Silence.
Absolute silence.
I stared at my mother.
Certain I had heard her wrong.
“A…”
My voice barely worked.
“A twin?”
Evelyn slowly nodded.
Tears filled her eyes.
“Yes.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“No, that’s impossible.”
Victor looked just as stunned.
Lucien’s hand slowly slipped into mine.
Grounding me.
Keeping me standing.
“Mom…”
I whispered.
“Please tell me you’re mistaken.”
She closed her eyes.
“I wish I were.”
⸻
The police led Julian toward one of the vehicles.
Yet he kept smiling.
As though this was exactly what he had wanted.
As though he had just dropped a bomb and couldn’t wait to watch it explode.
I turned back to Evelyn.
“Where is she?”
My mother’s face crumpled.
“I don’t know.”
The words hit me like a slap.
“You don’t know?”
“I lost her.”
Her vo
