PART 2: The Photograph Nobody Was Supposed To See
The mansion fell silent.
No one dared to speak.
Noah stood frozen between the wealthy woman and the trembling old maid.
The faded photograph shook in the maid's hands.
For a moment, nobody understood why she was crying.
Then she turned the photo around.
Several guests stepped closer.
A collective gasp swept through the room.
The baby in the photograph had the exact same birthmark on his wrist.
The same jagged shape.
The same location.
The same mark Noah had.
The wealthy woman's face lost all color.
"No..." she whispered.
The maid pointed at the young woman holding the baby.
"My daughter."
Her voice cracked.
"My daughter spent eight years searching for him."
Noah stared at the photograph.
The woman in the picture looked strangely familiar.
A memory surfaced.
A face.
A smile.
A dream he used to have when he was younger.
The wealthy woman suddenly stepped forward.
"That's enough."
Her voice was sharp.
"Throw her out."
But nobody moved.
For the first time, the servants ignored her.
The guests exchanged uneasy glances.
Something was very wrong.
The maid slowly reached into her apron again.
The wealthy woman instantly panicked.
"No!"
The scream shocked everyone.
The maid pulled out a yellowed envelope.
Inside were hospital records.
Birth certificates.
Missing child reports.
Years of evidence.
Years of searching.
Years of lies.
The old woman looked directly at Noah.
Tears streamed down her face.
"We never stopped looking for you."
Noah's eyes filled with tears.
Then he asked the question that shattered the room.
"If you're my grandmother..."
His voice trembled.
"...where is my mother?"
The maid began to cry harder.
The wealthy woman suddenly looked away.
And that terrified everyone.
Because it was the first time she looked guilty.
The maid opened her mouth to answer.
Then the mansion doors burst open.
A woman stepped inside.
And the moment Noah saw her face...
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He dropped to his knees.
END OF PART 2
