"She called the bride a gold-digger and ripped her dress. She didn't expect to find her own grandmother's lost ruby ring. 💍👑

No one moved.

The only sound in Room 214 was the soft melody drifting from the antique music box.

Vivian's voice came out as barely more than a whisper.

"What do you mean... the wrong child?"

Margaret Hale closed the lid of the music box. The tune faded into silence.

"I never kidnapped Lily."

The words struck like lightning.

Daniel frowned. "Then who did?"

Margaret looked out the rain-speckled window before answering.

"The fire began in the east wing that night. It spread much faster than anyone realized. I ran upstairs to the nursery, but the smoke was already filling the hallway."

She paused, tears gathering in her cloudy eyes.

"There were two babies in that nursery."

Vivian's brow furrowed.

"Two?"

Margaret nodded.

"Lily... and another infant your husband had brought to the estate only hours earlier."

Emma exchanged a confused glance with Daniel.

Margaret continued.

"Richard told me the second baby had to remain secret. He said powerful people were searching for her and that keeping her hidden for one night would save her life."

Vivian felt as though the air had been punched from her lungs.

"He never told me."

"I know."

Margaret lowered her head.

"When the fire reached the nursery, I couldn't see through the smoke. I grabbed the child wearing the silver chain with the ruby ring and escaped through the servants' staircase."

Her hands began to shake.

"I believed I had saved Lily."

She looked at Emma, her eyes overflowing with regret.

"But after the fire... Richard found me."

Daniel leaned forward.

"What did he say?"

"He looked at the baby... and turned completely white."

Margaret's voice cracked.

"He whispered, 'That's not my daughter.'"

The room froze.

Vivian could hardly breathe.

"So who was she?"

Margaret swallowed hard.

"Richard made me swear never to tell anyone."

"He gave me money, new identification papers, and arranged for the baby to be left at St. Michael's Church, where he knew a kind pastor would find her."

Emma's hands trembled uncontrollably.

"My entire life..."

"...was planned."

Margaret nodded sadly.

"Richard promised he would go back for Lily."

A tear rolled down her cheek.

"But by the time he returned..."

"...the nursery had collapsed."

Vivian staggered backward.

"No..."

Margaret looked directly into her eyes.

"They never found Lily's body."