Chapter 3 - Gabriel Realized His Uncle Had Known About Noah’s Location All AlongThomas disappeared before dawn.
Gabriel's first reaction was anger.
His second was disbelief.
Thomas had been the one person left who knew every secret of the Mercer family.
He had raised Gabriel after his father died.
He taught Michael how to negotiate.
He taught Gabriel how to fight.
He had stood beside them at every funeral.
If Thomas was involved, then Gabriel's entire childhood had been built on lies.
Sophie watched him pace the safe house.
“Maybe he isn't guilty.”
“He left.”
“That doesn't mean—”
“It does.”
She studied him.
“You sound like someone trying to convince himself.”
Gabriel stopped.
“What?”
“You want him to be innocent.”
“Yes.”
“Then don't decide yet.”
He looked at her.
“Why are you defending him?”
“I'm not.”
“Then what?”
“I'm defending the truth.”
Gabriel stared.
She was right.
He had spent his life making decisions quickly because hesitation could get people killed.
But this wasn't a street war.
This was his family.
And Sophie had already taught him that the obvious monster might not be the real one.
He sat.
“Tell me about your mother.”
Sophie was quiet.
“She was a good woman.”
“I believe you.”
“She worked in wealthy houses.”
“Which ones?”
“The Mercers.”
Gabriel's eyes narrowed.
“When?”
“Before I was born.”
“What did she do?”
“Housekeeping.”
He almost smiled.
“Your family seems to have a history of cleaning up after mine.”
Sophie didn't laugh.
“My mother saw things.”
“What things?”
“People arriving at night.”
“Money.”
“Men.”
“Names.”
“She memorized everything.”
Gabriel leaned forward.
“Why?”
“Because she was scared.”
“What happened?”
Sophie looked down.
“She disappeared for six months.”
“Where?”
“I don't know.”
“Then returned.”
“Yes.”
“With money?”
“No.”
“With a baby?”
“No.”
“With information?”
She nodded.
“A lot.”
“What kind?”
“She never told me.”
“Then why do you think Victor wants it?”
“Because before she died, she told me one thing.”
“What?”
“Never trust the man who smiles when everyone else is afraid.”
Gabriel remembered Victor's old photographs.
The permanent smile.
Then something occurred to him.
“What did your mother call the baby?”
Sophie looked confused.
“Noah.”
“Always?”
“Yes.”
“Not another name?”
She hesitated.
“Once.”
“What?”
“Daniel.”
Gabriel frowned.
“Why?”
“She said the baby had been registered under another name.”
“Which name?”
“Daniel Michael Mercer.”
Gabriel froze.
That was impossible.
His father's naming records had shown Michael's only son as Noah.
Sophie continued.
“My mother told me the name was changed after the hospital.”
Gabriel stood.
He needed records.
Old hospital records.
Birth certificates.
Anything.
They contacted a retired clerk who had worked at St. Vincent's.
The clerk remembered Michael.
More importantly, she remembered Elena.
And one other woman.
Rebecca Bennett.
The clerk gave them a box.
Inside was a copy of a birth certificate.
Mother: Elena Mercer.
Father: Michael Mercer.
Child: Daniel Michael Mercer.
Date of birth: fifteen years ago.
Gabriel stared.
“Noah was eleven weeks old when my brother died.”
Sophie corrected him.
“Someone changed his official age.”
Gabriel looked at her.
“Why?”
She shook her head.
The clerk explained that the original record had been amended.
A second certificate listed Noah.
The original was sealed.
Why?
Nobody knew.
Except perhaps Victor.
Gabriel contacted Ethan.
“Find Victor's surviving financial records.”
Ethan answered:
“There's another problem.”
“What?”
“Caleb has vanished.”
Gabriel closed his eyes.
“Anyone else missing?”
“Thomas.”
“Anyone from the old family network?”
A pause.
“Dr. Helena Ford.”
Gabriel's stomach tightened.
Helena had been his father's private physician.
She had also been the doctor who delivered Michael's son.
Sophie looked at Gabriel.
“Find her.”
They found the doctor at a retirement home outside the city.
She agreed to speak.
But only to Gabriel.
When he arrived, she looked terrified.
“Your family should have left this alone.”
Gabriel sat across from her.
“My brother is dead.”
“I know.”
“My nephew was kidnapped.”
“I know.”
“People are dying.”
She closed her eyes.
“I was there the night Noah was born.”
“What happened?”
“Your father came to the hospital.”
“Why?”
“To see Michael.”
“Did he know the baby existed?”
“Yes.”
“Why was the birth certificate changed?”
Helena stared at him.
“Because the baby wasn't safe.”
“From whom?”
She whispered:
“Your father.”
Gabriel went still.
“My father wanted to kill Noah?”
“No.”
She shook her head rapidly.
“He wanted to use him.”
“For what?”
“To control Michael.”
Gabriel clenched his fists.
Michael had refused to follow their father's orders.
Their father had threatened to take away everything.
But then the doctor said something that made no sense.
“Michael planned to leave.”
“With Elena?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't they?”
“Because someone betrayed them.”
“Who?”
Helena looked at Gabriel.
“Thomas.”
Gabriel stared.
“So he was involved.”
“Not willingly.”
“What does that mean?”
“Thomas was protecting someone.”
“Who?”
Helena whispered:
“You.”
Gabriel froze.
“My father threatened you.”
“Yes.”
“Thomas intercepted the order.”
“Yes.”
“So why did Michael think Thomas was the traitor?”
“Because Thomas asked me to lie.”
“To Michael?”
“To everyone.”
“About what?”
Helena's hands shook.
“The baby wasn't Noah.”
Gabriel's breath stopped.
Sophie stared at her.
“What do you mean?”
Helena looked at Sophie.
“The baby you are holding isn't the infant born that night.”
Sophie nearly dropped the blanket.
Gabriel stood.
“Explain.”
Helena took a breath.
“There were two babies.”
Silence.
“Twins?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
“One was born alive.”
She looked at Sophie.
“The other had already died.”
Gabriel's head spun.
“Whose?”
Helena whispered:
“Another woman.”
The room went silent.
The mystery had just become bigger.
Noah's identity might not be what they thought.
And Sophie had been protecting a child whose entire existence had been deliberately rewritten.
Before Gabriel could ask anything else, a nurse entered.
“Dr. Ford?”
Helena looked toward the door.
A man stood behind the nurse.
He smiled.
Sophie went pale.
“The smiling man.”
Gabriel turned.
The stranger raised a gun.
May you like
And Helena screamed:
“Run!”
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