Chapter 8: The Sister I Never Knew
I couldn’t speak.
Not because I didn’t have questions.
Because I had too many.
A thousand questions were crashing through my mind at once.
A sister.
I had a sister.
My mother had another child.
And everyone knew except me.
Sophie stood in the doorway, holding the photograph like it was the last piece of a broken life.
She looked older than me.
Maybe ten years older.
Her face carried familiar features.
The same eyes as my mother.
The same small smile.
It was terrifying.
Because looking at her felt like looking at a stranger who somehow belonged to me.
“Who are you?”” I whispered.
She swallowed.
“I’m Sophie Bennett.””
The last name meant nothing.
Until Mark reacted.
His face went pale.
“Bennett?””
Sophie nodded.
“Yes.””
Mark looked at me.
Then at her.
“No.””
Sophie’s eyes filled with pain.
“I know.””
“What?””
I looked between them.
“What is happening?””
Mark sat down slowly.
Like his legs couldn’t support him.
“Sophie is your half-sister.””
My heart pounded.
“How?””
Sophie answered.
“Your mother had me before she met your father.””
“Which father?””
The question slipped out.
And the sadness on Sophie’s face told me she understood exactly what I meant.
“Before Victor.””
I looked away.
Everything about my family was built on secrets.
“I don’t understand.””
Sophie stepped inside.
“Your mother was seventeen when she had me.””
I froze.
“Seventeen?””
She nodded.
“My grandmother raised me because your mother was scared.””
“Scared of what?””
Sophie looked at Mark.
“Of the same thing that scared her when she had Clara.””
I felt my stomach tighten.
“Victor?””
“No.””
Her answer surprised me.
“Before Victor.””
She sat down.
“My mother spent her whole life running from people who wanted to control her.””
The room was silent.
“My grandfather forced her to give me up because he thought a child would ruin her future.””
I looked at the photograph.
“My grandfather?””
Sophie nodded.
“Your great-grandfather.””
I felt dizzy.
The family tree I thought I knew was disappearing branch by branch.
“My mother had you,” I whispered.
“Yes.””
“And she never told me?””
Sophie looked down.
“She wanted to.””
“Then why didn’t she?””
“Because when she tried…”
Sophie stopped.
“What?””
She looked at Mark.
And Mark closed his eyes.
“She was threatened.””
The word hung there.
“By who?””
Nobody answered.
I stood.
“Stop doing that.””
Everyone looked at me.
“Stop looking at each other like I’m not in the room.””
My voice cracked.
“I am tired of being the last person to know my own story.””
Mark stood.
“You’re right.””
That surprised me.
He nodded.
“You’re right, Clara.””
The apology was simple.
No excuses.
No defense.
Just truth.
“I should have told you more.””
“Yes.””
“I was afraid.””
“I know.””
The answer came faster than expected.
Because suddenly, I understood.
Fear had controlled every person around me.
My mother.
Mark.
Daniel.
Even Sophie.
Everyone had been running from something.
But I was done running.
I turned to Sophie.
“Why are you here now?””
Her eyes moved to the wedding dress I was still wearing.
“I heard about Victor.””
My expression changed.
“How?””
“He contacted me.””
My heart sank.
“Victor knows about you?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Sophie looked at Mark.
“Because he’s looking for something.””
“What?””
She reached into her bag.
She pulled out a small flash drive.
“This.””
Nobody moved.
“What is it?””
“Evidence.””
“Of what?””
Sophie looked at me.
“Of what Victor did to your mother.””
The room went cold.
I stared at the tiny object in her hand.
“What kind of evidence?””
Sophie hesitated.
“Your mother recorded everything.””
My breath caught.
“She knew?””
“Yes.””
“Why didn’t she release it?””
“Because she was waiting for the right moment.””
“And that moment never came.””
Sophie nodded.
A tear rolled down her cheek.
“She died before she could.””
I looked at Mark.
“What happened the night she died?””
His face tightened.
“I told you. She had a heart condition.””
“No.””
I stepped closer.
“You said that was what doctors reported.””
Mark went silent.
I remembered.
The exact words.
Not what happened.
What was reported.
My voice dropped.
“What aren’t you telling me?””
Mark looked at the flash drive.
Then at Sophie.
Then at me.
Finally, he whispered:
“Your mother didn’t have a heart attack.””
My chest tightened.
“Then what happened?””
Mark looked like he was breaking apart.
“She was poisoned.””
The room went silent.
Ryan grabbed my hand.
Sophie covered her mouth.
And I felt the entire world tilt again.
“Who poisoned her?””
Nobody answered.
Then my phone buzzed.
A message.
From an unknown number.
One sentence.
*You should have left the past buried, Clara.*
A second message appeared.
*Ask Mark why he was the last person to see your mother alive.*
May you like
I slowly raised my eyes.
Because Mark had gone completely pale.
