Chapter 22 - The Woman Who Raised Me
Victor’s brother, Adrian Hale, had been declared dead at twenty-two.
In reality, Malcolm had hidden him after a violent disagreement over control of the Registry.
Adrian had spent fifteen years working overseas, creating false identities for Malcolm’s most valuable clients.
Now he had returned to impersonate Victor and complete Lydia’s transfer.
The bank locked down after detecting two men with the same biometric profile.
Elise, Victor and the others escaped through the records department while Adrian was detained upstairs.
Outside, Rebecca collapsed.
At the hospital, doctors discovered a tracking device beneath an old surgical scar on her shoulder.
Malcolm had known her location for years.
“He allowed me to believe I was hiding,” Rebecca said.
Elise sat beside her bed.
“Did you ever love me as your daughter?”
Rebecca’s eyes filled with tears.
“You were not an assignment to me.”
“But you agreed to take me.”
“Yes.”
Rebecca explained that the three girls had been found after a private orphanage closed during a financial scandal. Their original records were missing.
She and Samuel planned to adopt all three.
Malcolm permitted them to take only Elise. Nora and Amelia were sent elsewhere to preserve backup versions of the Ward identity.
“I chose you because you were the child holding the wooden bird,” Rebecca said.
“That is not a reason.”
“No. The reason came later. Every morning you climbed into my bed and asked whether you were still mine.”
Rebecca reached for Elise’s hand.
“I should have told you the truth. But my love was never the lie.”
A nurse entered with test results.
The tracking device had transmitted one final message before removal.
Not to Malcolm.
To federal prosecutor Ava Sloan.
May you like
Rebecca stared at the name.
“Ava was the fourth child in that room.”
