Chapter 2 - Two Names in the Same Cradle

Diego read the sentence three times.

The wrong child reached him first.

He looked from Valeria to Valentina.

Neither girl understood what the note could mean, but both understood the fear it had caused.

“Claire,” Diego said, “start at the beginning.”

Claire’s hands trembled.

“I need water.”

Thomas Reed pulled out a chair.

“You can have water while you talk.”

Claire gave him a tired look. “Still charming, Thomas.”

“You disappeared for six years.”

“So did the truth.”

Diego gestured toward the sitting room.

“Girls, come with me.”

Brianna remained near the staircase.

“Am I still being ordered upstairs?”

Diego did not look at her.

“Yes.”

“I want my phone.”

“No.”

“You have no right.”

Thomas spoke quietly.

“Ms. Cole, the gates are open. You are free to leave.”

Brianna stared at him.

“Without my car?”

“Your car is inside the gate. Your keys are in your bag.”

Her eyes moved toward the front door.

Then toward Claire.

She chose the stairs.

Diego watched her go.

“Thomas.”

“I’ll have someone outside her room.”

“Not inside. She is not a prisoner.”

“I know.”

Valentina tugged Diego’s sleeve.

“Is she mad at me?”

“No.”

“She looks mad at me.”

“She is mad at losing control.”

“What’s control?”

Valeria answered before he could.

“Getting everyone to do what you want.”

Valentina considered that.

“Oh.”

Diego looked at Valeria.

“Who taught you that?”

“Ms. Mercer.”

Claire muttered, “Apparently I taught too much.”

Valeria sat on the sofa with her document case on her knees.

Valentina sat at the opposite end.

After a moment, she slid closer.

Claire drank half a glass of water.

Then Diego said, “The hospital told me Amelia delivered one daughter.”

“She delivered two.”

“Who changed the records?”

“Dr. Philip Rowan signed the official chart.”

“He died four years ago.”

“I know.”

“Was he part of it?”

Claire shook her head.

“Not at first.”

“At first?”

“Amelia went into labor early. There were complications. The first baby was born at 1:17 a.m. The second at 1:24.”

Diego looked at the girls.

“Which was which?”

Claire pointed to Valeria.

“She was first.”

Valeria blinked.

Then Claire pointed to Valentina.

“She was second.”

Valentina whispered, “Seven minutes.”

“Yes.”

Valeria leaned toward her. “That means I’m older.”

“Only a little.”

“Still older.”

Valentina frowned. “Seven minutes is not a birthday.”

For the first time since entering the house, Claire laughed.

It ended quickly.

Diego did not.

“Keep going.”

“Amelia was conscious after the delivery. Weak, but conscious. She saw both girls.”

“They told me she never woke up.”

“They lied.”

Diego gripped the arm of his chair.

“What did she say?”

Claire looked at him.

“Your name.”

He looked away.

“Then what?”

“She made me bring her the christening cape.”

“The one with the buttons.”

“Yes. She had the buttons removed.”

“Why?”

“She said she had noticed someone asking too many questions about the Ashcombe Family Trust.”

Thomas shifted near the fireplace.

“Who?”

Claire said, “Malcolm Vane.”

Diego’s family attorney.

His father’s attorney before that.

A man who had been at every birthday, funeral, board meeting, and holiday dinner Diego could remember.

Diego stared at her.

“No.”

Claire’s voice hardened.

“You asked for truth.”

“Malcolm handled the trust after my father died.”

“That was the problem.”

Thomas folded his arms.

“What did the trust say about descendants?”

Diego answered automatically.

“If I died without surviving issue, controlling shares would move to my uncle Victor’s branch.”

Claire nodded.

“Victor Ashcombe arrived at the hospital before dawn.”

Diego stood.

“My uncle was in London.”

“No.”

“I spoke to him.”

“On the phone?”

“Yes.”

“Then he lied to you from the same building.”

The room went still.

Valentina hugged the rabbit closer.

Diego noticed and forced his voice lower.

“What happened to Amelia?”

Claire looked at the girls.

“Should they hear this?”

Valeria said, “I’m staying.”

Valentina immediately said, “Me too.”

