Chapter 8: My Aunt Came Back From the Dead
I didn't move.
I couldn't.
For three years, I had imagined Victoria's last moments in the burning house. I had pictured smoke filling her lungs, flames climbing the walls, and my aunt desperately searching for a way out.
I'd cried over a closed casket.
I'd placed flowers on a grave.
I'd kept her old scarf in my closet because throwing it away felt like abandoning her twice.
Now she stood outside my hospital room, alive, with rain dripping from her umbrella.
Natalie whispered, "Oh, my God.""
Daniel stepped toward the door.
"Stay here," he told me.
But I was already pushing the blanket aside.
"Emily, wait.""
I ignored him.
The door opened.
Victoria stood in the corridor, her face thinner than I remembered, silver streaks running through her dark hair.
She looked at me as though she had spent three years rehearsing what to say.
"Hello, sweetheart.""
I slapped her.
The sound echoed down the corridor.
Victoria staggered backward.
Natalie gasped.
Daniel moved between us, but I pushed past him.
"You're alive!""
Victoria touched her cheek.
"Yes.""
"You let me bury you!""
Her eyes filled with tears.
"I know.""
"You let me believe you were dead!""
"I know.""
"You let me mourn you while my father told everyone what a tragedy it was!""
Victoria closed her eyes.
"I know, Emily.""
I wanted to hit her again.
Instead, I began to cry.
"You were supposed to love me.""
She reached for my hand.
I pulled away.
"Don't touch me.""
Her arm fell to her side.
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then Victoria looked at my stomach.
"You're having a little girl.""
I laughed bitterly.
"You don't get to ask about my daughter.""
"No," she whispered.
"I don't.""
Daniel stepped forward.
"Victoria Hale?""
She nodded.
"I'm Daniel Cross.""
"I know who you are.""
"Then you understand that we need to verify your identity and establish why you were declared dead.""
Victoria looked toward the nurses' station.
"Not here.""
"Why?""
"Because Charles has people watching this hospital.""
Daniel's expression hardened.
"Do you have evidence of that?""
Victoria reached into her coat and removed a small envelope.
"I have something more important.""
She handed it to me.
Inside was a photograph of Lucas standing beside my father outside a warehouse.
A red circle had been drawn around a timestamp.
9:17 p.m.
The night Lucas died.
My knees weakened.
Victoria caught my arm.
I almost pulled away, but the room began spinning, and I needed something to hold on to.
Daniel called for a nurse.
They helped me back onto the bed while Victoria stood near the door, her hands clasped in front of her.
Dr. Patel examined me and reminded everyone that stress could aggravate my symptoms. She insisted I rest while the medical team monitored the baby.
After she left, I looked at Victoria.
"Start talking.""
She sat in the chair Natalie had occupied earlier.
"I never died in that fire," she said.
"Then whose body was in the coffin?""
Victoria looked down.
"I don't know.""
I stared at her.
"You don't know?""
"The fire happened in a rental property Charles arranged for me. I was supposed to meet someone there. When I arrived, the building was already burning.""
"Why were you meeting someone?""
"Because I had discovered what Charles was doing with your mother's inheritance.""
I felt my stomach tighten.
"My mother's inheritance?""
Victoria nodded.
"Your mother left money in a trust for you. Charles was supposed to manage it until you turned thirty. But the trust was drained years before your thirtieth birthday.""
I shook my head.
"That's impossible. Dad said there was almost nothing left after my mother's medical bills.""
"He lied.""
The words were so simple.
So final.
I looked at Daniel.
He had gone very still.
Victoria continued.
"I found the original trust documents. I confronted Charles. He told me I didn't understand the investments, that the money had been moved legally, and that I should stop interfering.""
"What happened at the house?""
"He said he would meet me there to discuss the documents. I arrived late. The building was already on fire. I saw a man leaving through the back entrance.""
"Who?""
"I couldn't see his face.""
"Then how do you know Charles was involved?""
"Because the next morning, he called me.""
Victoria's voice cracked.
"He told me the police had identified my body. He told me that if I ever contacted you, he would make sure you suffered the same fate.""
I stared at her.
"You believed him?""
"I was frightened.""
"So was I!""
My voice broke.
"I was frightened when you disappeared. I was frightened at your funeral. I was frightened when Dad told me I was imagining things. And I was frightened when Lucas died, because I didn't understand how the world could take everything I loved in such a short time.""
Victoria began to cry.
"I know.""
"No, you don't.""
I looked away.
"You chose to survive by letting me believe you were dead.""
She didn't argue.
That made it worse.
After a moment, Daniel spoke.
"Victoria, why did you contact Lucas?""
She looked at him.
"Because he discovered the missing money independently. He came to me after finding irregularities in his company's accounts.""
"Did you tell him Charles was involved?""
"Yes.""
"And did you know about the insurance policy?""
Victoria's face changed.
"What insurance policy?""
I looked between them.
"Margaret said Lucas discovered the real beneficiary of the insurance policy. She said the beneficiary was me.""
Victoria shook her head.
"That doesn't make sense.""
"Why not?""
