The brother who was never adopted

Adrian stared at the message.

DON'T TRUST DANIEL. HE KNOWS WHO THE CHILD IS BECAUSE HE HELPED HIDE HIM.

Daniel watched him.

“What's wrong?”

Adrian turned the phone around.

“Richard says you helped hide the fourth child.”

Daniel's expression barely changed.

“Richard doesn't know what he's talking about.”

“Then why is he warning me about you?”

“Because he wants to turn you against me.”

Elena stepped forward.

“Enough. We need the truth, not another argument.”

Daniel looked at her.

“I've spent years protecting you.”

“By lying to me?”

“By keeping you alive.”

The words silenced her.

Margaret moved closer to Daniel.

“You knew Isabella?”

Daniel nodded.

“She was my wife's sister.”

“Then why didn't you tell me?”

“Because Isabella made me promise never to reveal what happened to her child.”

Margaret's eyes filled.

“You let me believe she disappeared without explanation.”

“She had to.”

“Why?”

Daniel opened his mouth, but Adrian's phone rang again.

Richard.

This time Adrian answered and put the call on speaker.

“Where are you?” Adrian asked.

Richard's voice sounded hurried.

“Somewhere Daniel can't reach me.”

Daniel's face tightened.

“Richard, come home.”

“Don't pretend you care about me now.”

Elena moved closer to the phone.

“Richard, what do you know about the fourth child?”

There was a pause.

Then Richard answered.

“I know that child wasn't missing. He was living under another name.”

“Whose name?”

“Daniel's.”

Margaret turned sharply.

“What?”

Richard continued.

“Daniel didn't just hide the child. He raised him.”

Daniel stepped toward the phone.

“That's enough!”

Adrian blocked him.

“Let him finish.”

Richard's voice became quieter.

“There's something else. The adoption story you were told about me was never complete.”

Adrian frowned.

“What does that have to do with the fourth child?”

“Everything. I was brought into the Blackwood family to replace someone.”

“Replace who?”

“The child they couldn't find.”

Elena's heart began to pound.

“Richard, are you saying you were supposed to be the fourth heir?”

“No. I'm saying they wanted everyone to believe I was.”

Charles suddenly laughed.

“Now we're getting somewhere.”

Catherine turned toward him.

“You knew about this?”

Charles nodded.

“Alexander needed an heir who could be controlled. When Isabella's son disappeared, he arranged for Richard to be raised as a Blackwood.”

Richard spoke again.

“But I wasn't the only child they moved.”

Everyone fell silent.

“What do you mean?” Adrian asked.

“There was another boy. He was taken from the hospital before the records were changed.”

Jonathan's face tightened.

“Richard, don't.”

“You've all spent years asking who the fourth child is. Maybe you should ask what happened to the fifth.”

Elena stared at the phone.

“Fifth?”

Richard took a breath.

“The hospital records showed four births. But there was another delivery that night. A premature baby whose mother was never registered.”

Evelyn stepped backward.

“That isn't possible.”

Richard's voice hardened.

“It is. I saw the record.”

Daniel shook his head.

“You were never supposed to see it.”

“Why? Because it would expose what you did?”

Margaret looked at Daniel.

“What did you do?”

Daniel lowered his eyes.

“I helped Isabella protect her son. That's all.”

Richard gave a bitter laugh.

“You helped her protect one child while another was taken.”

Daniel's face changed.

“Richard, listen to me. You don't understand what happened.”

“Then explain it!”

Nobody spoke.

Finally, Jonathan moved toward the desk.

“Richard, where did you find this record?”

“In Michael Hayes's private archive.”

Adrian looked at the documents.

“Is it there now?”

“No. I made a copy.”

“Send it to me.”

“I will. But there's one condition.”

Adrian frowned.

“What?”

“You must stop letting Daniel control this investigation.”

Daniel's voice rose.

“You have no idea what you're asking him to do!”

Richard replied calmly.

“I know exactly what I'm asking.”

The call disconnected.

For several seconds, nobody moved.

Then Adrian's phone vibrated.

A photograph appeared.

It showed an old hospital register.

Five entries were visible.

Three had names.

One was marked UNKNOWN FEMALE INFANT.

The final entry had been crossed out.

Beside it was a handwritten note.

TRANSFERRED TO PRIVATE CARE — AUTHORIZED BY D. BENNETT.

Elena slowly looked at Daniel.

“You authorized the transfer?”

Daniel closed his eyes.

“Yes.”

Margaret's voice trembled.

“Who was the baby?”

Daniel didn't answer.

Evelyn approached the register.

When she saw the final entry, her face drained of colour.

“No,” she whispered.

Catherine turned toward her.

“What is it?”

Evelyn pointed to the date.

“This wasn't the night Isabella gave birth.”

Jonathan stared at the document.

“Then when?”

Evelyn's answer came slowly.

“Three days earlier.”

Adrian frowned.

“So the fifth child wasn't born with the others?”

“No,” Evelyn replied. “The child was already missing before the other babies arrived.”

Elena looked at Daniel.

“Where is that child now?”

Daniel finally raised his eyes.

“I don't know.”

Charles stepped forward.

“That's another lie.”

Daniel turned toward him.

“You have no idea what I sacrificed to keep this family together.”

Charles's expression became cold.

“You sacrificed other people's lives to protect your secrets.”

Before Daniel could respond, the archive's telephone rang.

Everyone looked at it.

The old landline had no reason to work.

Jonathan approached and lifted the receiver.

“Hello?”

A woman's voice answered.

“Is Daniel there?”

Jonathan's expression changed.

“Who is this?”

“My name is Isabella.”

Margaret dropped the photograph.

Daniel went completely still.

Jonathan slowly placed the call on speaker.

The woman spoke again.

“Tell my sister I want to see her.”

Margaret covered her mouth.

Then the voice added something that made Daniel grip the desk.

“And tell Daniel that the child he promised to protect has finally found me.”

The call ended.

Daniel stared at the receiver.

Elena looked at him.

“Isabella is alive?”

Daniel nodded slowly.

“Yes.”

“Then why did you tell us she disappeared?”

His answer came in a whisper.

“Because I thought she was dead.”

Adrian's phone vibrated one more time.

A message from Richard appeared.

I FOUND THE FIFTH CHILD.

Then another message followed.

AND IT'S SOMEONE YOU ALL KNOW.