Diego hesitated.

Claire said, “I can tell the parts they need to know.”

“Do that.”

She nodded.

“Amelia became frightened. She believed Victor wanted the birth hidden until he could decide what to do about the trust. She gave me two gold buttons and told me to keep one with each baby.”

“Why not call the police?”

“She tried.”

“What happened?”

“The hospital telephone line in her room stopped working.”

Thomas said, “Convenient.”

“Too convenient.”

Diego’s voice was barely audible.

“Did Victor hurt her?”

“I never saw him touch her.”

“That is not an answer.”

“No,” Claire said. “It is the only answer I can prove.”

She continued.

“At 3:10 a.m., Dr. Rowan came to me. He was terrified. He said the birth chart had been altered. One baby was about to be transferred under a false surname.”

“Which baby?”

“Valentina.”

Valentina looked up.

“Me?”

“Yes.”

“To where?”

“I didn’t know.”

“What did you do?”

“I took Valeria first.”

Diego frowned.

“Why?”

“Because Amelia told me Baby A was in greater danger.”

Valeria’s eyes narrowed.

“Why me?”

Claire looked at the document case.

“That is where the note comes in.”

Diego picked up the affidavit again.

“The wrong child reached him first.”

Claire nodded.

“When I took Valeria, I believed Victor’s men were looking for the firstborn because of old language in the trust.”

“Firstborn inheritance?”

“Yes.”

Diego said, “That clause was removed before I married Amelia.”

“Not from the private family settlement.”

Thomas looked at Diego.

“There’s another document?”

“There was. I’ve never seen an executed copy.”

Claire reached into her bag and produced a photograph.

It showed a page of legal text.

At the bottom was Malcolm Vane’s signature.

Diego read the highlighted line.

In the event of twin issue, senior descent shall be established by order of birth for custodial voting rights until majority.

He looked at Valeria.

“So they wanted the firstborn.”

Claire shook her head.

“That’s what I thought.”

“What changed?”

“Rosa.”

Valentina sat straighter.

“My mom?”

“She found me three months after the hospital.”

“How?”

“Rosa worked nights here at Ashcombe House. Amelia had trusted her. Rosa told me something I did not know.”

“What?”

Claire looked at Diego.

“Amelia switched the blue identification ribbons after the birth.”

Diego frowned.

“Why?”

“To confuse anyone trying to identify the firstborn.”

Valeria said, “So I might not be first?”

Claire nodded.

“You and Valentina were moved twice during the emergency. By the time I took one of you, I could not be certain which baby I had.”

Valentina looked at Valeria.

“So maybe I’m older.”

Valeria sighed. “This is becoming inconvenient.”

Thomas turned away to hide a smile.

Diego did not.

“If you weren’t certain, why split them up?”

“Because men were searching the maternity floor.”

“Victor’s men?”

“I recognized one of his security staff.”

“Name.”

“Gerald Pike.”

Thomas’s face changed.

“He later became Victor’s driver.”

“Yes.”

Diego said, “Pike died in the lake accident with Victor.”

Claire nodded.

“Rosa took the second baby out through the laundry service elevator. I left through the staff garage with the first.”

“You both kidnapped my daughters.”

Claire’s eyes filled.

“Yes.”

The word landed like stone.

Valentina looked at Diego.

He saw her fear.

He sat back down.

“You were trying to save them.”

“Yes.”

“But you also kept them from me.”

“Yes.”

“For six years.”

Claire’s voice broke.

“I thought you were part of it.”

Diego stared.

“Why?”

“Because Malcolm showed us a signed order.”

She took another paper from her bag.

A photocopy.

The signature at the bottom looked like Diego’s.

It authorized immediate private transfer of “the surviving female infant” after Amelia’s death.

Diego’s stomach turned.

“That is not my signature.”

“I know that now.”

“How?”

“Because Rosa found the original six months ago.”

Valentina whispered, “Before she got sick.”

Claire looked at her.

“Yes.”

“Where is it?”

“That is the problem.”

Thomas asked, “What happened six months ago?”

Claire met Diego’s eyes.

