Chapter 8: The Daughter Her Mother Never Stopped Loving
The next morning, Brianna didn't come downstairs.
Vanessa knocked on her bedroom door repeatedly.
"Brianna, sweetheart, you have school.""
No answer.
"Open the door.""
Still nothing.
Daniel stood in the hallway.
"Give her some time.""
Vanessa turned on him.
"Don't tell me how to raise my daughter.""
Daniel looked at her.
"Your daughter?""
Vanessa went silent.
Nia stood at the bottom of the stairs, listening.
For the first time, Vanessa seemed unable to find the right words.
Nia walked upstairs.
She stopped outside Brianna's room.
"Brianna?""
A few seconds passed.
Then the door opened slightly.
Brianna's eyes were swollen.
"What?""
"Can I come in?""
Brianna hesitated.
Then she stepped aside.
The room was filled with expensive handbags, makeup palettes, designer clothes, and framed photographs.
Nia looked at the photographs.
Most showed Brianna with Vanessa.
One showed her standing beside Daniel at a birthday party.
Another showed the two sisters together at a school event.
Nia remembered that day.
She had been fourteen.
Brianna had been nine.
Nia had made her a handmade blue birthday dress because Vanessa refused to buy one after Brianna had spilled juice on her expensive outfit.
Brianna had worn it all afternoon.
Nia had forgotten about it.
Brianna hadn't.
"You made this," Brianna whispered, pointing at the photograph.
Nia nodded.
"I remember.""
Brianna sat on the bed.
"Did Mom know?""
"About the dress?""
"About me.""
Nia lowered her eyes.
"I think she knew you were alive. I don't know when she found out.""
Brianna stared at the floor.
"Why didn't she come looking for me?""
Nia sat beside her.
"She did.""
Brianna looked up.
Nia showed her the letter.
Brianna read it slowly.
By the time she reached the final paragraph, tears were running down her cheeks.
"She wanted me?""
Nia nodded.
"Yes.""
"She knew I was alive?""
"At some point, yes.""
Brianna covered her mouth.
"All these years, I thought my real mother had abandoned me.""
Nia looked at her.
"Who told you that?""
"Vanessa.""
Nia felt her stomach tighten.
Brianna continued.
"She said my birth mother was young and irresponsible. She said she didn't want me. She told me I should be grateful that she chose to raise me.""
Nia swallowed.
"She lied.""
Brianna shook her head.
"Why?""
"Because she was afraid.""
Brianna looked at the photographs.
"Do you hate me?""
The question caught Nia off guard.
She studied her stepsister.
The girl who had taken her dress.
The girl who had laughed when Vanessa slapped her.
The girl who had claimed credit for four months of her work.
And the girl who had apparently grown up believing she had been unwanted.
Nia took a breath.
"I don't know what I feel yet.""
Brianna nodded.
"I understand.""
"But I don't blame you for what happened before you knew the truth.""
Brianna began crying.
"I didn't know the dress was so important to you.""
"You knew I made it.""
"I know.""
"You knew I needed it for the competition.""
Brianna covered her face.
"I know.""
Nia stood.
"Being sisters doesn't mean you get to take things from me.""
Brianna looked up.
"I know.""
"And it doesn't mean I have to forgive everything immediately.""
Brianna nodded.
"I know.""
Nia reached the door.
Then Brianna spoke again.
"There's something else.""
Nia turned.
"When I was younger, Mom used to take me to see a woman at a hospital.""
Nia frowned.
"What woman?""
"She said the woman was an old family friend. I remember because she always told me not to mention the visits to Dad.""
Nia's heart began racing.
"Which hospital?""
Brianna named a medical center across town.
"How old were you?""
"Maybe seven or eight.""
"Do you remember the woman's name?""
Brianna shook her head.
"Not exactly. I remember Mom calling her Evelyn.""
Nia went still.
Her mother had been alive when Brianna was seven.
She had died five years ago, when Nia was twelve.
That meant the visits could have happened.
"Did you meet her?""
Brianna nodded.
"Once. She gave me a little blue butterfly necklace.""
Nia felt her throat tighten.
"Do you still have it?""
Brianna looked toward her jewelry box.
She opened the top drawer and removed a small velvet pouch.
Inside was a delicate silver necklace.
A tiny blue butterfly hung from the chain.
Nia recognized it immediately.
It was identical to the butterfly symbol on her mother's old sewing box.
Brianna handed it to her.
"She told me to keep it safe.""
Nia held the necklace carefully.
On the back of the butterfly were two engraved letters.
*E.C.*
Evelyn Carter.
Nia looked at Brianna.
"She knew you.""
Brianna began crying again.
"She really was my mother?""
Nia nodded.
Brianna leaned forward and buried her face in her hands.
For several minutes, neither spoke.
Then Nia's phone rang.
Margaret.
"Hello?""
"Nia, I need you to come to the atelier immediately.""
"What's wrong?""
"The competition committee has received another complaint. Richard is claiming that your mother never owned the Bluebird Collection.""
"But we have the original documents.""
"Not the complete agreement.""
Nia remembered Richard's final words.
Ask Margaret what happened to the other half.
"What happened to the other half?""
Margaret was quiet.
Then she answered.
"Your mother gave it to Thomas.""
Nia looked up.
"Uncle Thomas?""
"Yes. He was the legal witness to the original partnership. He also held the second ownership certificate.""
"Where is he?""
"That's the problem. I haven't spoken to him in almost fifteen years.""
Nia looked at Brianna.
