LOGINCHAPTER FORTY-THREE: THE TWIN WHO NEVER DIEDELENA“You’re Lily’s twin?”Eleanor stood at the bottom of the staircase, looking at us with an expression I couldn’t quite understand.Lily hadn’t moved.She was staring at Eleanor as though the woman had just announced that the world was ending.“That’s impossible,” Lily whispered.Eleanor smiled sadly.“That’s what they told me too.”Lily shook her head.“No. My mother told me my twin died.”“Your mother was told I died.”Margaret covered her face.I looked between them.“Can somebody explain how this happened?”Eleanor descended the remaining steps.“When Lily and I were born, Robert wanted to take both of us. He believed we had inherited certain traits from him. Margaret refused.”My mother nodded.“Robert was becoming dangerous. I knew he would never allow me to raise you both in peace.”Eleanor looked at her.“So you gave one of us away.”“I didn’t have a choice.”“You always had a choice, Mother.”Margaret began crying.Lily finally
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO: THE DAUGHTER OF DANIELELENAI read the name again.Daniel’s daughter.The words seemed to blur in front of me.I looked at the hospital register, then at the man standing across from me.“Explain.”Daniel lowered the gun.“Elena, put that document down.”“No.”“You’re not understanding what you’re looking at.”“Then help me understand!”Samuel coughed from the floor.Blood was spreading across his shirt, but he still managed a weak smile.“Tell her, Daniel.”My father turned towards him.“Shut up.”Samuel laughed painfully.“You’ve spent twenty years pretending she was somebody else’s daughter. I think she deserves to know.”I looked at Daniel.“Am I your biological daughter?”He didn’t answer.I stepped backwards.“Answer me!”“Yes.”The word came out quietly.I shook my head.“No.”Daniel’s eyes filled.“You’re my daughter, Elena.”I felt the air leave my lungs.“But Margaret said…”“Margaret was told something different.”I turned towards the doorway.My mother
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE: THE NAME SHE STOLEELENA“Daniel, don’t.”My mother’s voice cut through the room.I turned.Daniel had pulled a gun from inside his jacket.He wasn’t pointing it at me.He was pointing it at Eleanor.For several seconds, nobody moved.Eleanor looked at the weapon and laughed.“Really? After all these years, this is how you intend to end the conversation?”“Put the photograph down.”She glanced at the picture in her hand.“This one?”Daniel’s jaw tightened.“Now.”Eleanor slowly placed it on the table.But she didn’t look frightened.That was what unsettled me most.She looked almost amused.“You’re making a mistake,” she said.Daniel raised the gun slightly.“Don’t test me.”I moved towards my mother.“What’s happening?”Margaret grabbed my hand.“Stay behind me.”I stared at her.“Why does Eleanor keep saying I was given her name?”She didn’t answer.“Mother.”Her eyes filled with tears.“Because Elena wasn’t the name you were given when you were born.”I felt my s
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE: THE DAUGHTER THEY ERASEDELENAThe darkness swallowed everything.I heard Margaret scream.Something crashed against the floor.Then a hand grabbed mine.“Don’t move.”I recognised Vivienne’s voice.“Where’s Lily?”“Upstairs.”“We need to get her.”“Elena, wait.”A faint light appeared.Someone had switched on a phone torch.It was Samuel.He stood near the sitting room entrance, looking towards the staircase.“Nobody leaves this house.”I stared at him.“Excuse me?”He ignored me.“Daniel, where is the key?”Daniel didn’t answer.Samuel’s expression changed.“Where is it?”“What key?” I asked.Margaret suddenly stepped forward.“The basement.”I turned towards her.“What basement?”She looked at Daniel.“Tell them.”Daniel rubbed his face.“There is a room beneath this house.”I frowned.“Why?”“Because there are things you don’t know about your childhood.”I almost laughed.“At this point, I don’t think there’s anything left to surprise me.”Margaret looked at m
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE: THE DAUGHTER THEY ERASEDELENAThe darkness swallowed everything.I heard Margaret scream.Something crashed against the floor.Then a hand grabbed mine.“Don’t move.”I recognised Vivienne’s voice.“Where’s Lily?”“Upstairs.”“We need to get her.”“Elena, wait.”A faint light appeared.Someone had switched on a phone torch.It was Samuel.He stood near the sitting room entrance, looking towards the staircase.“Nobody leaves this house.”I stared at him.“Excuse me?”He ignored me.“Daniel, where is the key?”Daniel didn’t answer.Samuel’s expression changed.“Where is it?”“What key?” I asked.Margaret suddenly stepped forward.“The basement.”I turned towards her.“What basement?”She looked at Daniel.“Tell them.”Daniel rubbed his face.“There is a room beneath this house.”I frowned.“Why?”“Because there are things you don’t know about your childhood.”I almost laughed.“At this point, I don’t think there’s anything left to surprise me.”Margaret looked at m
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT: THE FOURTH DAUGHTERELENA“Finally. All four of you are together.”The voice came from upstairs.I froze.Nobody moved.My mother looked as though she had just seen a ghost. Vivienne stood beside the staircase, her fingers gripping the railing so tightly that her knuckles had turned white.Daniel, however, looked angry.Not surprised.Angry.“Who is that?” I whispered.Margaret shook her head.“Nobody you should be speaking to.”I turned towards her.“Stop doing that.”“Elena…”“Stop deciding what I should know! You tell me there were four babies, that one of them died, and now somebody is standing upstairs claiming we’re finally together. I want answers!”A slow clap interrupted me.We all turned.A man appeared at the top of the staircase.He was wearing a dark suit, and his expression carried an unsettling familiarity.I recognised him.Dr. Samuel Hayes.The family physician who had treated me throughout my childhood.The man who had attended Daniel’s birthday







