Chapter 18 - THE UNOPENED SHIPMENT
That evening, the grand banquet hall of the Vance Estate was decorated with white roses and soft candlelight for a private family celebration. Under the framed American flag hanging on the marble wall, Julian, Evelyn, and Lily stood together cutting a grand three-tiered cake while close friends and loyal staff clapped warmly.
Lily jumped up and down, her laughter filling the room as she wiped a tiny dab of vanilla frosting onto her father's nose. Julian laughed, picking her up and spinning her around while Evelyn captured the moment on her camera.
At eight o'clock, Marcus walked into the hall carrying a heavy metallic courier box stamped with official seals from the United States Embassy in London. He approached Julian with a subtle, concerned look on his face.
"Sir, this package just arrived via diplomatic courier from London," Marcus reported in a quiet tone. "It was cleared by federal security, but the sender requested it be opened only by Mrs. Vance."
Evelyn set her camera down, stepping over to the table where Marcus placed the metallic box. She wiped her hands on a napkin, her heart suddenly racing with a strange, inexplicable chill.
She used a small silver key to open the reinforced lock, lifting the heavy metal lid. Inside lay an ancient leather-bound diary and a high-resolution black-and-white photograph.
Evelyn picked up the photograph, her breath catching violently in her throat as her eyes scanned the image.
The photo showed a woman identical to Evelyn standing outside a grand medical facility in Geneva six years ago, holding a pair of newborn twin baby girls in her arms. Attached to the photo was a faded birth certificate listing two names: "Lily Vance" and "Maya Vance."
Beneath the birth certificate lay a handwritten note written in dark red ink:
May you like
"You found Lily, Evelyn. But did you really think you only had one daughter on the night of the crash?"
Evelyn stared at the second name in utter terror as the leather diary slid from her trembling fingers, hitting the floor with a soft thud. Outside the high windows of the estate, a distant flash of lightning illuminated the darkening ocean horizon.
