Chapter 10 - The Man Matteo Called UncleMatteo had called Gideon Hale “Uncle” until he was sixteen.
The slap echoed across the abandoned greenhouse.
Beth did not defend herself.
Liana struck her chest next.
Seven years of funerals without bodies.
Seven years of birthdays.
Seven years of wondering.
“You were alive.”
“I know.”
“You were alive!”
“I know.”
“You let me bury you!”
Beth caught her wrists.
“I’m sorry.”
Liana broke.
She collapsed against her sister.
Beth held her.
Matteo turned away, giving them the privacy of a few seconds.
Then Nico made a sound.
Beth froze.
Slowly, she looked over Liana’s shoulder.
The baby stared at her.
His expression changed.
No fear.
No hesitation.
He reached toward Beth.
Everyone noticed.
Beth began crying harder.
“Oh, little moon.”
Matteo’s throat tightened.
The phrase.
The same tone.
Nico leaned toward her.
Matteo allowed Beth to touch his hand.
The baby gripped her finger.
Beth whispered, “You remember.”
Liana wiped her face.
“So it was you.”
Beth nodded.
“The night Elena died.”
“What happened?”
Beth looked at Matteo.
“We need to leave first.”
“No.”
“Matteo—”
“You have seven years of explanations. Start talking.”
Beth looked toward the tree line.
“They followed me.”
Victor immediately raised his weapon.
“How many?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then move.”
They entered the SUV.
Victor drove.
Beth directed him through back roads.
After twenty minutes, she began talking.
“I found Meridian while working at Bellrose.”
She explained how she had discovered duplicate birth records and genetic files connected to wealthy families.
“At first I thought it was insurance fraud.”
“What changed?” Liana asked.
“I found two children with the same legal identity.”
Matteo frowned.
“Same name?”
“Same everything. Birth certificate number. Social Security records. Medical files.”
Victor glanced into the mirror.
“That’s impossible.”
“It’s supposed to be.”
Beth continued.
“One child lived with a family in Illinois. The other was in Europe.”
“Why?”
“One was an insurance policy.”
Matteo understood.
“If an heir died…”
“The replacement identity could be activated.”
Liana looked horrified.
“They manufactured backup children?”
“In rare cases.”
Beth’s face twisted.
“I copied files. Someone found out.”
“Elena?”
“Not yet.”
Beth had gone to police.
The detective she trusted turned her over to Meridian.
“They held me for three days.”
Liana grabbed her hand.
“What did they do?”
Beth shook her head.
“I’ll tell you someday.”
That was enough.
“They told me if I disappeared quietly, you lived.”
Liana cried.
“I would’ve gone with you.”
“That’s why I couldn’t tell you.”
“How did Elena find you?”
“Four years later.”
Matteo looked at Beth.
“How?”
“She was already inside Meridian.”
Matteo clenched his jaw.
Beth noticed.
“She hated what it became.”
“She still lied to me.”
“Yes.”
“Everyone keeps telling me it was love.”
Beth met his eyes.
“Sometimes loving somebody and trusting what they’ll do with the truth aren’t the same thing.”
Matteo said nothing.
“Elena contacted me because she found my old records. We worked together.”
“To expose Meridian?”
“To dismantle the child-replacement program.”
“And Nico?”
Beth looked toward the baby.
“When Elena got pregnant, she discovered Samuel had flagged him.”
“For Halden.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t she leave?”
“She planned to.”
Matteo turned.
“What?”
“Chicago. You. Everything.”
His face changed.
“She was going to take Nico?”
“You were supposed to go too.”
Matteo stared.
“She bought property in Oregon under a trust.”
Matteo remembered Elena asking whether he could imagine living near the ocean.
He had laughed.
He thought she was dreaming.
“She planned to tell you the night she died,” Beth said.
Matteo looked out the window.
“What happened?”
“Samuel moved first.”
Beth explained the first temporary exchange.
Meridian took Nico.
Used his blood and scans to create records for Halden’s dead son.
Elena discovered it and confronted Samuel.
“She got Nico back.”
“And the other baby?”
Beth went silent.
Matteo noticed.
“Where did the substitute child go?”
Beth’s eyes filled.
“He died.”
Liana whispered, “Oh God.”
“He had a heart condition. Meridian was using him because his family had no money and no influence.”
“Who was he?” Matteo asked.
“Elliot Crane.”
Nine months old.
A child from a struggling single mother.
Meridian had paid for his medical care in exchange for vague research consent.
“They drugged him during the exchange,” Beth said. “His heart stopped.”
Matteo looked at Nico.
Everything became worse.
“Elena wanted to expose them immediately.”
“Yes.”
“What stopped her?”
“They threatened Elliot’s mother. You. Nico. Liana.”
Beth looked at her sister.
“Everyone.”
“What happened on the road?” Matteo asked.
Beth swallowed.
“Elena left to meet me.”
“You were there?”
“No.”
“I waited at the cabin.”
“She never arrived.”
Matteo’s hands tightened.
“Samuel?”
“I believed so.”
“Believed?”
“Until tonight.”
Victor looked back.
“What changed?”
Beth reached into her jacket.
She pulled out a folded photograph.
It showed Elena standing beside a car.
Taken minutes before she died.
Behind her stood Rosa.
And another figure.
Matteo stared.
Adrian Vale.
“You said Vale didn’t kill her.”
“I don’t think he did.”
“Then why hide this?”
“Because look at the car.”
Matteo did.
The hood was open.
A man leaned over the engine.
Only his profile was visible.
Victor slammed the brakes.
The SUV stopped.
Everyone lurched.
Matteo looked at him.
Victor’s face had gone white.
“What?”
Victor stared at the photograph.
“I know him.”
“Who?”
Victor looked sick.
“My father.”
Matteo said nothing.
Victor’s father, Gideon Hale, had served Matteo’s father for thirty years.
He had died five months earlier.
Natural causes.
At least that was what they had believed.
May you like
Beth whispered:
“Gideon sabotaged Elena’s brakes.”
