Chapter 8: The Boy With My Mother's Eyes
Adrian didn't approach us.
He simply stood beside his car, holding his phone.
He wore a charcoal suit and a dark overcoat. His silver hair was neatly combed, and his shoes looked untouched by the rain.
He appeared to be an ordinary businessman.
That was what made him frightening.
“Marcus,” he called.
Dad stepped forward.
“Stay where you are.””
Adrian smiled.
“It's been a long time.””
“Not long enough.””
Adrian glanced at Vanessa.
“You shouldn't have come here.””
She looked down.
“I had to.””
“No, Vanessa. You didn't.””
Dad moved closer.
“Where is the boy?””
Adrian's smile disappeared.
“What boy?””
“Oliver.””
A brief silence followed.
Then Adrian laughed.
“That's a common name.””
“Don't play games.””
“I'm not.””
Dad pointed toward the photograph on my phone.
“Is that your son?””
Adrian glanced at it.
“Yes.””
“Is he Rebecca's child?””
His expression changed.
For the first time, the confidence disappeared from his face.
Then he looked at me.
“You must be Ethan.””
I didn't answer.
He studied me for several seconds.
“You look remarkably like your mother.””
“Did you know her?””
“Yes.””
“Did you take her baby?””
Adrian sighed.
“Your mother was a complicated woman.””
I stepped forward.
“Answer me.””
Dad caught my shoulder.
Adrian adjusted his coat.
“Rebecca made decisions she later regretted. I helped her when nobody else would.””
“By stealing her children?””
“That's an emotional interpretation.””
Dad moved toward him.
“I'm warning you.””
Adrian raised both hands.
“Marcus, please. We can discuss this somewhere private.””
“No.””
“Then you're going to make things difficult.””
“They're already difficult.””
Adrian looked at Vanessa.
“You've told them too much.””
She shook her head.
“They deserve the truth.””
He stared at her.
“You don't get to decide that.””
Then he opened his car door.
Before getting inside, he looked at me.
“Ask your uncle why he signed the transfer documents.””
The door closed.
The car pulled away.
I turned toward Daniel.
“What did he mean?””
Daniel didn't answer.
Dad looked furious.
“Get in the car.””
We drove straight to Daniel's house.
He lived in a quiet neighborhood on the outskirts of town, in a large brick house with a narrow driveway and a garden full of overgrown shrubs.
Inside, he went straight to his study.
He opened a locked cabinet and removed a thick folder.
“I should have destroyed this years ago,” he said.
Dad folded his arms.
“What's in it?””
“Everything I received from Adrian.””
He placed the folder on the desk.
Inside were copies of hospital documents, letters, and several bank statements.
I noticed a payment record.
£25,000.
The recipient was Daniel Walker.
I stared.
“What's that?””
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Adrian paid me.””
Dad stepped forward.
“What?””
“It wasn't for the child.””
“Then what was it for?””
Daniel looked at the floor.
“He said the money was compensation for helping Rebecca arrange the temporary transfer.””
Dad's voice rose.
“You accepted money?””
“I returned it.””
“When?””
“Six months later.””
“Why?””
“Because I realized something was wrong.””
I looked at him.
“Did you know the baby was being placed with another family?””
Daniel nodded.
“Yes.””
“And you still signed?””
“I believed he would be safe.””
I felt my throat tighten.
“You knew Mom wanted him back.””
Daniel lowered his head.
“Yes.””
“And you didn't help her?””
“I tried.””
“You signed the papers!””
My voice cracked.
Daniel didn't defend himself.
He simply stood there, accepting the anger.
Dad picked up the bank statement.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because I was ashamed.””
“That's not an answer.””
“I thought I could fix it before anyone found out.””
Dad threw the statement onto the desk.
“You let my wife die believing her children were gone.””
Daniel's eyes filled.
“I know.””
The room became silent.
Then I noticed another document.
It was a letter from Adrian.
The date was twelve years earlier.
I picked it up.
The message was short.
