin.”
Julian looked away.
“I lost twenty years with her.”
“I know.”
“No, you don't.”
I stepped closer.
“You don't know what it feels like to wake up every morning and remember that your baby died because you couldn't save her.”
He said nothing.
“You don't know what it feels like to blame yourself for something you couldn't control.”
My tears fell.
“And you don't know what it feels like to discover that your husband knew the truth.”
Julian's eyes filled with tears.
“I know.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“You don't.”
He whispered, “I watched you cry every night.”
I stopped.
“What?”
“For years.”
His voice cracked.
“I watched you sleep beside me after you cried yourself unconscious.”
He looked at the floor.
“I wanted to tell you.”
“Then why didn't you?”
“Because every time I tried, someone threatened you.”
“Who?”
“My father.”
“He's dead.”
“Yes.”
“Then why are you still afraid?”
Julian looked at me.
“Because my father's people aren't.”
Silence.
Nora slowly stepped backward.
“Julian…”
He turned toward her.
“What?”
She pointed at the window.
“There's a car outside.”
We all looked.
A black SUV sat across the street.
Engine running.
Lights off.
Julian's face changed instantly.
“Get away from the window.”
I moved.
Nora locked the door.
The SUV remained still.
Five seconds.
Ten.
Twenty.
Then its headlights turned on.
The light flooded through the curtains.
Julian grabbed my arm.
“Down.”
We dropped behind the sofa.
The SUV didn't move.
Then a phone rang.
Not mine.
Not Julian's.
Nora looked at her pocket.
Her face went white.
She pulled out her phone.
The screen showed an unknown number.
“Don't answer,” Julian whispered.
Nora answered.
“Hello?”
No voice.
Just breathing.
Then a woman's whisper came through the speaker.
“Tell Clarissa to stop looking.”
Nora looked at me.
The woman continued.
“She doesn't know what she's asking for.”
I reached for the phone.
“Who are you?”
The voice went silent.
Then:
“Your daughter is alive because Evelyn made a deal.”
My heart stopped.
“What deal?”
A pause.
Then the woman said:
“And now someone wants to collect.”
The call ended.
Outside, the SUV suddenly reversed.
Then it disappeared into the darkness.
I stood slowly.
“What deal?”
Julian wouldn't look at me.
“Julian.”
He remained silent.
I grabbed his shirt.
“What deal did my mother make?”
His eyes finally met mine.
“With the man who took the second baby.”
I froze.
“Second baby?”
He nodded.
“The baby Evelyn couldn't save.”
My breathing stopped.
“You mean my other daughter?”
Julian's lips parted.
“Yes.”
I stared at him.
Then I remembered the letter.
I saved one child.
I failed to save the other.
My voice barely came out.
“Where is my second daughter?”
Julian's face went completely pale.
Before he could answer, his phone vibrated.
He looked at the screen.
His hands began shaking.
I reached for it.
“Who is it?”
He didn't respond.
The screen showed one incoming message.
A photograph.
Two young women stood side by side.
They looked almost identical.
One wore my daughter's silver necklace.
The other wore a scarlet bracelet.
Under the photograph were five words:
YOU HAVE TWO DAUGHTERS, CLARISSA.
May you like
Then another message appeared.
AND ONE OF THEM IS COMING HOME.
