PART 10 — THE WOMAN WHO LOOKED LIKE ME

I couldn’t move.
The video camera lay on the floor between us.
On its tiny screen, two figures stood beside the beach service building.
One was Michael.
The other looked exactly like me.
Not similar.
Not vaguely familiar.
Exactly.
Same face.
Same hair.

Same posture.
Even the small scar above the left eyebrow that I had carried since childhood.
I whispered,
“That’s impossible.”
My mother closed her eyes.
“No.”
I looked at her.
“You know her.”
“Yes.”
“Who is she?”
My mother took a long breath.
“Her name is Sarah.”
I stared at the screen.
“Sarah what?”
“Sarah Vale.”
My stomach dropped.
“Vale?”
My mother nodded.
“She was your twin.”
The room went silent.
I laughed because the alternative was screaming.
“I don’t have a twin.”
“You did.”
“Why don’t I know about her?”
“Because your father took her.”

My knees weakened.
“Why?”
My mother looked toward the window.
“Because she was born first.”
I shook my head.
“That doesn’t explain anything.”
“She was born with a birthmark.”
“What does that have to do with it?”
My mother looked at my wrist.
I instinctively covered it.
“When you were children, your father believed one of you would eventually inherit everything.”
“Everything?”
“The money.”
“The companies.”
“The accounts.”
“And the identity.”

I stared at her.
“What identity?”
She hesitated.
“Your father had created a second identity for himself.”
I looked at the video again.
Michael and Sarah were standing beside Nora.
“What was Sarah doing with Michael?”
My mother didn’t answer.
“Mom.”
“She was trying to take Nora.”
My heart stopped.
“Why?”
“Because your father wanted Nora as leverage.”
“Leverage for what?”
“To force you to sign over the accounts.”
I turned toward Michael.
He looked broken.
“Is that true?”
He nodded.
“I didn’t know Sarah was there.”

“You were standing beside her.”
“I thought she was you.”
My voice became cold.
“You thought she was me?”
“It was dark.”
“You met her before.”
“Once.”
“And you didn’t recognize her?”
“I was told you had a twin.”
I stared at him.
“You knew?”
“Yes.”
“And you never told me.”
“I was afraid.”
“Of what?”
“That you’d start asking questions.”
My mother suddenly interrupted.
“That’s not the worst part.”
I looked at her.

“What could possibly be worse?”
She pointed toward the camera.
“Watch the next minute.”
I pressed play.
The image shook.
Nora stood beside the building.
Sarah approached her.
They spoke.
There was no sound.
Then Nora suddenly stepped backward.
Sarah reached toward her.
Michael moved between them.
And another person entered the frame.
I leaned closer.
The man wore the same dark jacket.
The same white circle symbol.
Daniel.
But there was something strange.

He wasn’t attacking Nora.
He was pointing at Sarah.
Sarah turned.
Then she ran.
Nora stayed behind.
Michael grabbed Nora’s arm.
A few seconds later, another vehicle arrived.
A man stepped out.
He opened the passenger door.
Nora entered.
The vehicle drove away.
I stopped the video.
“Where did they take her?”
My mother whispered,
“We don’t know.”
“You said you knew.”
“We knew where they wanted to take her.”
“Where?”
My mother looked at Emily.
“Her father’s house.”
Emily stared at her.
“But my father is dead.”
My mother shook her head.
“No.”
She looked toward the door.
“He is standing outside.”

Everyone froze.
Footsteps approached the cabin.
Slow.
Heavy.
Then the door opened.
An elderly man entered.
I recognized him immediately from the photograph.
Thomas Vale.
My father.
The man I had spent my entire life believing was dead.
He looked at me.
Then at Nora.
Then at Emily.
Finally, he smiled.
“Claire.”
I couldn’t speak.
He walked closer.
“You’ve grown into your mother’s face.”
I stepped backward.

“You’re my father.”
“Yes.”
“You let me believe you were dead.”
“I had to.”
“You watched me suffer.”
“Yes.”
“You knew Nora was alive.”
His expression changed.
“No.”
Nora stepped forward.
“You knew.”
Thomas looked at her.
“You were never supposed to survive.”
Michael moved between them.
“Don’t touch her.”
Thomas smiled.