"Because Lucas changed the policy six months ago.""
I felt cold.
"Changed it to whom?""
Victoria looked at Daniel.
He hesitated.
Then he removed a document from his briefcase.
"I obtained a copy of the original policy this morning. The beneficiary designation was amended shortly before Lucas's death.""
He placed it on the bed.
My name appeared in the beneficiary section.
But beneath it was another name.
A secondary beneficiary.
*Charles Bennett.*
I stared at the page.
"Why would Lucas name my father?""
Daniel shook his head.
"He wouldn't have. The amendment is suspicious.""
Victoria leaned closer.
"That signature isn't Lucas's.""
I looked at her.
"How can you tell?""
"Because I watched him sign the original policy. The L in Lucas always crossed the following letter. This one doesn't.""
Daniel examined the document.
"You're right.""
He pulled out his phone and photographed the page.
"If this amendment is forged, it could establish motive.""
I looked at the photograph of Lucas outside the warehouse.
"What happened at 9:17?""
Victoria's eyes filled with dread.
"Lucas called me that evening. He said he had evidence that Charles was planning to transfer the remaining money before the audit. He wanted me to meet him at a warehouse near the highway.""
"Did you go?""
"Yes.""
"Was my father there?""
"Yes.""
"And Richard Cole?""
Victoria nodded.
"He was there too.""
My heart began racing.
"What happened?""
Victoria took a shaky breath.
"Lucas confronted Charles. They argued about the money. Charles accused Lucas of stealing from him. Lucas told him he had copies of everything.""
"Then?""
"Richard took Lucas's keys. Charles told him to make sure Lucas couldn't leave until he signed a document transferring control of the company.""
I gripped the blanket.
"Did Lucas sign?""
"No.""
"Did they hurt him?""
Victoria closed her eyes.
"I heard a struggle. Then I heard Charles say, 'You should have stayed out of this.''"
I felt sick.
"Did you see the accident?""
"No. I left before it happened.""
"Why?""
"Because Charles threatened to have me arrested for fraud. He said he had evidence that would put me in prison for the rest of my life.""
"So you ran.""
"Yes.""
I stared at her.
"And Lucas died six minutes later.""
Victoria nodded.
I pressed a hand against my mouth.
Daniel stood.
"We need to get this information to the police immediately.""
Victoria caught his wrist.
"There's more.""
He looked down at her hand.
"What?""
She released him and turned toward me.
"Lucas wasn't supposed to be driving that night.""
I frowned.
"What do you mean?""
"He was supposed to leave the warehouse with me. I had arranged for a driver to take him home because he was worried someone had tampered with his car.""
The room went silent.
I could hear the baby's heartbeat through the monitor.
"Who drove him instead?""
Victoria's eyes filled with tears.
"Richard Cole.""
Daniel's face went pale.
"Are you certain?""
"I saw him take Lucas's keys. I heard him say he'd drive Lucas to the highway entrance.""
I stared at her.
"Then Richard was driving the car?""
"No," Victoria whispered.
"Lucas drove away alone.""
"Why?""
"Because Charles told him something. I don't know what. Lucas looked terrified. He took his keys back and left without me.""
I closed my eyes.
My husband had been afraid.
And I hadn't known.
Daniel walked toward the door.
"I'm contacting the police. No one leaves this hospital without giving a statement.""
Victoria looked at me.
"Emily, there's one more thing you need to know.""
I opened my eyes.
She reached into her coat and removed a folded sheet of paper.
It was an old photograph of my mother holding me as a baby.
On the back was a handwritten message.
To my daughter, when she is old enough to understand the truth.
I recognized my mother's handwriting.
Victoria placed it in my hand.
"Your mother knew what Charles was capable of," she whispered.
"Before she died, she discovered that he had been using your identity to move money out of the trust.""
I stared at the photograph.
"Why didn't she tell me?""
"She tried.""
Victoria's voice broke.
"But Charles made sure you never received her letters.""
I looked up.
"Where are they?""
Victoria swallowed.
"In a safe deposit box.""
"Where?""
She glanced toward the door.
"At the bank where your mother kept the trust documents.""
Daniel returned to the room.
"Police are on their way.""
Victoria looked at him.
"Then I need to tell them something before Charles finds out I'm here.""
She turned back to me.
"The night of the fire, I wasn't alone. Someone helped me escape. Someone who has been working for Charles ever since.""
My blood ran cold.
"Who?""
Victoria's lips trembled.
"Margaret Ellis.""
I stared at her.
"Margaret helped you escape?""
"Yes.""
"Then why is she working for my father?""
Victoria looked toward the hospital window.
"Because Charles has her son.""
For several seconds, I couldn't speak.
Then Victoria leaned forward and whispered the words that shattered everything I thought I understood.
"Emily, Margaret didn't forge your signature to steal your house.""
I stared at her.
"Then why did she do it?""
Victoria's answer came softly.
"Because your father has spent years trying to establish that you were never legally entitled to your mother's inheritance in the first place.""
May you like
She pointed at the photograph of my mother.
"And the document he needs to prove it is the original birth certificate you have never seen.""
