Chapter 2: The Twin Nobody Was Allowed to Mention
The silence felt unbearable. Lenora staggered backward and grabbed the edge of the table for support.
Across the ballroom, an elderly man slowly stood from his chair.
“My God,” he whispered.
Several guests turned toward him. He was Charles Vance, the oldest surviving member of the family. His eyes remained fixed on the photograph.
“Her name was Lydia.”
Daisy immediately looked at him. Tears filled her eyes.
“You knew my mother?”
Charles nodded weakly.
“Everyone knew Lydia.”
Murmurs swept through the room. Lenora’s expression darkened.
“Enough.”
But Charles ignored her.
“Lydia was Lenora’s twin sister.”
Shock exploded throughout the ballroom. Reporters rushed forward. Phones rose into the air.
Daisy clutched the bracelet tighter.
“Then why did nobody ever talk about her?”
Charles looked toward Lenora with visible disappointment.
“Because twenty years ago, Lydia disappeared.”
Daisy slowly shook her head.
“No.”
Her voice trembled.
“She didn’t disappear.”
The room went silent again. Daisy reached into her pocket and pulled out a yellowed envelope.
“She was forced to leave.”
Lenora’s breathing turned uneven. The envelope bore the Vance family seal — a seal no one outside the family should have had access to.
Then Daisy revealed the final sentence written by her mother.
“If Lenora denies me again, show them the truth about the baby.”