“You still think you’re her protector.”
Michael shook his head.
“I am.”
Thomas laughed.
“You were supposed to deliver her eight years ago.”
I turned toward Michael.
“Deliver her?”
Michael closed his eyes.
Thomas continued.
“He failed.”
“Why?”
“Because he fell in love with you.”
I looked at my husband.
Thomas’s voice became colder.
“So I found another way.”
Sarah stepped into the doorway.
I turned.
She was holding a gun.
My identical face stared back at me.
She looked terrified.
“Don’t listen to him,” Sarah said.
Thomas turned toward her.
“You always were disobedient.”
Sarah’s hands trembled.
“You killed Nora.”
Thomas said nothing.
I looked at her.

“You were there.”
Sarah nodded.
“I tried to save her.”
“What happened?”
“She fought.”
“She ran.”
“And then…”
Sarah began crying.
“I lost her.”
I felt tears fill my eyes.
“Is Nora alive?”
Sarah looked at Thomas.
Then at me.
“No.”
The word destroyed me.
“She died that night.”
I couldn’t breathe.
Nora stepped toward her.
“You’re lying.”
Sarah shook her head.
“I wish I were.”
I looked at the woman who had worn my daughter’s cover-up.
The woman who had carried Nora’s secrets.
The woman who had led me here.
“Then why bring me here?”
Sarah lowered the gun.
“Because Nora left something behind.”
“What?”
Sarah reached into her coat.
She pulled out a small envelope.
My name was written across it.
In Nora’s handwriting.
My hands trembled as I opened it.
Inside was one sentence.
Mom, if you’re reading this, don’t believe anyone who tells you I’m dead.
I looked up.
Sarah was crying.
Thomas was furious.
Michael looked terrified.
And from somewhere outside the cabin, a phone began ringing.
Nora’s old phone.
The same phone that had been left inside her beach bag eight years ago.
I turned toward the sound.
My mother whispered,
“That phone has been dead for eight years.”
The ringing continued.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Then the screen lit up.
An incoming call.
The caller ID displayed one name.
NORA.

