Chapter 7 - THE TWIN THEY STOLE
"A twin?"
Penelope repeated the word as if it belonged to someone else's life.
Dominic placed the documents before her.
The records contained two birth times.
Two identification numbers.
And one mother's name.
Isabella Russo.
Penelope had spent twenty-six years believing she was an only child until Amelia's birth.
Now she had discovered two sisters.
One hidden.
One stolen.
"Why would my father lie to me?"
Dominic looked troubled.
"Maybe he didn't know."
Penelope immediately called him.
Frank Russo answered from the bakery.
"Penny? Honey, it's late."
"Dad, were there two babies when I was born?"
Silence.
Then a chair scraped across the floor.
"Where did you hear that?"
Penelope closed her eyes.
"So it's true."
Her father's breathing became uneven.
"Penelope, please come home."
"Tell me now."
Another long silence.
Finally, Frank whispered, "Your mother delivered twins."
Penelope felt tears spilling down her cheeks.
"Where is she?"
"Anthony took her."
Dominic straightened.
Frank continued.
"He told us Vanessa had died. We believed him for years."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because your mother couldn't bear to speak about it. She blamed herself."
Penelope struggled to breathe.
"Did you ever find out the truth?"
"Your mother did."
"What happened?"
Frank's voice broke.
"That's why she disappeared."
Penelope went still.
"Disappeared?"
"Your mother didn't die in that accident. She found evidence Anthony had sold confidential information to the Vitiellos' enemies. She went looking for Vanessa."
Dominic exchanged a look with Lorenzo.
Penelope whispered, "And you let me believe she was dead?"
"I thought she was. Anthony showed me a death certificate."
Suddenly, shouting erupted in the background.
Frank gasped.
"Penelope, don't come to the bakery."
"Dad?"
A loud crash followed.
Then the line went dead.
Penelope stood.
"We're going there."
Dominic didn't argue.
They reached Russo's Bakery fifteen minutes later.
The front window was shattered.
Flour covered the floor.
Two display cases lay overturned.
Frank was gone.
But on the counter stood a small red gift box.
Inside was a silver butterfly necklace.
Identical to Penelope's.
Underneath it lay a folded note.
One twin for the other.
And beneath those words was a photograph of Frank Russo sitting beside a frightened young woman.
Vanessa.
May you like
Someone had taken Penelope's father.
And her stolen twin was sitting beside him.
