Chapter 38: Family FoundationsThe offshore accounts had been Victoria's final trap—cleverly constructed shells with all our names attached but only her fingerprints on the transactions. Two grueling weeks of FBI interviews, forensic accountants, and legal consultations finally cleared Marcus and Ja
Chapter 39: Victoria's ReturnThe flash of the camera burned spots into my vision, sealing the moment into memory: Victoria Henderson standing on my doorstep, uninvited yet somehow expected, a ghost I'd known would eventually materialize."This is inappropriate," Marcus said, stepping partially in f
Chapter 40: New BeginningsPain unlike anything I'd ever experienced tore through my body, a primal force that reduced my world to raw sensation. Sweat plastered my hair to my forehead as I gripped Marcus's hand with crushing force."You're doing beautifully, Sophia," Dr. Richardson encouraged from
The parade of visitors began: Emma and Liam, cooing over Truth with genuine adoration; my parents, my father trying unsuccessfully to hide his tears; and finally, James escorting his frail father.William Henderson Sr. looked shockingly old in the harsh hospital lighting, his once-commanding presenc
Chapter 41: Unexpected VisitorTruth's first month flew by in a blur of sleepless nights, diaper changes, and moments of breathtaking wonder. Our daughter grew more alert each day, her dark eyes—unmistakably Henderson eyes—tracking my movements with an intensity that sometimes unnerved me.We'd sett
Chapter 42: Blood TiesMy legs threatened to give way beneath me. I sank onto the couch, clutching Truth to my chest like a shield."You're James's half-sister?" The words felt foreign on my tongue, impossible despite the evidence standing before me. Yet looking at Rachel now—*really* looking—I coul
Chapter 43: Into the Dark"Get to the nursery—now," Marcus commanded, his voice barely above a whisper. His hand found mine in the darkness, squeezing once before he released me. "Take Truth and lock yourselves in."My heart hammered against my ribs as I clutched our daughter tighter. "Marcus—""Go,
Chapter 44: Blood and BetrayalMy blood ran cold. DNA results? What possible game was Victoria playing now?"This is absurd," Marcus said, voice steady despite the tension radiating from him. "Another desperate manipulation. Truth is our daughter."Victoria's laugh contained no warmth, just practice
Chapter 65: AftershocksKatherine clings to me, her small body trembling with emotion. I breathe in her familiar scent—vanilla shampoo and that indescribable essence that is uniquely hers. For eight days, she must have wondered if her mother would ever wake up. The thought makes me hold her tighter.
Chapter 64: AwakeningThe steady beeping of medical equipment pulls me from darkness. My eyelids feel impossibly heavy, but I force them open, blinking against harsh fluorescent light. A hospital room materializes around me—sterile white walls, monitoring equipment, the sharp smell of antiseptic."S
Chapter 63: Beyond the VeilThe dimensional rift swallows us whole—William and me—tearing us away from the laboratory, from Marcus screaming my name, from Truth's desperate attempt to stabilize reality. We fall through cascading layers of existence, neither here nor there, our bodies dissolving into
Chapter 62: Betrayal's ShadowI stare at the pregnancy test, my third one today, still showing that unmistakable double line. My hands shake as I place it on the bathroom counter next to the others. Twelve weeks. The doctor confirmed it yesterday. Twelve weeks pregnant with Marcus's child while his
The nodule at my throat pulses hot against my skin. Of course. I'm whole now—mother and daughter, connected across dimensional barriers. I place my hand over the embedded convergence technology, closing my eyes to focus on that connection."Truth," I call, not with my voice but with my consciousness
Chapter 60: The Whole TruthReintegration feels like drowning and burning alive simultaneously. Seven consciousnesses crash together like tidal waves, memories flooding through me in a chaotic torrent. I am a police chief interrogating a suspect. I am a soldier crawling through mud under enemy fire.
Chapter 59: Convergence PointDimensional travel doesn't get easier the second time. If anything, it's worse—like being forced through the eye of a needle while fully conscious. My atoms scream as they're compressed, stretched, and reassembled. Marcus's grip on my arm is the only constant, an anchor
Chapter 58: Fractured ReflectionsDimensional travel feels like being torn apart and reassembled by a careless child. My atoms scatter, stretch across impossible distances, then snap back together in new configurations. I scream, but there's no sound in the void between realities—only endless pressu
Chapter 57: Dimensional CrossfireCatherine's smile chills me more than the pendant's icy burn against my palm. The hospital security uniforms worn by her team can't disguise their military precision as they fan out around us."We need to go," I whisper to Jacob, who stands frozen beside me, his eye