PART 11 — THE CALL FROM NORA

Nobody moved.
The phone kept ringing.
Nora.
The name on the screen looked impossible.
I stepped toward it.
Thomas shouted,
“Don’t answer!”
I stopped.
Michael looked at him.
“Why?”
Thomas didn’t respond.
Sarah lowered her weapon.
“Claire, answer it.”
My mother whispered,
“Your daughter wanted you to hear her voice.”
I picked up the phone.
“Hello?”
For several seconds, there was nothing.
Then breathing.
A faint, shaky breath.
My heart nearly stopped.
“Nora?”
The breathing stopped.
Then a girl’s voice whispered,
“Mom?”
I collapsed into the chair beside me.
“Oh my God.”
My entire body shook.
“Nora, where are you?”
“I don’t know.”
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“Are you alone?”
There was silence.
Then:
“No.”
I looked around the cabin.
“Who is with you?”
The voice became quieter.
“I don’t know who to trust.”
I looked at Thomas.
Then Michael.
Then Sarah.
“Tell me where you are.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because they can hear me.”
My mother stepped closer.
“Tell her about the lighthouse.”
I didn’t understand.
“What lighthouse?”
Nora answered immediately.
“The one Grandma took me to when I was little.”
My mother’s face changed.
She looked at me.
“That proves it’s her.”
I gripped the phone.
“Nora, listen to me.”
“Yes.”
“I’m coming for you.”
“No.”
“I’m your mother.”
“I know.”
“Then let me find you.”
“Mom, you need to listen.”
Her voice cracked.
“Don’t trust Dad.”
Michael closed his eyes.
I looked at him.
“Nora, why?”
“He knows where I am.”
Michael whispered,
“I don’t.”
Nora heard him.
“You’re lying.”
“I swear.”
“You gave them my location.”
“I was trying to protect your mother.”
“You always say that.”
I felt tears run down my face.
“Nora, please.”
There was a long silence.
Then she whispered,
“Mom, do you remember the yellow sun?”
I looked at the turquoise cover-up.
“Yes.”
“Grandma told me to make sure you saw it.”
“I did.”
“No.”
Her voice trembled.
“You saw the stitching.”
“You didn’t see what was underneath.”
My mother suddenly turned pale.
I looked at her.
“What was underneath?”
Nora said,
“A name.”
I looked at the crooked yellow sun.
“Whose name?”
“Your father’s.”
I froze.
Thomas stepped forward.
“Give me the phone.”
I pulled away.
Nora heard him.
“Is he there?”
“Yes.”
Her breathing changed.
“Then don’t tell him where I am.”
Thomas shouted,
“Nora!”
She immediately hung up.
The room fell silent.
I looked at my father.
“You knew.”
He stared at me.
“Knew what?”
“That she was alive.”
“No.”
“You told me not to answer.”
“Because they use that phone.”
“Who?”
Thomas didn’t answer.
Sarah suddenly stepped forward.
“The phone was never supposed to ring.”
Thomas glared at her.
“You shouldn’t have come.”
“You brought me here.”
“I brought you because I needed Claire.”
Sarah shook her head.
“You needed her because the accounts won’t open without her.”
My mother looked at me.
“What accounts?”
Thomas stepped closer.
“The money your mother stole from me.”
My mother laughed bitterly.
“I didn’t steal anything.”
“You hid it.”
“I protected it.”
“From whom?”
“From you.”
Thomas’s expression hardened.
I looked between them.
“How much money?”
My mother whispered,
“Enough to destroy several lives.”
Michael spoke quietly.
“And enough to expose everyone.”
I looked at him.
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Because I helped move it.”
I felt sick.
“Then you’re all connected.”
Michael nodded.
“We are.”
Thomas suddenly pulled out a small envelope.
“Claire, give me the flash drive.”
“No.”
“Give it to me.”
“No.”
“You don’t understand what you’re carrying.”
“I understand enough.”
Thomas’s voice became cold.
“If you open those files, people will come after you.”
“They already are.”
“No.”
He shook his head.
“You haven’t seen anything yet.”
The cabin lights suddenly went out.
A loud crash came from outside.
Someone shouted.
Then another voice yelled,
“POLICE!”
Thomas turned toward the door.
“Everyone down!”
A bright beam flashed through the windows.
“DROP YOUR WEAPONS!”
Sarah lowered her gun.
Michael raised his hands.
My mother grabbed me.
“It’s not the police.”
“How do you know?”
“Because real police don’t announce themselves like that.”
A window shattered.
Glass flew across the room.
Nora’s phone fell from my hand.
I dropped to the floor.
Thomas crawled toward the back wall.
“There’s another exit.”
We followed him.
But before he could open it, the door exploded inward.
Three armed men entered.
The first man removed his mask.
It was Deputy Daniel Reeves.
He looked directly at me.
“Claire.”
I froze.
He smiled.
“You should never have found the cover-up.”
Then he looked at Thomas.
“You promised me the girl would never come back.”
Thomas replied,
“I thought she was dead.”
Reeves shook his head.
“She isn’t.”
My heart stopped.
“You know where Nora is?”
Reeves looked at me.
“Yes.”
“Where?”
He smiled.
“Closer than you think.”
Then my mother’s phone began ringing.
She looked at the screen.
Her face went white.
I took it from her.
The caller ID said:
NORA.
I answered.
But this time, Nora wasn’t crying.
She was whispering urgently.
“Mom, don’t believe Reeves.”
I looked at him.
Nora continued,
“He isn’t the one holding me.”
My blood ran cold.
“Then who is?”
There was a pause.
Then I heard a man’s voice in the background.
A voice I recognized instantly.
My own husband’s voice.
Michael’s voice.
“Claire, if you can hear me…”
I turned toward Michael.
He was standing right beside me.
But the voice continued through Nora’s phone.
“…don’t let them take the drive.”
I stared at Michael.
His face went completely white.
Then Nora whispered one final sentence.
“Mom… there are two Michaels.”
The call disconnected.
I looked at my husband.
Then at the man standing beside him.
For the first time, I noticed something I had missed for eight years.
They had the same face.
The same eyes.
The same scar above the eyebrow.
And one of them was smiling.
Click Here to continuous Read​​​​ Full Ending Story👉PART12:My 16-year-old daughter disappeared from a crowded beach without a trace. Eight years later,