Chapter 6 - THE TWO SONS WHO WERE SEPARATED
Vincent had spent forty-three years believing he was born alone.
Now he was holding proof that another baby had entered the world beside him.
Thomas Collins.
Emma's husband.
Noah's father.
His own twin brother.
He lowered himself into a chair.
For several moments, nobody spoke.
Then Noah asked the simplest question in the room.
“Does that mean Daddy was Uncle Vincent's brother?”
Emma crouched beside him.
“Yes, sweetheart. It looks that way.”
Noah thought about it.
“So Uncle Vincent is my uncle too?”
Vincent raised his eyes.
The child was watching him with cautious hope.
Something inside Vincent shifted.
He had spent years commanding men who called him boss.
He had money, influence, and an estate filled with expensive things.
But he had never been called uncle by a child who actually belonged to his family.
“I think I am,” he said.
Noah smiled a little.
Then his face grew serious.
“Did you know my daddy?”
Vincent swallowed.
“Not the way I wish I had.”
“Was he nice?”
Emma closed her eyes.
Vincent looked at her before answering.
“From everything I've learned, he was a very brave man.”
Noah nodded.
“Mommy says that too.”
For the first time that evening, Vincent had to look away.
Isabella moved toward the door.
“Vincent, we need to talk privately.”
“No.”
She stopped.
“Please.”
“Anything you have to say about Thomas, you can say in front of his widow.”
Emma looked surprised.
Isabella lowered her head.
Then she sat opposite them.
“Mother gave birth to twins,” she began. “Antonio knew Elias was Vincent's father. But he didn't know about Thomas until the delivery.”
Vincent frowned.
“How could he know about one child and not the other?”
“Maria was staying with her sister when the babies were born. She had been separated from Antonio for several months.”
“Then why did she return?”
“Antonio threatened to ruin Elias and take both babies if she didn't.”
Vincent's jaw tightened.
“So she gave him one.”
Isabella shook her head.
“She believed Antonio would hurt Thomas if he discovered there were twins. Elias's sister Margaret arranged to take Thomas.”
Emma stared.
“Thomas grew up thinking Margaret adopted him from strangers.”
“Yes.”
“Did Maria ever see him again?”
Isabella hesitated.
“Twice, as far as I know.”
Vincent looked down at the hospital bracelet.
His mother had loved two sons.
And had been forced to raise only one.
He thought of all the afternoons she'd sat quietly in the garden, watching children play beyond the estate fence.
He had believed she simply liked children.
Now he wondered whether she had been looking for someone.
Emma asked the question he couldn't.
“What happened when Antonio found out?”
Isabella's lips trembled.
“He found out when Thomas was twelve.”
Vincent went still.
“What did he do?”
“He arranged for Thomas to be moved to another foster placement temporarily. Margaret fought to get him back.”
Emma pressed a hand to her mouth.
“Thomas told me about that.”
Vincent looked at her.
“He did?”
“He said he spent six months in a group home because of some paperwork problem. He never understood why.”
Isabella nodded miserably.
“Antonio wanted Elias to know he could still reach the boy.”
Vincent rose.
He walked to the fireplace and stared into the empty space where the portrait had hung.
All his life, Antonio had spoken about family loyalty.
Yet he had treated a child like a bargaining chip.
His own grief felt almost insignificant compared with what Thomas had endured.
Behind him, Emma spoke.
“Isabella, you knew Noah was your nephew.”
Isabella's shoulders slumped.
“Yes.”
“And you accused him of stealing in front of seventy people?”
Tears ran down Isabella's face.
“I didn't know how else to get Daniel's attention.”
Emma stared.
“What?”
“Daniel was supposed to meet me before the birthday dinner. He didn't come. Then I saw Noah carrying the yellow note.”
Vincent turned.
“You saw the note?”
“I saw Daniel give it to him outside the school. I followed him.”
“Then why didn't you take it?”
“Because Daniel disappeared when I approached. I thought he was testing whether I'd expose him.”
Emma looked disgusted.
“So you planted the bracelet to make Vincent search Noah's bag.”
Isabella nodded.
“I thought Daniel would reveal himself if Noah was accused.”
Vincent spoke coldly.
“You used a frightened child as bait.”
Isabella covered her face.
“Yes.”
The admission was quiet.
But it changed nothing about what she'd done.
Emma stood.
“Then I don't want you near my son.”
Isabella nodded through tears.
“I understand.”
“No. I don't think you do.”
Emma's voice remained steady.
“You didn't just embarrass him. You made him believe adults could punish him for something he never did.”
Isabella looked up.
“I'll apologize.”
“An apology is the beginning. Not the end.”
Vincent watched his sister absorb the words.
He knew Emma was right.
And he knew Isabella had spent years confusing desperate actions with loyalty.
