Chapter 18: The Last Hidden Enemy
The name on the document blurred.
I read it once.
Then again.
My mind refused to accept it.
*Thomas Collins.*
The man who had protected my family for decades.
The man who stood beside my father.
The man who helped me uncover every secret.
“No.””
The word escaped before I could stop it.
Thomas looked at the document.
And went completely silent.
That silence was worse than an explanation.
“Thomas.””
He closed his eyes.
“I can explain.””
My father stepped forward.
“Explain what?””
The old attorney looked at Alexander.
“I never wanted it to happen this way.””
My mother stood.
“You knew?””
Thomas looked at her.
“I knew pieces.””
“Pieces?””
Her voice broke.
“You knew my sister was alive?””
Thomas looked down.
“Yes.””
The room exploded.
Adrian grabbed the table.
“You knew where my mother was?””
Thomas looked at him.
“I tried to protect her.””
Adrian laughed.
“Everyone says that.””
The same words.
The same excuse.
Thomas looked at me.
“Eleanor, please understand.””
I stared at him.
“Understand what?””
My voice shook.
“That everyone I trusted had a reason to lie?””
He looked away.
“I made mistakes.””
“No.””
I shook my head.
“Mistakes are accidents.””
I pointed at the document.
“This was a choice.””
Thomas looked broken.
But broken people could still hurt you.
“What did you do?””
He took a deep breath.
“Years ago, I discovered Richard’s plan.””
Alexander stared.
“Then why didn’t you tell me?””
Thomas looked at him.
“Because you would have destroyed him.””
“Yes.””
“And that would have destroyed the company.””
I froze.
“You protected the company?””
Thomas nodded.
“I thought I was protecting the future.””
I looked around.
The same excuse again.
The company.
The legacy.
The empire.
Always the empire.
“And my family?””
Thomas had no answer.
Because there wasn’t one.
Then Clara spoke.
“He didn’t do it alone.””
Everyone turned.
Thomas looked at her.
“Clara.””
She looked at him sadly.
“You helped Richard.””
Thomas closed his eyes.
“I helped him once.””
The confession landed like a bomb.
“Why?””
Thomas looked at Alexander.
“Because your father refused to see the danger.””
Alexander looked stunned.
“I trusted you.””
“I know.””
Thomas’s voice cracked.
“And that is what I regret most.””
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then security alarms started blaring.
Again.
But this time, nobody moved.
Because we all knew.
Someone else was coming.
A message appeared on every phone.
From an unknown number.
*Congratulations. You found the final traitor.*
Then another message.
*But you still haven’t found the final truth.*
The screen changed.
A video began playing.
Thomas.
Years younger.
Sitting across from someone.
Richard Vale.
But there was another person in the room.
A person whose face was hidden.
Thomas whispered:
“I never knew who he really worked for.””
The video paused.
Then the hidden person turned slightly toward the camera.
Everyone leaned closer.
And my blood froze.
Because I recognized the face.
Not from memory.
Not from photographs.
From the mirror.
The person in the video looked exactly like me.
Clara stepped back.
“No.””
My mother grabbed my arm.
“Eleanor…”
I stared at the screen.
Impossible.
The person behind everything looked like me because…
Because it was me.
But not me.
An identical face.
A woman I had never met.
A woman who shared my blood.
My father whispered:
“No.””
The video ended with one final message.
*You thought you were the only Eleanor Vale.*
My phone buzzed.
A photograph appeared.
Two girls.
Same face.
Same eyes.
Same age.
One was me.
The other was someone I had never known existed.
Underneath the photo was a name.
*Eleanor Vale II.*
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And below it:
*She has been waiting for you.*
