I stopped by the window. The screen of my cellphone remained bright. It was like a cold knife cutting through my heart.
“Now, it’s time to return everything that is rightfully mine.”
When someone sent it, I thought it was just a message. But it was Lina. The woman who returned to the beach. The woman who knelt in front of me three months ago. The woman who held the most terrifying secret I’ve ever known.
I looked at her again. Her eyes were strange. It was as if she was fighting a battle inside. In the end, she asked:
“Do you believe there are secrets that can destroy an entire family?”
I just smiled. I thought she was just watching a drama. But her face was serious.
— Do you believe there are secrets that can destroy an entire family?
I smiled again. I thought she was just watching a drama. But her face was serious.
— There are people who want to kill me.
— Because I know the truth.
I was surprised.
— You should report it to the police.
She smiled bitterly.
— I can’t protect you from the police.
— Because the people behind it are more powerful.
Before I could ask, she took out a small black USB from her pocket. It was so small. It fit in my palm.
— If I ever disappear one day…
— Please, keep this.
I immediately refused.
— It’s not possible for me to accept that.
— Mama Elena kept worrying about me. Papa Roberto kept feeding Lina from the plate. Mama Elena kept worrying about me. Miguel kept telling stories about the family. Everything was about Lina. It was as if they were trying to make up for the twenty years they were apart. I just sat quietly at the other end of the table, watching everything. It was surprising how perfect Lina’s actions were. She was dignified. Calm. Smiling. If I didn’t know what happened by the sea… Maybe I would have felt sorry for her too. But I know. I know she wasn’t as simple as she seemed. Because under the table… My cellphone vibrated again. A new message.
“I know you’re looking at me.”
“Eight o’clock tonight.”
“On the rooftop.”
“I’ll tell you who the real victim is.”
My whole body went cold. When I looked up… Lina was still smiling while talking to Mama Elena. It was as if she had no message to send.
Eight o’clock at night. I went up to the rooftop. The wind was strong. The city lights were shining down. Lina was already there. She turned away.
— You came too.
I tried to stay calm.
— What do you really want?
She laughed.
— What do I want?
— Do you think I came back here just to take back my identity?
I didn’t answer. She slowly approached me. She was holding a black USB drive. The same USB drive I saw before. Suddenly, my heart started beating fast.
— What is that?
She looked at me directly.
— A secret that could destroy this entire family.
— You’re with me.
I stopped.
— What do you mean?
She came closer. Her voice was weak, almost whispering.
— Do you think it was just an accident when we were still babies?
— Do you believe the hospital was wrong?
My blood froze.
— Impossible…
She smiled bitterly.
— I’ve been investigating for three months.
— And I discovered the truth.
— The day we were born…
— There was someone who switched the two babies.
It felt like I was being doused with cold water. If that’s true… It wasn’t an accident. It was a plan. A plan hidden inside twenty years. But the most terrifying thing was what she said next. She looked at me coldly and slowly spoke.
— The person who ordered us to be switched back then…
— May still be living in that mansion until now.
The wind blew across the rooftop. She held the USB drive in her hand. And at that exact moment… I suddenly heard a voice from behind us.
— That’s why… you found out everything.
Lina and I turned around at the same time. And we both froze. Because the person standing at the entrance of the rooftop… was Mama Elena.
**(END OF PART 2)**
PART 3: THE WOMAN WHO COULDN’T TELL THE TRUTH
My world stopped when I heard Mama Elena’s voice.
— That’s why… you found out everything.
Mama Elena’s heart skipped a beat. After a few seconds, she spoke.
— That’s why… you found out everything.
Mama Elena’s eyes welled up with tears. After that, she looked at me. And then at Lina. Slowly, she began to cry.
— It wasn’t an accident that happened twenty years ago. It felt like time had stopped.
— What?
Miguel’s voice was hoarse. — It wasn’t an accident?
Mama Elena’s eyes were quiet.
— There’s someone who planned it all.
— Someone who wanted to separate the baby from her real family.
I clutched the arm of the chair. I felt like I was losing my strength.
— Who?
Mama Elena’s voice was soft. And then she blinked… Her eyes were full of pain.
— My sister.
It felt like something exploded inside the room.
— Impossible! Miguel’s voice. — Tita Sofia? Mama Elena stood up. — Yes.
I couldn’t believe it. Since childhood, Tita Sofia has been the kindest to all of us. She always brought gifts. She always smiled. She was always calm. I couldn’t imagine she could do such a thing. But Lina wasn’t surprised. It felt like she had known the answer for a long time.
— That’s what I discovered.
She said, “Afterwards, she plugged the USB into the laptop. And an old video came up.”
The video was of poor quality. It was over twenty years old.
But the woman’s face on the screen was clear. It was Sofia.
She was only a little over twenty years old.
A man was talking to her in a parking lot.
The man’s face was clear.
But their conversation was clear.
— Are you sure no one will find out?
Sofia asked.
— No one will find out.
— And no one will know.
Miguel’s breath stopped.
— What?
She looked at him.
And then she spoke.
— I found out another secret.
It seems like I’ve been chasing you for over twenty years.
But the woman’s face on the screen was clear.
It was Sofia.
She was only a little over twenty years old.
Miguel’s breath stopped.
— What? I asked.
She looked at him.
And then she spoke.
— I’m not the target. — And you’re not either.
The silence deepened.
— The real target…
— Is it the company that owns this family?
Papa Roberto suddenly stood up.
— What?! Lina stood up.
— Someone is trying to take over the entire business.
— And it’s your plan that’s been going on for twenty years.
Miguel’s eyes gradually widened.
— No…
Don’t say…
Lina stood up.
— Yes.
— The replacement for us is just part of a bigger plan. The office door opened. And the chief security of the mansion hurried to enter. He was panting heavily.
— Sir! — We have a problem!
Papa Roberto turned around.
— What is it?
The guard’s face turned pale.
— Ma’am Sofia is missing. The whole room fell silent. — What? asked Mama Elena.
— She left an hour ago.
— And she left a letter.
Papa Roberto immediately handed it to Lina. When he read the contents… He suddenly gasped. It was like he saw a ghost.
— Roberto…
Mama Elena’s voice was weak. She didn’t answer. She slowly handed the letter to Lina. Lina read it. And at the first reading… I saw the color of her face change.
— It’s not possible…
He whispered.
He immediately took the letter and when he read its contents… It was like his heart stopped. Only one line was written.
“If you want to know where the true heir of the family is, go to the old warehouse in the village before the day breaks.”
“And don’t bring the police.”
At the bottom of the letter was a picture. A seven-year-old boy. Sitting inside a dark room. And at the back of the picture was written four words that made my hair stand on end.
“HE IS THE REAL SON.”
Papa Roberto stood up. His eyes widened. And his hands trembled. Meanwhile, Lina suddenly whispered.
— If he’s still alive… — It means…
— Everything we believed in for twenty years is a lie.
And before we could even speak…
Papa Roberto’s cellphone suddenly rang. An unfamiliar number. When he answered, a cold voice was heard on the other line.
— Come before the day breaks. — If not… — You won’t see the child alive.
And the call was immediately disconnected.
**TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 4…**