Rachael's feet barely touched the stairs as she rushed after her mother, her breath uneven. The murmurs of the shocked guests faded behind her, the weight of Eloise's presence still thick in the air.
"Mom!" she called, her voice sharp with desperation.
Rachael hesitated only a second before pushing the door open. Harriet sat on the edge of the bed, her shoulders shaking, her face buried in her hands.
"Mom," Rachael whispered, stepping inside and closing the door behind her. "Who is she?"
Harriet let out a choked sob but said nothing.
"Mom, answer me!" Rachael's voice rose, frustration seeping through.
"Did Dad have another daughter? Did you know about this?"
Harriet's fingers clenched around the bedsheets.
"I don't know," she admitted, her voice trembling.
"Your father, I never expected anything like this from him. Don't you see her Racheal, that girl is you".
Harriet let out a broken, bitter laugh, her tears slipping freely now.
"The way she stood there, the way she looked at me... It was like seeing you."
She shut her eyes tightly. "I can't deal with this. I just can't."
She broke off, shaking her head as fresh tears slid down her face.
Adam knocked at the door, his voice low and soothing. "Harriet, we need to talk about this."
His expression was grim as he stepped inside, his gaze locking onto Harriet.
"No, Harriet," he said firmly.
"You can't just sit here and cry, we need to go downstairs, we need to talk to Martha."
Harriet's head snapped up. Her eyes burned with fury.
"They're still in my house?" she hissed through clenched teeth.
Adam nodded. "They deserve a chance to explain."
"They deserve nothing from me!" Harriet's voice trembled with rage as she shot to her feet.
"I have lived for Georges!" "I have given everything to this family!"
She took a staggering step forward, her breath coming fast.
"And now, someone just walks in and claims to be my husband's daughter?" Her face twisted with raw pain.
"I can't even deny it,"
"Adam. The resemblance… it's there. That girl is my husband's child or what if she is your daughter, Adam?"
Rachael swallowed hard. The air in the room was suffocating.
"Rachael, that is your sister," Harriet whispered, her voice barely audible now.
The words hit like a punch to the gut.
Harriet inhaled sharply, forcing herself to stand tall. "I need to be alone."
"No, Mom," Rachael said quickly, stepping closer. "I can't leave you alone."
"I know what happened the last time"
A tense silence settled between them. Harriet averted her gaze. Adam exhaled and placed a firm hand on her shoulder.
"I'll stay with her," he said quietly. "Rachael, go check on Kate and the babies."
Rachael hesitated. Then, reluctantly, she nodded.
As she stepped out of the room, she caught a glimpse over the railing.
Martha and Eloise were leaving.
Kate's room was quiet, the soft scent of baby powder in the air.
Rachael stepped inside.
Kate looked up from where she sat, cradling one of the newborns.
"Are you okay?" she asked softly.
Rachael forced a smile. "Yeah. Why do you ask?"
Kate sighed. "Because of Eloise." Her voice was gentle, but her eyes held concern.
"I can't imagine what you're feeling, Rachael. I'm so sorry,"
Rachael let out a shaky breath.
"Kate, I don't even know what to feel anymore." Then, her gaze softened as she looked at the baby.
"But I do know one thing: I'm genuinely happy for you."
Kate smiled.
Rachael exhaled. "Your twins… they're going to inherit half of my father's estate."
Kate's smile faded. She hesitated.
"Rachael… are you sure about that?"
Rachael frowned. "What do you mean?"
Kate bit her lip. "I mean… what if Eloise has a claim to it too?"
"There is enough to go round kate," Racheal responded.
A heavy silence fell between them as a sharp voice rang through the house.
"You have to call them back and listen to what they have to say!"
Rachael and Kate exchanged a startled glance before rushing outside.
It was Harriet. She stood face to face with Adam in the hallway, her fists clenched, her expression thunderous.
"I will never call them back!" Harriet seethed.
"Your brother betrayed me!" He had a child with another woman while I was there; faithful, devoted, blind!
"And now you expect me to sit down and listen to them?" Her voice cracked. "I will not!"
She turned sharply to leave.
"I'll talk to her," Rachael whispered.
Later that evening, Harriet sat at the dining table. Stoic. Silent. Cold.
Across from her, Martha and Eloise.
A tense silence filled the room as silverware clinked against the porcelain.
Then, Adam broke the silence.
"So, Martha," he said, clearing his throat, "how did you and my brother meet?"
Martha hesitated.
Then, with a sheepish smile, she said, "Anthony was a sweet man."
Harriet's eyes narrowed.
Martha swallowed hard.
"I used to work at a casino. He comes in often."
"You were a waitress," Harriet cut in, lifting her teacup.
Martha's voice wavered.
"Yes. And one thing led to another… I became his mistress. He got me a house in Oakhaven."
Harriet set her cup down, her movements slow, deliberate, deadly.
Martha's fingers twisted in her lap.
