Chapter 58 - THE STRANGER CLAIMED MATEO’S REAL MOTHER WAS STILL ALIVE—THEN ELIZABETH OPENED A FILE MARKED “DO NOT RELEASE
”The first thing Sofia noticed was that Thomas Kane did not look victorious.
He looked exhausted.
His dark coat was soaked from the rain, and his hands trembled slightly as he reached for the railing.
Daniel did not lower his guard.
"How did you get inside my house?"
Thomas looked toward the west wing.
"Your father gave Samuel access to the original service tunnels."
"That doesn't answer why you're here."
"I'm here because Elizabeth Ashford has the registry."
Sofia stared.
"You know Elizabeth?"
"Yes."
"Then why is she outside trying to get in?"
Thomas shook his head.
"Because she doesn't know I'm here."
Daniel's expression darkened.
"You're going to explain that."
Thomas glanced toward Isabella.
"Not until she tells Sofia what happened to Elena."
Isabella sat heavily on a nearby bench.
Sofia approached her.
"Mom?"
Isabella's eyes filled.
"Elena Kane was a nurse."
Thomas shook his head.
"She became a nurse later. First, she was a patient."
Isabella nodded.
"She was very young when Meridian began experimenting on her."
Sofia looked at Thomas.
"How young?"
"Fourteen."
Daniel's jaw tightened.
"Fourteen?"
Thomas nodded.
"Samuel told our family the treatment would save Elena from a hereditary disease. What he didn't tell us was that the program had expanded far beyond treating illness."
Sofia felt sick.
"What happened to her?"
"She survived the treatment. But she spent years under observation, unable to leave without permission."
Isabella wiped her eyes.
"Eventually, she escaped."
"With Mateo?"
"Years later," Thomas answered. "Mateo was born after she escaped. But the program tracked her down."
Sofia stared.
"Why?"
"Because they believed her children might inherit the effects of the experimental treatment."
Daniel looked furious.
"They were treating human beings like property."
Thomas nodded.
"That's exactly what Elena called it."
Suddenly, Marcus's radio crackled.
"Security to Mr. Hawthorne."
Everyone froze.
The backup communications had returned.
Marcus answered.
"Go ahead."
A guard spoke rapidly.
"Elizabeth Ashford is inside the main foyer. She's requesting Sofia Ramirez."
Daniel looked at Thomas.
"Stay here."
Thomas shook his head.
"She needs to see me."
"You're not making demands in my house."
Thomas lowered his eyes.
"Fair enough."
They descended together.
The emergency lighting flickered on as they reached the marble staircase.
Below them, Elizabeth Ashford stood beside the enormous front doors.
Victoria rushed forward.
"Elizabeth!"
For a moment, the two sisters simply stared at one another.
Then Victoria embraced her.
Elizabeth remained stiff.
But after several seconds, she returned the embrace.
"I thought you were dead," Victoria whispered.
Elizabeth closed her eyes.
"So did a lot of people."
Sofia approached.
"You said you had the original registry."
Elizabeth nodded.
"I do."
She placed a waterproof case on the table.
Inside were documents, photographs, and an old storage drive.
Daniel examined the seal.
"Where did you get these?"
"From a private archive Charles Hawthorne maintained outside the United States."
Thomas stepped forward.
Elizabeth saw him.
Her expression changed instantly.
"Thomas?"
He nodded.
"Hello, Elizabeth."
She stepped backward.
"No."
Sofia looked between them.
"What is going on?"
Elizabeth pointed at Thomas.
"He told me Elena was dead."
Thomas lowered his head.
"I believed she was."
Elizabeth opened the case with shaking hands.
"Then explain this."
She removed a medical report dated only six months earlier.
Sofia leaned closer.
The patient's name was printed at the top.
ELENA KANE.
Status: Alive.
Current residence: Confidential.
Sofia stared.
"She's alive?"
Elizabeth nodded.
"And there's more."
She opened a second folder.
A photograph showed a woman in her late fifties standing outside a medical building.
Beside her was a younger man.
Sofia recognized him immediately.
"Mateo."
Isabella began crying.
Sofia turned toward her.
"You knew they met?"
Isabella shook her head.
"No."
Elizabeth pointed to the date.
"Three weeks ago."
Daniel frowned.
"Why didn't Mateo tell us?"
Thomas looked at the photograph.
His expression became fearful.
"Because he didn't know who she was."
Sofia stared.
"What do you mean?"
Thomas pointed toward the woman's identification badge.
"That isn't Elena's real name."
The badge read:
DR. HELEN MORROW.
Sofia's heart began pounding.
Helen Morrow.
The physician who had been helping Mateo investigate the Meridian children.
The woman Sofia had personally approved to work with the foundation.
Elizabeth whispered:
"Elena didn't come back to find Mateo."
Sofia turned.
"Then why did she come back?"
Elizabeth looked toward the photograph.
May you like
"Because someone told her the first child had been found."
TO BE CONTINUED...
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