Chapter Six: My Sister, My Rival
"She's Vanessa."
The words didn't make sense.
They couldn't.
Vanessa was my sister?
I stared at my mother as though she had suddenly started speaking another language.
"No."
My mother reached for me.
"Emily—"
"No."
I stepped backward.
"You're lying."
"I'm not."
"Vanessa can't be my sister."
My father grabbed the damaged door handle and tried to hold it shut.
"We don't have time."
"I don't care!"
I pointed at my mother.
"You expect me to believe that the woman I've spent months thinking was having an affair with my husband is actually my sister?"
My mother nodded through her tears.
"Yes."
I shook my head violently.
"Then why didn't I know?"
"Because we were separated when you were very young."
"Why?"
My mother looked at my father.
He finally spoke.
"Because Vanessa was taken."
The pounding on the door became louder.
Someone shouted from the other side.
"Open the door!"
My father pushed a heavy cabinet against it.
"Later," he said. "We explain everything later."
"No."
I grabbed his arm.
"Now."
He stared at me.
"You want to know why Vanessa became my husband's secret?"
"Yes."
"Because Daniel was trying to find her."
I froze.
"What?"
Daniel looked at me.
"Your mother told me Vanessa was alive."
"When?"
"Before I met you."
I felt sick.
"You knew about her before we met?"
"Yes."
"And you never told me?"
"I didn't know how."
I laughed bitterly.
"Try saying, 'Emily, you have a sister.'"
"I couldn't."
"Why?"
"Because Vanessa was working with the people who had taken her."
My mouth fell open.
"She was working for them?"
"Not willingly."
My mother spoke.
"They threatened her."
I looked toward the door.
"Who?"
My father answered.
"The same people who killed your father."
I stared at him.
"Who are they?"
He shook his head.
"We still don't know everyone involved."
"Then what do you know?"
"Enough to know that Vanessa has been trying to escape them for years."
The door shook again.
Wood cracked.
My mother grabbed my hand.
"We have to move."
We followed my father through another passage.
The tunnel led beneath the house and into an old storage building behind the property.
Once we were outside, I turned toward Daniel.
"Where is Vanessa?"
"I don't know."
"You were with her."
"Not anymore."
"You said she gave you the flash drive."
"She did."
"Why?"
"Because she wanted me to expose them."
I stared at him.
"And you couldn't tell me any of this?"
"If I told you, they would have killed you."
I looked away.
My entire marriage had been built around secrets.
Yet somehow, Daniel still expected me to believe that every lie had been for my protection.
My mother touched my shoulder.
"Emily."
I turned.
"I need you to understand something."
"What?"
"Vanessa never wanted to take your husband."
I frowned.
"Then why did she behave like she did?"
"Because she needed Daniel to believe she was still loyal to the organization."
I looked at Daniel.
"And you?"
"I knew."
"So every time I saw you with her..."
"She was protecting her cover."
I remembered the messages.
I miss you already.
You promised me tonight would be ours.
I remembered the photograph of them together.
All of it suddenly looked different.
"Then why did she send me those messages?"
"Because she wanted you to find out."
"Why?"
"Because she knew the truth was about to come out."
My mother nodded.
"Vanessa has been trying to reach you for years."
I looked at her.
"Why?"
"Because you're her sister."
I closed my eyes.
I couldn't accept it.
Not yet.
I had spent months hating a woman who might actually have been my family.
A woman I had believed was stealing my husband.
A woman who had apparently been risking her life to protect me.
My phone suddenly buzzed.
I looked down.
The battery was still out.
Yet the screen was glowing.
A message appeared.
You finally know.
I stared at it.
Then another message.
Now ask your mother why she gave me away.
I looked at my mother.
Her face went white.
"Who is sending these?"
She didn't answer.
I showed her the screen.
She began trembling.
"Vanessa."
"How does she know?"
My mother looked toward the darkness beyond the building.
"Because she's watching us."
A third message appeared.
Don't trust Daniel.
I looked at my husband.
He had gone still.
Another message appeared.
He still hasn't told you what happened the night your father died.
I looked at Daniel.
"She's right."
His jaw tightened.
"What?"
"You still haven't told me."
He looked at my father.
My father shook his head.
"She deserves the truth."
Daniel closed his eyes.
Then he finally spoke.
"The night your father died, I went to his house."
"You already told me that."
"I found him arguing with someone."
"Who?"
"Vanessa's father."
I froze.
"What were they arguing about?"
"Your father had discovered that he was using your family's company to move illegal money."
"And then?"
"They fought."
"What happened?"
Daniel swallowed.
"Your father was shot."
My hand flew to my mouth.
"By Vanessa's father?"
"I didn't see who fired the gun."
"But you were there."
"Yes."
"Why didn't you call the police?"
"I did."
"You just said you didn't."
"I called someone."
