Chapter 15 - The Father Rachel Never Knew
Rachel stared at the photograph.
Her father, Thomas Morgan, had spent her childhood wearing cheap ties and complaining about taxes at the dinner table.
He died when Rachel was twenty-four.
She had believed he was a mid-level accountant.
Elaine placed three more photographs on the table.
Thomas with city officials.
Thomas with Victor.
Thomas with Daniel’s father.
Rachel looked at Daniel.
He was equally stunned.
“Why hide this?”
Elaine sat down.
“Because Arden wasn’t an investment company at first. It was a laundering machine.”
“For what?”
“Bribes. Contract money. Organized crime. Anything powerful men needed cleaned.”
Daniel whispered, “Claire found the original accounts.”
Elaine nodded.
“Your father wanted out by the time you were born, Rachel. Victor wouldn’t let him.”
“And the babies?”
Elaine looked away.
“Claire’s father was investigating Arden. Thomas believed Victor would use Claire’s child to control him. So your father asked me to move the baby.”
Rachel felt sick.
“You switched newborns because Dad asked you?”
“I moved identification bands during the outage. I thought it would confuse the records long enough for Claire’s family to leave.”
“But I took the wrong baby home.”
Elaine’s eyes filled.
“I didn’t know until later.”
Rachel stood.
“You knew Sophie might not be mine?”
“You are her mother.”
“That isn’t what I asked.”
Elaine cried quietly.
“Yes.”
Rachel turned away.
The room blurred.
Daniel touched her arm.
She pulled away.
“Don’t.”
Elaine continued.
“Claire found me years later. She wanted proof. I told her where Thomas kept the original Arden ledger.”
“Where?”
Elaine looked at Bunny.
“The rabbit was never meant to hold evidence. It held directions.”
Rachel pulled out the USB.
“What directions?”
“The video unlocks only when connected to Thomas’s old encryption key.”
“Which is?”
Elaine pointed to the two hospital tags.
“Those numbers.”
Daniel opened his laptop.
They entered both infant ID numbers as a combined key.
The USB changed.
Dozens of folders appeared.
Bank records.
Audio.
Photographs.
And one folder labeled: RACHEL.
Rachel clicked it.
Inside was a video recorded by her father two weeks before he died.
Thomas Morgan looked into the camera.
“Rachel, if you’re seeing this, then Claire failed to keep you out of it.”
Rachel’s throat tightened.
Her father continued.
“There is one thing your mother does not know.”
Elaine went pale.
Thomas leaned toward the camera.
“The baby switch was not a mistake.”
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