Daniel: “Open the letter.”
Emma slowly opened the envelope.
Inside was a handwritten letter and an old photograph.
She unfolded the letter.
Emma: “This is from your mother.”
Daniel stood silently.
Emma: “She wrote that she had something to confess before she died.”
One of Daniel's sisters stepped closer.
Sarah: “What kind of confession?”
Emma looked at Daniel.
Emma: “She said Emma was not a stranger to this family.”
Daniel's face became pale.
Daniel: “What does that mean?”
Emma continued reading.
Emma: “She said she had a daughter before she married your father.”
The room went silent.
Daniel stared at Emma.
Daniel: “No.”
Emma: “Her name was Emma.”
Sarah covered her mouth.
Sarah: “You're saying she's our sister?”
Emma nodded.
Emma: “Your mother gave me up when I was a baby.”
Daniel stepped backward.
Daniel: “Why would she hide this?”
Emma: “Because your father threatened to leave her if he ever found out.”
Daniel shook his head.
Daniel: “My father died years ago.”
Emma: “And your mother spent the rest of her life regretting what happened.”
Daniel looked at the photograph.
It showed his mother holding a baby.
On the back was a handwritten date.
Emma's birth date.
Sarah: “Why didn't she tell us?”
Emma: “She was afraid you would hate her.”
Daniel looked toward Lily.
The little girl was still staring at the family portrait.
Lily: “Mommy, does that mean this is my family?”
Emma knelt beside her.
Emma: “I don't know yet, sweetheart.”
Daniel suddenly noticed another page inside the envelope.
Daniel: “What's that?”
Emma unfolded it.
It was a legal document.
Emma: “Your mother changed her will shortly before she died.”
Daniel's eyes widened.
Daniel: “What did she leave you?”
Emma: “Not just me.”
She handed the document to him.
Daniel read it carefully.
His mother's estate had been divided into equal portions among all her children.
Emma was officially named as one of them.
Daniel: “You came here for the inheritance.”
Emma: “No.”
Daniel: “Then why didn't you tell us before?”
Emma: “Because your mother begged me not to.”
Daniel: “Why?”
Emma looked toward the front door.
Emma: “Because she knew someone in this house would try to destroy the evidence.”
Everyone looked at each other.
Then Lily quietly spoke.
Lily: “Mommy, I saw him.”
Emma turned around.
Emma: “Saw who?”
Lily pointed toward the hallway.
Her finger stopped on Daniel's older brother, Michael.
Lily: “He went into Grandma's room last night.”
Michael's face suddenly changed.
Michael: “That's impossible.”
Lily: “I saw you.”
Daniel looked at his brother.
Daniel: “What were you doing in Mother's room?”
Michael said nothing.
Then he slowly reached into his jacket.
He pulled out a small black notebook.
Michael: “I found this hidden behind the wall.”
Emma stared at it.
Emma: “That's my mother's handwriting.”
Michael opened the notebook.
Inside were years of notes.
Names.
Dates.
Payments.
And one final entry that made Daniel's face turn pale.
It mentioned a secret bank account created before their father died.
The account belonged to Emma.