Chapter 2 - THE BLOODLINE CONSPIRACY

Victoria’s posture stiffened instantly. The color drained from her painted red lips, replaced by a dark, sinister malice.

"The child is delusional," Victoria snapped, reaching out to grab Sophie by the arm. "Give her to me. The security detail will throw this waitress into the street where she belongs."

"Don't touch her!" Victor roared, his voice shaking the crystal chandeliers. He stepped between his sister and Evelyn, shielding the toddler. "Victoria... what did Sophie just say?"

"She's a sick child saying gibberish!" Victoria sneered, her eyes darting toward the exit. "Victor, use your head! This woman is a scammer. She obviously researched our family, found out about Sophie's condition, and planted herself in this restaurant to extort millions from you! She’s playing you!"

"I didn't research anything!" Evelyn cried out, tears spilling down her cheeks. She dropped to her knees, looking directly into Sophie's tearful eyes. "Sweetheart... why do you call me Mama? Who told you my name?"

Sophie reached out with her tiny, shaking hand and stroked Evelyn’s cheek. "The picture under Daddy's bed. The lady with the green eyes. You sing the moon song when the lights go out."

Evelyn froze.

The moon song.

It was a lullaby Evelyn’s grandmother had taught her—a obscure, old regional lullaby she had only ever sung while pregnant, whispering it softly to her stomach late at night in the dark hospital room three years ago. She had never sung it to another living soul.

"Oh God..." Evelyn gasped, clutching her chest as a tidal wave of agonizing realization hit her. "You didn't die... They lied to me. They stole my baby!"

"Victor, listen to me!" Victoria yelled, her voice dropping all pretense of elegance. "If you let this low-class woman near the Hale inheritance, the board will strip you of the CEO position by morning! Do you know what happens if the press finds out your 'legitimate' heir was birthed by a destitute surrogate who was paid to disappear?"

"Paid to disappear?" Victor turned on his sister, his eyes blazing with fury. "You told me the surrogate died during surgery! You brought Sophie to me in an incubator and claimed Elena was the biological mother before she succumbed to her illness!"

"I did what was necessary to protect this family!" Victoria hissed. "Elena was barren! You were going to lose your rights to the Hale estate if you didn't produce a direct heir within six months! I found this worthless girl, bought her womb, and handled the cleanup!"

"Cleanup?" Evelyn stood up, her grief instantly turning into terrifying, motherly rage. "You told me my baby was dead! You showed me a tiny casket! I spent three years dying inside, thinking I failed to bring my child into the world!"

"You were paid five hundred thousand dollars!" Victoria yelled back, pulling a snub-nosed pistol from her designer handbag.

The entire room gasped. The security guards froze, unsure of whose order to follow.

"Victoria, drop the gun!" Victor shouted, placing himself directly in the line of fire.

"I won't let a homeless trash server ruin thirty years of my hard work!" Victoria sneered, her finger tightening on the trigger. "She dies tonight. We bury her body in the bay, and tomorrow Sophie goes back to her private clinic."

BANG!

A gunshot echoed through the terrace. But it wasn't Victoria’s gun that went off.

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"GET DOWN!" Victor screamed, tackling Evelyn and Sophie to the floor just as a second shot whined through the air.