The Twin Sisters Rescued a Baby Left Beside the Garbage — Then Refused the Millionaire’s Reward and Exposed a Terrible Secret
Chapter 3
Marcus did not sit down again.
He stood beside the broken chair with his phone still in his hand, staring at the dark screen.
Lena noticed the change before he spoke.
“Is the baby in trouble?”
“No.”
The answer came too quickly.
Then Marcus corrected himself.
“I don’t know.”
Lily shifted closer to June.
The twins had always been good at noticing when adults lied. Not because they understood every lie, but because poor children learned early that adults sometimes changed their voices when the truth became expensive.
Marcus rubbed his thumb across the edge of his phone.
“My son was born at St. Vincent’s,” he said. “His mother was admitted under the name Rachel Vale.”
Lena said nothing.
“She left the hospital the following evening.”
“And the baby?”
“I was told he left with her.”
“You weren’t there?”
Marcus looked down.
“No.”
There was no excuse in his voice.
Only a fact.
Lena folded her arms.
“Then what happened?”
Marcus took a breath.
“I was out of state.”
“Work?”
“Yes.”
“And you believed the hospital?”
“I had no reason not to.”
Lena’s expression changed slightly.
“Until now.”
Marcus nodded.
“Until now.”
June looked at Lily.
Lily was watching the baby.
He had been placed in a temporary carrier near the wall. His tiny mouth moved in sleep.
Marcus followed her gaze.
“He has my eyes,” he said.
Lena looked at him.
“You’re sure?”
Marcus almost smiled.
“My mother used to say I had eyes that made people uncomfortable.”
June whispered, “He does.”
Marcus heard her.
For the first time, he laughed.
It lasted less than a second.
Then his phone rang again.
This time he answered immediately.
“What?”
He listened.
His face went pale.
“Send it to me.”
He ended the call.
“What?” Lena asked.
Marcus looked at her.
“The hospital says the discharge record was never completed.”
Lena frowned.
“What does that mean?”
“It means there is no legal record showing who took the baby.”
Silence filled the room.
The baby stirred.
Lily leaned over and adjusted the blanket.
Marcus stared at her hands.
Then he said quietly,
“That means somebody knew exactly where he was going.”