"Who?"
Daniel looked at me.
"Your mother."
I turned toward her.
"You were there?"
She nodded.
"I arrived after Daniel."
"Was my father alive?"
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Yes."
My heart broke.
"What did he say?"
"He told me to take care of you."
"What else?"
"He said Vanessa was in danger."
I frowned.
"Vanessa was there?"
"No."
"Then how did he know?"
My mother looked at my father.
He answered.
"Because your father had been searching for her."
I stared at him.
"Why?"
"Because Vanessa had been kidnapped when she was five."
My breath caught.
"Kidnapped?"
"Yes."
"By whom?"
"Her father's enemies."
"Then how did she end up with him?"
My father hesitated.
"She didn't."
I stared at him.
"What does that mean?"
"Vanessa was raised by another family."
I shook my head.
"This doesn't make sense."
"It will."
My father took a breath.
"Your mother and I had two daughters. You and Vanessa."
"I know that now."
"After Vanessa was taken, your mother became obsessed with finding her."
My mother looked down.
"I searched for years."
"Then why did you fake your own death?"
"Because they threatened to kill you."
"Who?"
"The organization."
I stared at her.
"They told me that if I continued searching, they would kill you."
"So you disappeared."
"Yes."
"And Dad?"
"He pretended I was dead."
"Why?"
"Because it was the only way to keep you safe."
I felt tears slipping down my face.
"All those years..."
My mother stepped closer.
"I watched you from a distance."
"Why didn't you come back?"
"Because every time I tried, they found me."
I looked at Daniel.
"And he knew?"
"Yes."
I shook my head.
"So that's why you married Vanessa."
Daniel nodded.
"To get close to the organization."
"And why you married me."
His eyes filled with tears.
"To protect you."
I didn't know whether to believe him.
Then the flash drive in my hand suddenly felt heavy.
"What is on this?"
Daniel looked at it.
"Everything Vanessa collected."
My father stepped closer.
"Don't open it here."
"Why?"
"Because if the organization is watching us, they'll know."
I looked at Daniel.
"Where do we go?"
He hesitated.
"I know somewhere safe."
My mother immediately shook her head.
"No."
Daniel looked at her.
"They'll find us there."
"Then where?"
My father answered.
"There's only one place they won't search."
"Where?"
He looked at me.
"Your childhood home."
I frowned.
"That's been abandoned for years."
"Exactly."
We drove there before dawn.
The house was smaller than I remembered.
I stood outside for several seconds.
I could almost hear my childhood laughter.
My mother's voice.
My father's footsteps.
Memories I had believed were gone forever.
We entered.
My father walked straight to the basement.
I followed.
He stopped in front of a wall.
Then he pressed his hand against a particular brick.
A section opened.
Behind it was a small metal box.
He pulled it out.
Inside were photographs.
Documents.
Letters.
And one small envelope.
My name was written on it.
I looked at my mother.
"Another letter?"
She nodded.
"Your father wrote it before he disappeared."
I opened it.
Emily,
If you are reading this, then you know the truth about your mother and Vanessa.
My hands trembled.
But there is one final truth I could never tell you.
I swallowed.
Daniel didn't choose to marry you.
I looked at Daniel.
He stared at the floor.
I continued reading.
I ordered him to.
My heart stopped.
I looked up.
"What?"
Daniel closed his eyes.
My father continued in the letter.
I knew the organization would come after you. The only person I trusted to protect you was Daniel.
My hands shook harder.
But I couldn't tell you because the people watching us would have killed you.
I read the next line.
There was another reason I chose Daniel.
I looked at my husband.
The letter continued.
He was the only person who knew where the original evidence was hidden.
I stared at the flash drive.
Then I read the final sentence.
Emily, if Daniel has given you the evidence, do not trust what you see.
My heart pounded.
The evidence has been altered.
I slowly lowered the letter.
"Daniel."
He looked at me.
"Did you alter the evidence?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Then why would my father say that?"
Daniel stepped toward me.
"I don't know."
Suddenly, the lights went out.
My mother screamed.
A crash came from upstairs.
Someone had entered the house.
Daniel grabbed my hand.
"Stay behind me."
Then a voice echoed through the basement.
"Emily."
I froze.
It was Vanessa.
"Vanessa?"
"Don't move."
Her voice trembled.
"Daniel has been lying to you."
Daniel turned toward the stairs.
"Vanessa, get out of here."
She ignored him.
"Emily, listen to me."
"What?"
"You cannot trust the flash drive."
I looked down at it.
"Why?"
"Because Daniel doesn't know what he gave you."
My blood ran cold.
"What does that mean?"
Vanessa's voice broke.
"It means the evidence isn't altered."
A pause.
"It's real."
I looked at Daniel.
Vanessa whispered:
"And it proves that Daniel was the one who killed your father."