“Rosa called me for the first time in nearly six years. She said she had proof Malcolm Vane forged the order. She said she also knew which twin was which.”

Valeria gripped the document case.

“You told me she only knew something important.”

“I was trying to protect you.”

“From what?”

“From hoping.”

Valeria looked away.

Diego said, “Rosa died three weeks ago.”

Claire nodded.

“Two days before she died, she mailed me this case.”

Valeria opened it.

Inside were four items: the family-court papers, a small brass key, a photograph of Amelia holding two newborns, and a sealed envelope with Diego’s name.

Diego took the photograph first.

His knees weakened.

Amelia lay in a hospital bed, exhausted and pale, but smiling.

Two babies rested against her chest.

Two.

He had never seen this image.

On the back, in Amelia’s handwriting, were four words.

Our girls. Both alive.

Diego pressed his thumb over the writing.

Valentina spoke softly.

“Is that my real mom?”

“Yes.”

“Was she nice?”

Diego looked at her.

“She was brave.”

“Like Rosa?”

“Yes.”

Valentina nodded, accepting that.

Valeria pointed to the envelope.

“Open that.”

Diego did.

Inside was a single sheet written by Rosa Bell.

Mr. Ashcombe,

If this reaches you, I failed to tell you in person. I was afraid for too long. Forgive me if you can, but forgive Claire first. She made the same choice I did. We both believed the girls would die if the Ashcombe name found them.

The key opens what Amelia hid in the blue nursery.

Do not trust the first blood test.

Do not let Malcolm choose the laboratory.

And if Brianna Cole is already in your house, then we are later than I feared.

Diego stopped reading.

Thomas stepped forward.

“What does it say?”

Diego handed him the letter.

Thomas read it once.

Then again.

Valeria said, “She knew Brianna?”

Claire frowned. “I did not know that.”

Valentina looked toward the ceiling.

“Brianna said Rosa was a thief.”

Diego’s head turned.

“When?”

“Yesterday.”

“What exactly did she say?”

Valentina thought.

“She said, ‘Your mother stole from this family and died before she could answer for it.’”

Claire stood abruptly.

“She knew Rosa?”

Thomas was already moving toward the door.

“I’m checking Ms. Cole’s room.”

Diego followed.

The girls began to rise.

“No,” Diego said.

Valeria crossed her arms. “Why not?”

“Because I said so.”

“That is not a reason.”

He stared at the six-year-old.

Claire murmured, “She has been practicing that sentence for a year.”

Diego exhaled.

“Because if Rosa warned us about Brianna, I do not know whether Brianna is dangerous.”

Valeria considered that.

“Better reason.”

Valentina tugged her sister’s sleeve.

“We can stay.”

Valeria looked at her.

Then nodded.

Diego reached the staircase.

A staff member hurried down.

“Mr. Ashcombe.”

“What?”

“Ms. Cole is gone.”

Thomas swore under his breath.

Diego looked toward the upper landing.

“How?”

“Her room window was open. The garden terrace below it—”

Thomas turned toward the security desk.

“Check the west cameras.”

The guard typed.

Then froze.

“What?”

“Sir, the west cameras were manually disabled twelve minutes ago.”

Diego felt the blood drain from his face.

“By whom?”

The guard swallowed.

“Your administrator account.”

Diego looked at Thomas.

“I didn’t touch the system.”

Thomas’s phone rang.

He answered.

Listened.

Then lowered it.

“The laboratory called.”

“What laboratory?”

“The private genetics company Malcolm Vane uses for trust matters.”

Diego’s voice went flat.

“I did not order a test.”

“They say samples were delivered this morning.”

Claire whispered, “No.”

Diego turned.

“From whom?”

Thomas looked at the girls.

“Valentina Bell and Diego Ashcombe.”

Valentina’s face crumpled.

“I didn’t give anybody blood.”

Claire went very still.

Valeria reached for her sister’s hand.

Diego looked at the two girls.

Then at Rosa’s warning.

Do not trust the first blood test.

He folded the letter once.

“Thomas.”

“Yes.”

“Find Brianna.”

“And Malcolm?”

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Diego’s eyes stayed on the line about the laboratory.

“Find him first.”