*Daniel,*
*The boy has settled with his new family. They have been told he was abandoned. There is no reason to disturb the arrangement.*
*The girl remains a separate matter. Vanessa has handled that side of things.*
*If Rebecca contacts you again, remind her that the children are safer where they are.*
*A.C.*
I read it twice.
“The girl remains a separate matter.””
Dad looked at the letter.
“Where is she?””
Daniel shook his head.
“I don't know.””
I stared at him.
“You signed the paperwork. You received the letters. You took the money. How can you not know?””
He looked at me.
“Because Adrian stopped communicating with me after I returned the money.””
I dropped the letter.
Then I saw something else.
A small photograph clipped to the back of the folder.
It showed two newborn babies lying side by side.
One had a blue blanket.
The other had a pink one.
On the back, Mom had written:
*My two miracles. Oliver and Olivia.*
I looked at the names.
Oliver.
Olivia.
My brother and sister.
I felt dizzy.
“Dad.””
He took the photograph.
His eyes moved over the handwriting.
“Olivia,” he whispered.
I looked at Daniel.
“Where is Olivia?””
He didn't know.
But someone else did.
A phone rang in the hallway.
Daniel went to answer it.
I heard him say hello.
Then silence.
Then:
“Where did you get this number?””
His voice became strained.
He returned to the study holding his phone.
“It's Margaret Ellis.””
Dad took the call.
“Margaret?””
Her voice came through the speaker.
“Marcus, I've just received a message from someone claiming to represent Adrian Cole.””
Dad frowned.
“What did they say?””
“They want to meet.””
“Why?””
“To discuss the missing child.””
Dad looked at me.
“Which child?””
Margaret paused.
“Your daughter.””
My breath caught.
Dad gripped the phone.
“Olivia?””
“Yes.””
“Where is she?””
“I don't know. But the person says they have proof she is alive.””
Dad closed his eyes.
“Where do they want to meet?””
“At the old family estate in Manchester.””
Daniel shook his head.
“That's a trap.””
Margaret continued.
“There's another condition.””
Dad's expression hardened.
“What?””
“They want Ethan to come alone.””
“No.””
The answer came instantly.
Dad ended the call.
I looked at him.
“Maybe they know where she is.””
“Absolutely not.””
“Dad, she's my sister.””
“I know.””
“Then we can't ignore this.””
He shook his head.
“I am not letting you walk into a trap.””
Daniel leaned against the desk.
“We could contact the police.””
“Do it,” Dad said.
Daniel reached for his phone.
But before he could dial, another call came through.
Vanessa.
Dad stared at the screen.
Then he answered.
“What?””
Her voice was trembling.
“Marcus, you need to listen.””
“I'm done listening to you.””
“Adrian is going to use Olivia to control you.””
Dad froze.
“What do you know?””
“I know where she is.””
I stepped closer.
“Where?””
Vanessa continued.
“She was raised by a family who believed she was adopted. But they weren't told the truth.””
Dad's voice became urgent.
“Who are they?””
“I'm not saying it over the phone.””
“Then come here.””
“I can't.””
“Why?””
“Because Adrian knows I contacted you.””
There was a pause.
Then Vanessa said something that made the room go silent.
“Olivia is living with the woman who helped Rebecca give birth.””
I frowned.
“What woman?””
Vanessa whispered:
“Patricia Moore.””
Dad looked at Daniel.
Then at me.
Patricia.
The nurse from the café.
The woman who had told us she didn't know where the children had gone.
I felt sick.
“Why would Patricia have Olivia?””
Vanessa answered:
“Because Patricia wasn't just the nurse.””
A pause.
“She was the person who arranged the original transfer.””
The call ended.
Dad stared at the phone.
Daniel looked horrified.
Then my phone vibrated.
A photograph appeared.
It showed Patricia standing outside a house.
Beside her was a young woman with dark hair.
She looked about seventeen.
Underneath the photograph was a message.
*You have until tomorrow to decide whether you want to meet your sister.*
May you like
Then another message appeared.
*And if you tell the police, you'll never see either of them again.*
