Chapter 36 - The Twin Without a Birth Record
Miriam placed the green ring on the table inside the abandoned ticket office.
“My birth was never registered,” she said. “Officially, I do not exist.”
She explained that Eleanor Anne Vale had given birth to twin daughters decades earlier. One child was registered as Evelyn Bennett and raised outside the Vale family.
The other was hidden.
Miriam.
Their grandfather believed only one daughter should inherit the family trust. He ordered doctors, attorneys and city officials to erase Miriam’s identity.
Years later, Miriam joined Vale Urban Renewal under a false name. She planned to recover the records proving her birth.
Instead, she discovered the company had been using the missing deeds to seize properties throughout the city.
“Your father helped me copy the evidence,” Miriam said. “Evelyn helped us hide it.”
“Then why did my mother warn me about you?”
“Because I made a bargain with Celia.”
Miriam admitted that she had surrendered part of the archive index in exchange for protection for Olivia.
Celia promised the stolen records would only be used to remove corrupt members of Vale Urban Renewal. Instead, the information became the foundation of Northline.
“You helped build the organization targeting us,” Rachel said.
“I believed I could control it.”
“You were wrong.”
“Yes.”
Rachel opened her father’s letter again.
“One daughter inherited Eleanor’s blood. The other inherited Evelyn’s name.”
Miriam nodded.
“Olivia is my biological daughter. She inherited the Vale line through me.”
“And I am Evelyn’s daughter.”
“Yes.”
“Why did my father call Olivia his daughter?”
“Because her father died before she was born. James promised to protect her as his own.”
Rachel looked toward the tracks.
She and Olivia were not sisters by blood, but their parents had tied their lives together long before either girl understood why.
Tessa’s phone rang.
The laboratory had examined the adhesive on the Northline identification inside Miriam’s ring.
It had been replaced recently.
Beneath the new number was an older engraving.
May you like
Miriam read it and stepped backward.
The original identification belonged to Evelyn.
