His hands trembled violently.
“No…” he whispered. “She can’t be alive…”
Sophia stared at him in disbelief.
“Dad… what is she talking about?”
The maid looked between them, terrified.
Richard suddenly grabbed the edge of the table like he was about to collapse.
“Everyone leave,” he ordered.
Nobody moved.
“I SAID LEAVE!”
Guests rushed out of the ballroom in panic. Within seconds, only Sophia, the maid, and Richard remained.
Rain poured outside the massive windows.
Richard slowly sat down.
Twenty-two years of secrets were about to explode.
“Your mother gave birth to twins,” he said quietly.
Sophia’s eyes widened.
The maid froze.
“She discovered terrible things about this family… things that would destroy us forever.” His voice cracked. “The night she tried to escape with both babies… there was a car accident.”
Sophia shook her head.
“You told me my mother died instantly…”
Richard looked at the maid.
“She survived.”
The maid covered her mouth in shock.
“She woke up weeks later believing one daughter had died.” He swallowed hard. “But my business partners feared she would expose them.”
Sophia backed away slowly.
“What did you do…?”
Richard’s eyes filled with tears.
“I paid someone at the hospital to take the second baby away.”
The maid began crying.
Sophia stared at her father like she no longer recognized him.
“You stole her life…”
“I was trying to protect this family!”
“By destroying another one?!”
Suddenly—
⚡ BANG.
The penthouse doors burst open.
A soaked woman stepped inside wearing a dark coat.
Older now. Exhausted. But unmistakable.
Both necklaces began glowing beneath the chandelier light.
The maid stopped breathing.
Sophia’s knees nearly gave out.
Because standing before them…
was their mother.
And she had a gun in her hand.
