CHAPTER 13 The Girl In The Photograph

Richard stared at the photograph for what felt like an eternity.

A baby.

Anna holding a baby.

And behind her...

A woman standing in the shadows.

The woman looked young.

But what terrified Richard wasn't her face.

It was the resemblance.

The same eyes.

The same expression.

The same small birthmark near the cheek.

A face that looked almost identical to Sophie.

Richard slowly turned toward his daughter.

"Sophie..."

The little girl looked nervous.

"Did I say something wrong?"

Richard immediately knelt beside her.

"No."

He held her hand.

"You did the right thing."

Sophie looked at the photograph again.

"That lady came to see Mommy."

"When?"

She thought carefully.

"Before Mommy went away."

Richard felt his heart stop.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Sophie lowered her head.

"Because Vanessa said I would make Daddy sad."

Richard closed his eyes.

Another secret.

Another lie.

Vanessa had spent years controlling what Sophie remembered.

"What did the woman say?"

Sophie looked toward Eleanor.

Then whispered:

"She called Mommy by another name."

Richard frowned.

"Another name?"

Sophie nodded.

"She said..."

The little girl paused.

"She said, 'Elizabeth, you can't hide her forever.'"

The room became silent.

Richard looked at Eleanor.

His mother's face had changed.

"You know that name."

Eleanor didn't answer.

"Mom."

Finally, Eleanor whispered:

"Elizabeth was Anna's real name."

Richard froze.

"What?"

Eleanor looked devastated.

"Anna wasn't the person everyone thought she was."

Richard stood.

"What are you saying?"

"Your wife had another identity before she met you."

Richard shook his head.

"No."

But Eleanor continued.

"She was protecting herself."

"From who?"

Eleanor looked toward the photograph.

"From her own family."

Richard couldn't process it.

The woman he loved.

The mother of his child.

Had hidden an entire part of her life.

Then his phone rang.

Marcus.

Richard answered.

"Tell me."

Marcus sounded urgent.

"We found Vanessa."

Richard became alert.

"Where?"

"At an old property owned by your family."

Richard frowned.

"What property?"

Marcus paused.

"The same property where Anna disappeared three years ago."

Richard looked at the photograph.

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Everything was connected.

And someone had been waiting for him to find it.