Chapter Eight

As the darkness enveloped us, we heard footsteps echoing through the room and Victoria's sinister laughter.

All these was like a nightmare. We were trying our best to get away from a trap. Suddenly, we saw a faint light from across the room. We saw a small door hidden behind crates. A hidden door.

The door creaked open revealing a dirty old staircase.

Daniel looked at me and gestured, "Lexi, I think we have to go down there."

As we went down the stairs the air got thicker. It was clouded with dust. It was as if they had never swept this place in centuries cause what is this?

We finally made it to a small room filled with old files, newspapers, documents and a single flickering bulb.

Daniel's eyes scanned the room and his heart raced when he spotted a newspaper headline:

Richard Blackwood, CEO, Dies in Mysterious Accident

A faint cry echoed through the room. My eyes widened as I spotted a small hidden compartment in the wall. I went closer and opened it.

Inside, I found a baby's onesie, a silver locklet and a note. Inside the locklet was a picture of Victoria, Daniel's mother carrying a baby in the hospital.

I squinted my eyes at Daniel, "Daniel, do you have any other siblings?"

"I can't remember. My mom must have given birth to a stillborn baby." He replied. "Let me take a look." He pushed his finger into the locket and brought out the photo.

He checked behind it, "This was the day before my father staged his own death."

A name was written behind the photo as well. River.

"What does the note say?" He questioned and grabbed it from my hands.

"Meet me at the old oak tree in Riverview Park at midnight. Come alone. -R"

"Daniel this is crazy! You can't just meet him like that. After everything. You can't just go to meet him alone."

"Lexi," he dropped his hand on my shoulder warmly, "I have to do this. I need answers and I promise. I'll be careful."

"But what if it's a trap?" I placed my hands on his hands, "What is he's not who he says he is?"

"I'll take that risk. I have to know the truth about my family. About my past."

Just then the door creaked open. Victoria's eyes was fixed on the note on Daniel's hands and she smiled slyly.

"Ah Daniel," she chuckled, "I see you are so eager to uncover the truth. But are you prepared for the consequences?"

Daniel's eyes narrowed, "What do you know mother?"

Victoria's smile grew wider. "Oh, just that you're playing with fire. And soon you'll get burned."

She turned away and disappeared into the shadows. While we stood there, the light in the continuously flickered. The air grew thick with tension then suddenly the door slammed shut and we heard the sound of locks clicking into place.

We're trapped.

"You shouldn't have come here Daniel," a voice growled from the shadows and laughed wickedly, "now you'll never leave."

"Who's there?" Daniel turned round trying to located the source of the sound, "Show yourself."

The voice chuckled menacingly, "You'll find out soon enough. But first, let's play a little game."

Suddenly, the lights flickered back to life. Daniel and I found ourselves surrounded by TV screens and cameras.

The voice continued, "You see Daniel, your whole life has been a lie. And now, it's time for the truth to be revealed… on live television."

The screens flickered to life and showed a news broadcast. The anchor's face appeared looking so grave and serious. "Welcome to the special edition of 'Uncovered Truths'. Tonight, we expose the dark secrets of the powerful Blackwood family."

"Daniel Blackwood have been living a lie. His father, Richard faked his own death to escape the consequences of his shady business dealings and connections to organized crime."

"What? That'd not true." Daniel said in shock.

"Oh, but it is Daniel. And it gets worse. Your mother Victoria has been manipulating and controlling those around her, including her own children to maintain the family's grip on power and wealth."

"That's why she's been acting so strange." I gasped in realization. 

"Yes, Lexi. And it's all about to come crashing down. You see Daniel, your whole life has been a carefully constructed illusion. Your memories, your identity, everything… all fabricated to keep you in the dark."

"Who are you?" Daniel looked up in rage, "How do you know all this?"

"That's not important. What matters is the truth. And the truth is your family's secrets are about to be exposed to the world and you are the key to it all."

"Daniel what's going on?" I shook his shoulder but he couldn't say anything. 

"And now, the pièce de résistance… Daniel meet your long-lost sibling, the one who's been waiting for you all these years…."

A figure stepped out of the shadows and Daniel's world spinned out of control.

"Hello brother."

The figure stepped out of the shadow and Daniel's eyes widened in shock.

"River? But.. i thought you were…" he pointed at the onesie and the locklet, "you were the stillborn baby."

"Oh Daniel," she smirked, "you've been so misinformed. I'm very much alive. And I've been waiting for you."

"What's going on?" I asked confused, "Who is this?"

"I'm your twin sister." She replied with her eyes still fixed on Daniel, "And Daniel, our family secrets are going to destroy everything you thought you knew."

"Twin sister?" Daniel's mind was about to blow, so many revelations in one day, "but.. but.. why did they keep this from me?"

River laughed. "You'll find out soon enough dear brother. But first.." she brought out a small box, "you need to open this."

Daniel hesitated at first but River's intense gaze forced him to take the box.

Daniel grabbed the box while opening it, "What is this?"

River smiled, "Your family's legacy, Daniel. And your future."

I honestly didn't know what to think of River at this point. I was just blank and drowned with so much information.

"What's happening?" I asked terrified.

"Just the beginning Lexi, just the beginning." River laughed.

And everything went blank.