Marco entered carrying a folder from the security office.
“Sir, we traced the two men who entered Emma's apartment.”
Vincent turned.
“Who hired them?”
“They were working for a recovery company contracted by Vale Holdings.”
Elias's company.
Emma stared.
“Elias knew the train was in our apartment?”
“It appears so.”
Marco continued.
“But there's something unusual. The recovery order was canceled yesterday morning.”
“Canceled by whom?”
“Edward Vale.”
Vincent frowned.
“Then why did they still go?”
“The men claimed someone contacted their supervisor and told them the cancellation was fraudulent.”
“Who?”
Marco placed a copy of the instruction on the table.
It carried a familiar authorization code.
Vincent recognized it instantly.
His own private security code.
The one only three people knew.
Himself.
Marco.
And Daniel.
Vincent looked at Marco.
“Someone used Daniel's credentials.”
Marco nodded.
“Yes, sir.”
Isabella stared at the paper.
“Daniel would never send people into Emma's apartment.”
Vincent turned toward her.
“You've already admitted you don't know what Daniel's doing.”
Isabella lowered her eyes.
Emma was studying the document.
“Mr. Moretti, look at the time.”
The order had been issued at 7:12 p.m.
Three minutes after Isabella planted the bracelet.
Vincent frowned.
“Someone expected us to discover the train tonight.”
Marco looked up.
“Perhaps they wanted the photograph recovered.”
“Then why stage the theft?”
Emma answered.
“Because they wanted us looking at Elias.”
Vincent stared at her.
She pointed at the document.
“If Elias canceled the order, someone else made sure it happened under his company's name.”
Vincent considered that.
His sister had been frightened of Elias.
Daniel had supposedly been avoiding him.
And yet Elias had preserved evidence of Vincent's birth and helped Thomas search for his family.
Maybe Elias wasn't the enemy Antonio had described.
Maybe he'd been trying to protect the children all along.
Vincent looked at the silver box again.
Beneath the hospital bracelet was a folded railway ticket.
Dated twenty-six years earlier.
Lakefront Rail Depot.
A handwritten departure time appeared on the back.
11:40 p.m.
Alongside it were three names.
Maria.
Elias.
And Antonio.
Vincent frowned.
“What happened at the depot twenty-six years ago?”
Isabella stared at the ticket.
Her expression changed.
“That's the night Mother tried to leave.”
Vincent looked at her.
“What happened?”
Isabella shook her head.
“She told me Antonio caught them before they reached the train.”
“Then what?”
“I was only sixteen.”
“Isabella.”
Her voice dropped.
“Mother came home with a broken wrist. Elias disappeared. And Antonio made me swear I'd never mention the station.”
Emma stared.
“Why?”
Isabella looked at Vincent.
“Because somebody fell from the platform that night.”
“Who?”
She swallowed.
“Antonio said it was an accident.”
Vincent stepped closer.
“Who fell?”
Isabella's eyes filled.
“A railroad employee who tried to help Mother.”
“Did he survive?”
“I don't know.”
Marco examined the back of the ticket.
There was another mark, almost invisible beneath the fold.
A witness's initials.
T.C.
Emma stared.
“Thomas Collins?”
Vincent shook his head.
“Thomas would have been a teenager.”
“No,” Emma said quietly. “Thomas told me he worked at a railroad museum when he was twelve. He said he witnessed something awful there. He never told me what.”
Vincent looked toward the ticket.
Thomas had been there.
He had watched his mother try to escape.
And years later, he had died while helping Daniel uncover that same secret.
Vincent folded the ticket carefully.
“We need to find Daniel.”
Marco nodded.
“I've located an old maintenance office at the depot. Someone's been paying its electricity bill.”
“Who?”
Marco hesitated.
“The payments come from an account established by Thomas Collins.”
Emma stared.
“My husband?”
Marco nodded.
“The account is still active.”
Vincent looked toward the dark windows.
“Prepare the cars.”
Emma stepped forward.
“I'm coming.”
“No.”
“That's my husband's account.”
“It may be dangerous.”
Emma held his gaze.
“Then you should have thought about that before my son became involved.”
Vincent paused.
Then nodded.
“We go together.”
They reached the driveway twenty minutes later.
Noah remained inside with Patricia and a female security officer Emma had personally approved.
Vincent opened the passenger door for Emma.
Before she entered, Marco received an updated exterior camera image from the depot.
A man in a gray coat stood beneath the platform clock.
He was facing the camera.
There was no hat this time.
No shadow hiding his face.
Vincent recognized him immediately.
Daniel.
Alive.
Standing beside an older man with silver hair and a scar above his left eyebrow.
Elias Ward.
But the image revealed something more troubling.
Daniel wasn't standing freely.
May you like
His hands were secured in front of him.
And Elias was holding the other end of a short metal chain.
