Chapter 5 - THE BLACK RING
Evelyn had imagined meeting her father thousands of times.
As a child, she imagined he would find her.
As a teenager, she imagined confronting him.
As an adult, she convinced herself she no longer cared.
Now she discovered she had spent decades hating the wrong man.
Nathan stood beside her.
“You okay?”
“No.”
It was the first time that night she answered honestly.
Victoria sat nearby.
She looked equally shattered.
Diane remained standing.
Charles refused to look at anyone.
Evelyn turned toward Diane.
“Start from the beginning.”
Diane shook her head.
“We don’t have time.”
“Make time.”
“You don’t understand.”
“Then make me understand.”
Diane looked toward the exits.
“If Alexander knows you’re here, he’ll come.”
Nathan frowned.
“He already came.”
Diane shook her head.
“No.”
“The person upstairs wasn’t Alexander.”
Evelyn stared.
“How do you know?”
“Because Alexander doesn’t hide.”
A sound came from the main ballroom doors.
Three knocks.
Slow.
Heavy.
Every security guard turned.
Marcus touched his earpiece.
“No one is scheduled outside.”
Another three knocks.
Victoria stood.
“What is that?”
Diane went white.
Charles whispered,
“No.”
Evelyn looked at him.
“You recognize that?”
Charles didn’t answer.
Three more knocks.
Diane whispered,
“That’s him.”
Marcus drew closer to the doors.
Nathan stopped him.
“Cameras first.”
A guard checked the security tablet.
His expression changed.
“Sir…”
Marcus looked over.
“What?”
“There’s one man outside.”
“Identification?”
“None.”
“Is he armed?”
“Can’t tell.”
Evelyn walked toward the monitor.
A tall older man stood alone outside the ballroom.
Silver hair.
Black suit.
No tie.
His hands rested casually at his sides.
On his right hand was a black ring.
Evelyn felt every muscle in her body tighten.
The man looked directly into the camera.
Then smiled.
Victoria whispered,
“That’s our father?”
Diane grabbed her wrist.
“Do not call him that.”
Victoria looked at her.
Diane’s fear was unmistakable.
“He is not a father.”
Another knock.
Then the man outside spoke toward the camera.
“Evelyn.”
She froze.
His voice came through the security feed.
“I know you can hear me.”
Charles backed away from the door.
Alexander continued.
“You’ve spent years looking for me.”
He smiled.
“So open the door.”
Evelyn stared at the screen.
Nathan stepped beside her.
“Don’t.”
Alexander seemed almost to hear him.
“Mr. Cole is going to tell you not to.”
Nathan’s face changed.
Evelyn looked at him.
Alexander continued.
“He’s very protective of you.”
A pause.
“He should be.”
Evelyn looked at Nathan.
“What does that mean?”
Nathan didn’t answer.
Alexander smiled into the camera.
“Ask Nathan who paid his law school tuition.”
Evelyn slowly turned.
Nathan’s face had gone pale.
“Nathan?”
He said nothing.
“Nathan.”
Alexander’s voice continued.
“Ask him who gave him his first job.”
Evelyn stepped away from Nathan.
“What is he talking about?”
Nathan whispered,
“I can explain.”
Victoria laughed bitterly.
“Apparently everyone can explain tonight.”
Evelyn stared at Nathan.
“Did you know him?”
Nathan closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
The word hurt more than Evelyn expected.
“How long?”
“My whole life.”
She backed away.
“You knew who he was?”
“No.”
“When did you find out?”
Nathan hesitated.
Evelyn’s voice hardened.
“When?”
“Six years ago.”
Evelyn stared.
“You’ve been helping me investigate him for four.”
Nathan said nothing.
“You knew.”
“I knew his name.”
“You knew he was connected.”
“I didn’t know he was your father.”
“You lied to me.”
“Yes.”
Alexander’s voice came through the speaker again.
“Open the door, Evelyn.”
She looked at the screen.
“No.”
Alexander smiled.
“Then I’ll give you a reason.”
He lifted his phone.
The ballroom screens suddenly changed.
A live video appeared.
Robert Langley.
He was no longer upstairs.
He was sitting in the back seat of a car.
A man held him by the shoulder.
Victoria screamed.
“How did they get him out?”
Marcus cursed under his breath.
Alexander spoke.
“Your uncle has something you need.”
Evelyn stared.
Alexander corrected himself.
“Victoria’s uncle.”
He smiled.
“Your history is complicated.”
Charles stepped toward the camera.
“Let Robert go.”
Alexander’s smile disappeared.
“Charles.”
Charles froze.
“You always were sentimental at the wrong time.”
Diane whispered,
“Monster.”
Alexander heard her.
His smile returned.
“Diane.”
She looked toward the camera.
“Still pretending you were innocent?”
Diane’s face changed.
Victoria saw it.
“Mom?”
Diane didn’t answer.
Alexander continued.
“Ask Diane who chose which baby Charles took.”
Victoria stared at her mother.
Evelyn felt sick.
Diane whispered,
“No.”
Alexander laughed.
“You didn’t tell them?”
“Shut up.”
“Thirty-two years, Diane.”
“You’ve had plenty of time.”
Victoria stepped away from her.
“What is he talking about?”
Diane began crying.
Evelyn looked between them.
Alexander continued.
“Two newborn girls.”
“One wealthy household.”
“One poor mother.”
“And Diane got to choose.”
Victoria’s voice broke.
“Choose what?”
Alexander looked directly into the camera.
“Which daughter would become Victoria Langley.”
Silence.
Evelyn stared at Diane.
Victoria did too.
Diane covered her mouth.
Evelyn whispered,
“You chose.”
Diane shook her head.
“I was forced.”
“You chose which baby to steal.”
“I was forced!”
Victoria’s eyes filled.
“Which one?”
Diane looked at her.
“What?”
“Which one was I?”
Diane began shaking.
“I don’t know.”
Alexander laughed from the screen.
“Yes, you do.”
Diane screamed,
“STOP!”
Alexander smiled.
“Tell them about the scar.”
Evelyn froze.
Victoria looked at Diane.
“What scar?”
Diane stared at Evelyn’s left hand.
Evelyn instinctively looked down.
A thin pale scar crossed the base of her thumb.
She had had it for as long as she could remember.
Margaret told her it came from an accident when she was a baby.
Diane whispered,
“Oh, God.”
Evelyn looked at her.
“What?”
Diane began sobbing.
Victoria grabbed her shoulders.
“Tell us!”
Diane looked at Evelyn.
Then at Victoria.
And whispered,
“I marked one of you.”
Evelyn felt the room disappear.
Diane pointed at the scar.
“That one.”
Evelyn stared at her hand.
“Why?”
“So I would know.”
“Know what?”
Diane’s answer barely came out.
“Which baby belonged to Margaret.”
Victoria stepped backward.
“And?”
Diane looked at her.
“Which baby I was supposed to take.”
The truth hit both women simultaneously.
Evelyn looked at her scar.
Then at Victoria.
Diane had marked Evelyn.
Evelyn had been the baby chosen to be stolen.
But Evelyn had grown up with Margaret.
Which meant someone had switched the infants again.
And whoever did it had changed the plan without telling Charles, Diane, or Alexander.
On the screen, Alexander Vale stopped smiling.
For the first time, he looked angry.
May you like
Because he had just realized the same thing.
Thirty-two years ago, someone inside St. Catherine’s Hospital had betrayed all of them.
