THEY ACCUSED HER OF STEALING AT THEIR MASQUERADE GALA—THEN A STRANGER REVEALED THE NAME HER FAMILY HAD BURIED

Sarah showed Stefan the photograph without telling him what she suspected.

He examined it beneath a desk lamp, turning the paper toward the light.

"I don't remember this being taken."

"Could the woman be Maria?"

"Possibly."

"And the baby?"

He swallowed.

"I believe it is you."

Sarah stepped back.

"Why didn't you tell me you were there that night?"

"Because I thought I had already told you everything I knew."

"You told me Maria disappeared. You didn't tell me you were standing outside the house when it happened."

Stefan's face tightened.

"I was called to the residence after receiving a message that Maria wanted to see me. When I arrived, the house was nearly empty. My mother told me Maria had left with another man."

"Did you believe her?"

"I was twenty-nine and furious. I wanted to believe Maria had betrayed me because the alternative was accepting that someone in my family had taken her away."

Sarah felt the distinction land between them.

"You chose the explanation that hurt less."

"Yes."

For the first time, Stefan's honesty sounded like an admission of guilt rather than a defense.

He revealed that he had confronted his mother the following morning. She denied everything and threatened to withdraw financial support from his business if he continued searching. Stefan had ignored the threat, but the trail had gone cold.

"Why didn't you investigate the hospital?"

"I did. The records were altered before my investigators arrived."

Sarah paced the room.

"My entire childhood was built around records someone changed."

"I know."

"No, you don't. You had a name, a family, and people who answered when you called. I had a folder that said nobody wanted me."

Stefan lowered his eyes.

She regretted the sharpness but did not take it back.

After a long silence, he said, "You have every right to be angry with me."

"Even though you didn't know?"

"Even then."

They agreed that the next step was to locate Katarina and establish whether she had helped Maria.

Meanwhile, Elena's forensic accountant found irregular payments from a dormant Montgomery Foundation account to a company associated with Daniel Whitmore. The transfers had continued for years after Maria's disappearance.

The amounts were modest individually but substantial in total.

The latest payment had been made only two weeks before the gala.

Sarah stared at the transaction report.

"Why keep paying him after all this time?"

Elena pointed to a description attached to the latest transfer.

Confidential records maintenance.

"Someone has been maintaining the secret," Elena said.

Sarah called the investigator.

"Find Daniel Whitmore. I want to know where he is, who he works for, and why he was paid two weeks ago."

Before the call ended, an unknown number flashed across her screen.

A distorted voice whispered, "Stop looking for Katarina."

Then the caller hung up.