Chapter 6 - Emma’s Sister
Emma had a younger sister.
Laura Bennett.
That was not secret.
What Ethan did not know was that Laura had given birth four days before Sophie.
The sisters had been estranged for nearly five years.
Their conflict had nothing to do with Ethan.
After their mother died, Laura accused Emma of controlling estate decisions. Emma accused Laura of disappearing whenever family needed her.
They stopped speaking.
When Laura became pregnant, Emma learned through cousin.
She sent congratulations.
No response.
Then Emma became pregnant too.
Their daughters were due within same week.
Ethan asked why she never mentioned this.
“Because Laura didn't want me in her life.”
“Was her baby born at St. Matthew’s?”
“No. Community Care Annex.”
Everyone looked at Rebecca.
The exact clinic tied to B-label printer.
Emma knew child's first name:
Grace.
Nothing else.
Laura's social media had gone silent around birth.
Family assumed she wanted privacy.
Ethan contacted Laura’s last known number.
Disconnected.
Address vacant.
But county records showed she sold house two months earlier.
No missing-person report.
No evidence danger.
Then Emma found old photograph cousin sent.
Laura holding newborn.
The baby had crescent birthmark near left temple.
Madeline looked at image.
“I think that's A-4118.”
Emma's knees weakened.
Was Twin A Grace?
Possibly.
But why would hospital pair Laura’s baby with Sophie?
Rebecca searched old neonatal workflow documents.
During storm outage, Community Care Annex temporarily transferred three newborns to St. Matthew’s because generator malfunction.
Grace Bennett was among them.
So Baby A could legitimately be Grace.
Then why Baby B under Sophie’s name?
Records showed another transferred infant from annex.
Baby of a woman named Natalie Pierce.
That infant needed observation.
Insurance eligibility failed during outage.
Someone manually attached child to wrong family grouping.
Possibly accident.
Could mystery be clerical error?
Then why threats?
Why hidden bracelet?
Why sealed records?
Why prerecorded crying?
Something more happened after error.
Rebecca obtained authorized audit through hospital counsel.
Grace Bennett entered St. Matthew’s at 1:42 a.m.
Natalie Pierce’s baby entered at 2:56.
At 3:06 someone created SOPHIE COLE as Twin B.
At 4:18 Grace’s record disappeared from temporary transfer queue.
At 5:02 Natalie’s baby restored to correct identity.
At 5:11 false Sophie record closed.
Grace had been system-invisible for forty-four minutes.
But discharge record showed she left hospital at 8:20 with Laura.
So she wasn't stolen.
She went home with mother.
Emma whispered:
“Then what are we looking for?”
Rebecca answered:
“What happened during those forty-four minutes.”
Then Ethan’s phone rang.
Unknown number.
A woman said:
“If Emma wants to know why Laura disappeared, tell her to stop calling hospitals.”
“Who is this?”
The caller ignored him.
“And tell Eleanor the crying test worked.”
Ethan went cold.
“What test?”
“You found bracelet, didn't you?”
Then call ended.
Ethan checked nursery camera.
Sophie slept safely in Emma’s arms.
No second child.
May you like
But whoever staged tonight knew exactly what Eleanor had been told to do.
And they were watching.
