CHAPTER 5: The Woman Who Called Me Daughter
The arena fell into complete silence.
Dust drifted through the air as the mysterious woman stepped over the shattered concrete, untouched by the chaos surrounding her.
Every masked gunman lowered their weapons.
Even Richard Carter—the man who had commanded soldiers and criminals alike for decades—took an involuntary step backward.
"You..." he muttered.
The woman smiled.
"It has been a long time, Richard."
Emma stared at her in disbelief.
"You just called me... daughter."
The woman nodded calmly.
"Because you are."
Helen cried out, "Don't listen to her!"
But the stranger ignored her. She slowly reached into her coat and pulled out a faded silver locket.
Emma's heart nearly stopped.
It was identical to the one hanging around her own neck.
When Emma was a child, Helen had always told her it was the only thing left from the hospital fire.
The stranger opened her locket.
Inside was half of an old family photograph.
Emma instinctively opened hers.
The missing half fit perfectly.
The picture was complete.
A smiling couple stood between two identical newborn babies.
Twins.
Emma's hands began to shake.
"What... does this mean?"
The woman looked into her eyes.
"You were never switched at birth."
"You were separated."
The entire arena gasped.
Richard closed his eyes.
"No..."
The woman continued.
"Twenty-six years ago, a criminal organization wanted control of a military weapons program. Your father refused to cooperate."
"They couldn't kill his family..."
"So they took one child."
Emma felt the blood drain from her face.
"You mean..."
"You and another baby were born the same night."
"They staged the hospital fire."
"They kidnapped you."
"They left another infant behind so no one would suspect a thing."
Emma looked toward Helen.
Tears streamed down Helen's face.
"I raised you because I promised I'd protect you."
Emma couldn't understand anymore.
"So who are you?"
The woman finally answered.
"My name is Victoria Hale."
"I'm your biological mother."
"And Richard..."
She turned toward the Colonel.
"...is not your father."
Richard clenched his fists.
"Enough."
Victoria laughed softly.
"No, Richard."
"You've lied long enough."
She tossed a thick classified file onto the floor.
Top Secret.
Operation Phoenix.
Emma opened it.
The first page showed a photograph of herself as a newborn.
The father listed on the document wasn't Richard Carter.
It was someone else.
Someone with a name that froze everyone in the arena.
President Michael Hale.
Before Emma could even process what she had read—
A loud beep echoed through the building.
Richard looked down at his watch.
A timer.
00:59... 00:58... 00:57...
Victoria's smile vanished.
"He planted explosives."
Richard looked at Emma one last time.
"If I can't keep my secrets..."
May you like
"...none of us are leaving alive."
The countdown had already begun.
