Chapter 3 The Family Secret

• Emma’s POV
• The following day, I couldn’t focus on anything. Aunt Grace’s cryptic message played over and over in my mind. “It’s about your mom’s side of the family. I think it’s time you knew the truth.”
• What truth? My mom never spoke much about her family. All I knew was that she’d left her hometown before marrying my dad, cutting ties with her past. If she’d kept secrets, it had to be for a reason.
• When Aunt Grace called that afternoon, my hands shook as I picked up the phone.
• “Emma,” her warm voice greeted me, but there was an edge of urgency I couldn’t miss.
• “Aunt Grace,” I said, trying to steady my voice. “What’s going on? What did you mean last night?”
• “I’ve been meaning to call you for years,” she began, and I could hear the hesitation in her voice. “After your mom passed, I wanted to reach out, but… I didn’t know how your father and stepmother would take it.”
• I sank onto my bed, clutching the phone tighter. “You could’ve called me directly.”
• “I know,” she said softly. “And I’m sorry. But this isn’t the kind of conversation you have over the phone. Emma, I want you to come visit me.”
• “Visit you?” I repeated, taken aback. “Where are you?”
• “I’m in London. I’ll pay for your ticket, your stay—everything. Just say you’ll come.”
• London? My heart skipped a beat. I’d never been outside the country, let alone to a place like London. “Aunt Grace, I… I don’t know if I can just pack up and leave.”
• “Emma,” she said, her voice firm. “This isn’t just about a visit. It’s about your future. There’s so much you don’t know—about your mother, about our family. You deserve to know the truth.”
• I hesitated, torn between fear and curiosity. I barely had control of my life as it was, and now she was offering me an escape. Could I really walk away from everything here?
• Then again, what was I staying for? A stepmother who despised me? A stepsister who humiliated me at every turn? And now, two lives growing inside me with no idea how to face it all alone?
• “When would you want me to come?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
• “As soon as possible,” Aunt Grace replied. “I’ll arrange everything. Just say yes.”
• I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. “Okay. I’ll come.”
• ---
• Three days later, I stepped off the plane at Heathrow Airport, clutching my bag tightly. My nerves were on edge as I scanned the crowd. A middle-aged woman waved at me from near the exit. Her auburn hair and sharp green eyes reminded me so much of my mom that it took my breath away.
• “Emma!” she called, her face breaking into a wide smile as she pulled me into a hug.
• “Aunt Grace,” I murmured, the familiarity of her embrace surprising me.
• “It’s so good to see you,” she said, stepping back to study my face. “You look just like her, you know.”
• “Mom?”
• She nodded, her smile tinged with sadness. “Come on, let’s get you settled. There’s so much to talk about.”
• ---
• Grace’s house was a sprawling townhouse in a posh London neighborhood, all high ceilings and elegant furnishings. I tried not to gape as I followed her inside. This was nothing like the cramped, chaotic house I’d grown up in.
• Over tea in her sunlit kitchen, Grace wasted no time. “Your mom came from wealth, Emma. Old money. The kind of family that owns estates, businesses, and even parts of this city.”
• I stared at her, stunned. “What? But… she never said anything about that.”
• Grace sighed, her fingers curling around her teacup. “She didn’t want that life. Your grandparents were controlling, especially your grandfather. He had everything planned for her—her career, her marriage, even where she’d live. She hated it. She wanted freedom, so she left.”
• “To be with my dad?” I asked softly.
• Grace nodded. “They met during one of her rebellious phases. She fell for him because he was everything her family disapproved of—ordinary, honest, real. She thought she could escape her past and build a new life. And for a while, she did. But…” She hesitated, her expression darkening.
• “But what?”
• “Your grandfather never forgave her for leaving. He cut her off financially and refused to acknowledge her after you were born. That’s why you never knew about us. She wanted to protect you from that kind of life.”
• I leaned back in my chair, my mind spinning. “So why tell me all this now? What changed?”
• Grace’s expression softened. “Your grandfather passed away last year. And now, everything he controlled—the estates, the wealth, the legacy—it’s all in limbo. The family is desperate to rebuild what they’ve lost. And you, Emma… you’re a part of that. Whether you like it or not.”
• I blinked, struggling to process her words. “What does that even mean?”
• “It means you have a choice,” she said gently. “You can walk away and continue the life you’ve built. Or you can step into the world your mother left behind and claim what’s rightfully yours.”
• ---
• That night, I lay awake in the lavish guest room, staring at the ornate ceiling. My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. Everything Grace had told me felt like a dream—one I wasn’t sure I wanted to wake up from.
• But beneath the shock and disbelief, a quiet voice whispered that this was my chance. My chance to escape the suffocating life I’d been trapped in, to give my babies a better future.
• And maybe, just maybe, to find Lucas.
• ---
• Lucas’s POV
• The office buzzed with the usual controlled chaos of Monday morning, but Lucas Caldwell barely noticed. His attention was fixed on the file in front of him—a high-stakes acquisition that would either make or break his company’s next quarter.
• “Lucas?” Lauren, his assistant, interrupted his thoughts.
• “What is it?” he asked without looking up.
• “There’s a private investigator on line two. He says it’s about… an Emma Sinclair.”
• Lucas’s pen froze mid-signature. The name sent a jolt through him, dredging up memories he thought he’d buried. The fiery brunette in the red dress. The night he couldn’t forget.
• He cleared his throat, keeping his expression neutral. “I’ll take it.”
• As soon as the line connected, a gruff voice greeted him. “Mr. Caldwell, my name is Harry Lowe. I’ve been hired to locate Ms. Sinclair on behalf of her family. We were told you might have some connection to her.”
• Lucas’s heart sank. “I don’t see how that’s possible. I haven’t seen or spoken to her since…” He stopped himself, his jaw tightening.
• Harry didn’t miss a beat. “Well, if you do come across her, let her know her family’s been looking for her. There’s an inheritance involved. Big one.”
• “Inheritance?” Lucas frowned. “What are you talking about?”
• “That’s all I can say, sir. Have a good day.”
• The line went dead, leaving Lucas with more questions than answers. He leaned back in his chair, his mind racing.
• Emma Sinclair.
• He hadn’t forgotten her, no matter how much he’d tried. And now, it seemed, she was tied to something much bigger
• than either of them.
• He didn’t know why, but he had the sinking feeling that their paths were about to cross again.