"When I got pregnant, he told me to get rid of the baby. But I was too far gone."
Harriet's eyes darkened.
Martha continued, her voice shaking.
"Years later, he came back."
"He wanted to see if I'd had a child." She glanced at Eloise.
"He… wanted to take responsibility."
A thick silence followed.
Adam cleared his throat.
"Harriet, I know this is painful, but we need to move forward. We need to be a family."
Harriet's lips curled into a dark, humorless smile.
"Family?" she murmured.
Then, she let out a low, cold chuckle.
"Let me tell you what I think about family, Adam."
"Family is a myth," Harriet spat, her voice venomous.
"A myth perpetuated by people who want to control and manipulate others. Family is a prison, Adam. A prison that traps you, that suffocates you."
Rachael felt a shiver run down her spine as she watched her mother's transformation. Harriet's eyes seemed to gleam with a malevolent intensity, her smile twisted and cruel.
"And you want me to welcome these strangers into our family?" Harriet's voice rose, her words dripping with disdain.
"You want me to forget everything my husband did to me, to us, and just... just forgive?"
The room fell silent, the only sound the heavy breathing of the assembled family. Rachael felt like she was watching a train wreck in slow motion, unable to look away from the carnage.
"I won't do it, Adam," Harriet whispered, her voice barely audible.
"I won't forgive him. I won't take them as a family."
Eloise's eyes flashed with tears, but she said nothing. Martha reached out, placing a comforting hand on her daughter's shoulder.
"Harriet, please," Martha began, her voice soft.
"We don't want to cause any more pain. We just want to…"
But Harriet cut her off, her voice rising to a crescendo.
"You want to what? You want to disrupt our lives, to destroy everything we've built? Well, I won't let you. I won't let you do it."
The room erupted into chaos, the sound of raised voices and shattering glass filling the air. Rachael felt like she was losing control, like everything was spiraling out of control.
The room seemed to shrink, the walls closing in on them. Rachael felt like she was trapped, trapped in a nightmare from which she couldn't wake up.
And then, without another word, Harriet turned and walked away, leaving the shattered remains of their family behind.
Martha turned to Eloise, her voice soft but firm. "Let's go home."
Eloise hesitated for a moment, her gaze lingering on Rachael before she finally turned and followed Martha out the door. The weight of unspoken words hung between them, thick like the humid night air pressing against the house.
Adam exhaled and grabbed his car keys, wordlessly escorting them to the hotel where they were lodged. The drive was tense, silent, only the rhythmic tapping of Martha's fingers against her knee filled the void.
When they arrived, neither of them said a word as they stepped out. Eloise's shoulders were rigid, and Martha's lips were pursed, as if holding back something sharp and painful.
Adam waited until they disappeared into the building before driving back. The mansion loomed ahead as he parked, its presence heavier than usual. The air inside felt even thicker when he walked in, and there, in the dimly lit living room, sat Rachael.
She was curled onto the couch, staring blankly at the floor, a storm raging behind her eyes. Adam leaned over, his voice gentle but probing.
"Rachael, are you good?"
Her head snapped up, an unfiltered exhaustion settled into her features.
"Uncle," she started, her voice laced with bitterness.
"I thought peace was supposed to reign, especially after Dad died. But it seems that's never going to happen."
Adam sank into the armchair opposite her, rubbing a hand down his face.
"This wasn't what anyone expected, but we have to face it."
Rachael let out a humorless laugh.
"Face it? The will says Eloise gets half of what's left. Half! What if she's really my half sister?"
"It's not even deniable."
Racheal shook her head, her fingers clenching around the fabric of the couch.
Adam's voice cut through the silence, his words measured and calm.
"Maybe we need to do a DNA test before going ahead with the allocation of properties."
Racheal studied him for a long moment, nodding slowly.
"It would clarify things for everyone and settle doubts before they turn into something worse," he added.
Rachael exhaled, her chest rising and falling unevenly. "Exactly."
Adam leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
"I'll be traveling back to Russia soon. I won't be here for all of this."
Her stomach twisted at his words. "You're leaving? Why?"
He gave her a small, sad smile,
"Because I have to."
She swallowed hard, nodding, though the knot in her chest only tightened. Without another word, Adam stood up and disappeared down the hallway, leaving Rachael alone with her thoughts.
The silence of the house was suffocating. She reached for her phone, her fingers trembling slightly as she dialed.
David picked up on the second ring. "Rachael, hey."
"David… how are you?" Her voice was steadier than she expected.
"I'm good. Just chilling with Spencer. How about you?"
She hesitated. "I'm… I'm good. Can we see tomorrow? I need to talk."
A brief pause. Then, "Of course, Rachael. I'll be with you."
"Thank you." She barely whispered it before the call ended.
Rachael let the phone slip from her fingers onto the couch. The exhaustion in her bones finally won, pulling her into restless sleep right there in the living room, where shadows loomed and secrets festered in the silence of the night.