“Now you understand why Claire was never supposed to marry you.”
The call ended.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
I stared at the birth certificate, struggling to understand what it meant.
If the document was genuine, everything I believed about my family was wrong.
Jamie was not who I thought he was.
Evelyn had hidden a connection to us for decades.
And Claire had somehow walked into the center of a secret that began long before our wedding.
Then my phone vibrated again.
A new message.
This time, it contained a photograph.
Claire was sitting in a dark room.
Her wrists appeared bound to the arms of a chair.
Tears streaked her face.
Behind her stood a man wearing a silver watch.
His face was hidden in shadow.
Underneath the photograph were six words.
BRING JAMIE. COME ALONE. NO POLICE.
I looked up at my brother.
He was staring at the screen.
