Chapter 10 - The Father I Never Knew
"The person who ordered your mother's disappearance is standing right beside you."
Daniel's words remained in my head.
Again.
And again.
I looked around the room.
At Richard.
At Emma.
At the twins.
At the empty doorway where my mother had disappeared.
Someone here knew the truth.
Someone here had destroyed my family.
And someone here had spent years making sure I never found out.
"Daniel."
My voice was barely above a whisper.
"Where are you?"
The phone stayed silent.
Then his voice returned.
"Lucas, listen carefully."
I gripped the phone.
"I'm listening."
"You cannot trust everyone in that house."
My eyes moved toward Richard.
He noticed.
And for the first time, he looked hurt.
Not angry.
Hurt.
"Why should I trust you?"
I asked.
A long pause followed.
Then Daniel answered:
"Because I was there the night your mother disappeared."
The room went silent.
My father closed his eyes.
Emma looked confused.
I felt my chest tighten.
"You were there?"
"Yes."
"Then why didn't you stop it?"
Silence.
The kind of silence that carried a painful answer.
Finally, Daniel spoke.
"Because I thought she was dead."
I looked down.
That made no sense.
"Everyone thought she was dead."
"No."
His voice changed.
"Someone wanted everyone to think she was dead."
I looked at Richard.
"Who?"
Daniel didn't answer.
Instead, he asked:
"Do you still have the letter?"
I looked at the paper my mother had given me.
"Yes."
"Read the back."
I turned the letter over.
My hands froze.
Because I hadn't noticed anything before.
There was writing.
Small.
Almost invisible.
Like someone had tried to hide it.
Three words.
"Not Richard Carter."
My breathing stopped.
I looked up.
My father saw it.
And his face changed.
Not surprise.
Recognition.
"You knew."
Richard looked away.
I stepped toward him.
"You knew about this."
His voice was quiet.
"Yes."
The anger inside me exploded.
"How long?"
Richard didn't answer.
"How long have you known I wasn't your son?"
The twins became frightened by my voice.
Emma immediately moved closer to them.
Richard looked at me.
And for the first time, he didn't look like my father.
He looked like a man who had been carrying a secret too heavy for too long.
"Since the day you were born."
The words hit me.
Hard.
I couldn't speak.
Six years of believing my life was simple.
One family.
One father.
One story.
All fake.
"Then why did you raise me?"
Richard's eyes filled.
"Because I loved you."
I shook my head.
"Don't say that."
"But it's true."
"No."
I stepped back.
"You don't get to use love as an excuse."
The room became silent.
Richard accepted that.
"I know."
Daniel's voice came through the phone.
"Lucas."
I answered.
"What?"
"Ask him about the hospital."
I looked at Richard.
"What hospital?"
My father froze.
That reaction told me everything.
"What hospital?"
Richard didn't speak.
I moved closer.
"Tell me."
He took a deep breath.
"The night you were born."
I waited.
"Your mother was supposed to give birth in a private clinic."
I nodded.
"Yes."
"But there was another baby."
My heart stopped.
"What?"
Richard looked at the floor.
"Your mother gave birth to twins."
The room went silent.
I looked toward the boys.
The twins.
My twins.
No.
Not my twins.
My brother.
My sister.
Something else.
My mind couldn't keep up.
"Wait."
I looked at him.
"What are you saying?"
Richard looked at me.
"Your mother had twins."
I pointed toward the boys.
"Then who are they?"
Nobody answered.
My phone suddenly buzzed.
A message.
From Daniel.
I opened it.
A photograph appeared.
It was old.
A hospital photograph.
A woman holding two newborn babies.
My mother.
Beside her was a man.
Daniel.
And written below the picture was a date.
The day I was born.
My hands started shaking.
Because there was something else in the photograph.
A third person.
Standing behind them.
Watching.
I zoomed in.
My blood went cold.
Because I recognized the face.
It was Richard.
But he looked younger.
And he wasn't looking at my mother.
He was looking at the babies.
I looked up.
"Why were you there?"
Richard didn't answer.
Daniel's voice came again.
"Ask him who the second baby was."
I stared at my father.
"Who was the other baby?"
Richard's face changed.
The silence lasted too long.
Then he whispered:
"Your sister."
I froze.
"My sister?"
He nodded.
"But she didn't survive."
The room became quiet.
Emma held the twins closer.
I looked at the photograph again.
Two babies.
Two lives.
One missing.
"That's impossible."
Richard shook his head.
"I wish it was."
Daniel interrupted.
"Lucas."
His voice sounded urgent.
"Your sister didn't die."
My entire body went cold.
I looked at Richard.
"Is that true?"
He didn't answer.
He couldn't.
Because the truth was written on his face.
My sister was alive.
Somewhere.
Someone had hidden her.
Just like my mother.
Just like everything else.
"Where is she?"
Nobody spoke.
Then Daniel said:
"She has been closer to you than you realize."
My phone screen went black.
The call ended.
I stared at it.
Then slowly looked around the room.
The people I trusted.
The people I thought I knew.
Everyone had been hiding something.
A movement came from the hallway.
Emma turned first.
Her face changed.
"Lucas."
I looked.
A woman was standing near the entrance.
About my age.
Dark hair.
Tearful eyes.
Holding an old photograph.
She looked at me.
Then at Richard.
Then at the twins.
May you like
And whispered:
"I finally found my brother..."
