CHAPTER 7 – The Sister Who Planned Everything
Daniel couldn't move.
The phone slipped from his hand and crashed onto the hospital floor.
Michael picked it up.
"The call ended."
Both brothers stared at each other.
A sister?
How could they have a sister when their mother had only spoken about twins?
The detective slowly shook his head.
"The hospital records from thirty-three years ago were heavily altered."
"Someone erased an entire birth."
Before anyone could ask another question, Daniel's assistant burst into the waiting room.
"Mr. Carter!"
"What happened?"
"The stock market..."
"Our company's shares have crashed forty-three percent in one hour!"
"What?"
"The media just received thousands of confidential Carter Global files."
Daniel looked at Michael.
"You released them?"
Michael frowned.
"No."
"I was waiting until Mom recovered."
The detective immediately understood.
"Then someone else has your evidence."
At that exact moment, every television in the hospital switched to Breaking News.
A woman wearing a black coat appeared on the screen.
Her face was hidden in the shadows.
Her voice was electronically distorted.
"My name doesn't matter."
"But today..."
"...the Carter Empire begins to burn."
One by one, secret recordings filled the screen.
Bribery.
Money laundering.
Political corruption.
Judges accepting cash.
Executives destroying evidence.
Millions of viewers watched live.
Within minutes...
Government investigators surrounded Carter Global headquarters.
Police vehicles blocked every entrance.
Executives were escorted out in handcuffs.
Daniel whispered,
"This wasn't supposed to happen."
Then the woman on the broadcast said something that froze everyone's blood.
"Richard Carter stole two children..."
"...but he destroyed three lives."
Daniel's heart stopped.
Three.
She knew.
The screen suddenly changed to an old hospital photograph.
A nurse stood beside three newborn babies.
One blue blanket.
One green blanket.
One pink blanket.
Three identical silver necklaces.
Evelyn covered her mouth.
"I remember..."
"I gave birth to triplets."
Tears rolled down her face.
"They told me one baby had died."
Michael slowly turned toward Daniel.
"There were never twins."
"There were always three of us."
The mysterious woman laughed softly through the speakers.
"You finally remember, Mother."
Daniel shouted at the television.
"Who are you?"
The woman removed one black glove.
On her wrist was the exact same crescent-shaped birthmark Daniel had beneath his shoulder.
"I'm the child everyone forgot."
"The daughter your father couldn't control."
"The sister Richard Carter tried to erase."
She paused.
Then smiled.
"And unlike my brothers..."
"I didn't spend thirty-three years looking for my family."
"I spent thirty-three years destroying everyone who helped steal it."
The broadcast suddenly ended.
Seconds later...
Daniel received a secure email.
One attachment.
One location.
One message.
COME ALONE... IF YOU WANT TO SEE YOUR SISTER ALIVE.
Daniel frowned.
"Alive?"
Michael leaned closer to the screen.
At the bottom of the message was one final line that made both brothers go pale.
Because I'm not the one holding the gun.
May you like
END OF CHAPTER 7...
Chapter 8 will reveal who kidnapped Daniel's sister—and the mastermind behind the Carter family's nightmare.