"I think I know someone who might.""
She called Daniel.
He answered immediately.
"What's wrong?""
"I need Uncle Thomas's number.""
There was a pause.
"Why?""
"Because Mom gave him the other half of the ownership agreement.""
Daniel sighed.
"I haven't spoken to him in years.""
"Do you have his number?""
"Somewhere. I'll look.""
Twenty minutes later, Daniel sent her a contact.
Nia called.
The phone rang six times.
A man's voice answered.
"Hello?""
"Uncle Thomas?""
Silence.
"Who's this?""
"My name is Nia. Evelyn Carter's daughter.""
Another pause.
Then the man exhaled sharply.
"Evelyn's daughter?""
"Yes.""
"Is Daniel there?""
"He's at home.""
"Is Margaret Whitmore still alive?""
"Yes.""
Thomas went quiet.
Then he asked:
"Did you find the dresses?""
Nia closed her eyes.
"Yes.""
A long silence followed.
Finally, Thomas spoke.
"Then the time has come.""
Nia sat down.
"Come for what?""
"To finish what your mother started.""
He agreed to meet her that afternoon.
The location was a small café near the train station.
Thomas arrived wearing a dark coat and carrying an old leather folder.
He looked older than the photographs Nia had seen.
But his eyes were unmistakably similar to Daniel's.
He sat opposite her.
For several seconds, he simply stared.
"You have Evelyn's face.""
Nia smiled sadly.
"Everyone says that.""
Thomas placed the folder on the table.
"Your mother asked me to keep this safe.""
Inside were original legal documents, registration records, and a sealed envelope.
Nia recognized the handwriting.
Her mother.
Thomas tapped the folder.
"The second ownership certificate. Without this, Richard can keep challenging the collection.""
Nia opened the document.
It confirmed that Evelyn Carter and Margaret Whitmore jointly owned the Bluebird Collection.
The transfer agreement signed by Vanessa was invalid because neither woman had authorized it.
Nia looked up.
"Why didn't you come forward?""
Thomas lowered his eyes.
"Because I was threatened.""
"By Richard?""
"Yes.""
Thomas explained that Richard had discovered the original partnership agreement and tried to force him to surrender it.
When Thomas refused, Richard threatened to reveal private financial information about Daniel.
Thomas had believed that keeping silent would protect the family.
Instead, his silence had allowed Richard to continue using the stolen designs.
Nia studied him.
"Did Mom know?""
"She did.""
"Was she angry with you?""
Thomas shook his head.
"No. She told me that one day, you might need the documents. She asked me to wait until you were old enough to understand what they meant.""
Nia looked at the sealed envelope.
"What is this?""
Thomas's eyes filled.
"Your mother gave it to me three months before she died.""
Nia opened it.
Inside was a handwritten letter.
My dearest Nia,
If this letter has reached you, it means you have found your way to the Bluebird Collection.
I wish I could have told you everything myself.
There is something I want you to understand.
You were never born into a family of people who were meant to control your future. You were born into a family of people who had dreams, mistakes, and fears.
I made mistakes.
I trusted the wrong people.
I stayed silent when I should have spoken.
But I never stopped believing in you.
If you ever meet your sister, please remember that she is not responsible for the lies adults told her.
She deserves to know she was wanted.
And you deserve to know that you were never alone.
The two of you were my greatest creations.
Not the dresses.
Not the sketches.
You.
With all my love,
Mom.
Nia couldn't hold back her tears.
She pressed the letter against her chest.
Thomas reached across the table.
"Your mother loved both of you more than anything.""
Nia nodded.
Then she asked the question that had been troubling her.
"Why did she never bring Brianna home?""
Thomas looked down.
"She tried.""
"What happened?""
"Vanessa and Richard had legal custody arrangements. Your mother was preparing to challenge them when she became ill.""
Nia swallowed.
"Was she sick for a long time?""
"Longer than anyone realized.""
Thomas hesitated.
"She didn't want you to know how serious it was. She wanted you to remember her as your mother, not as someone you had to take care of.""
Nia closed her eyes.
Another sacrifice.
Another secret.
Another piece of her mother's life that had been hidden to protect her.
Thomas handed her the folder.
"Take these to Margaret. She'll know what to do.""
Nia thanked him.
But before she left, Thomas caught her hand.
"One more thing.""
"What?""
"Richard isn't fighting you because of the dresses.""
Nia frowned.
"Then why?""
"Because the original Bluebird agreement contains a clause he never wanted anyone to discover.""
"What clause?""
Thomas leaned forward.
"If the original designers prove that the collection was transferred fraudulently, every licensing payment made using those designs becomes recoverable.""
Nia's eyes widened.
"How much?""
Thomas looked at her.
"Millions.""
The following morning, Margaret submitted the original ownership certificate and Thomas's witness statement to the competition committee.
By noon, Nia received an email.
*APPLICATION REINSTATED.*
Her entry was officially accepted.
But there was another message.
The competition had received a request for an emergency in-person review.
The sender was Richard Reed.
He wanted to meet Nia before the final presentation.
And he had offered her a deal.
If she withdrew from the competition and surrendered the original documents, he would pay her enough money to secure her future.
Nia read the offer twice.
Then she forwarded it to Margaret.
Margaret called immediately.
"Don't respond.""
"I wasn't going to.""
"Good. Richard knows he's losing control.""
Nia looked at her mother's unfinished designs.
"Then it's time to finish the collection.""
Margaret smiled through the phone.
"That's exactly what Evelyn would have wanted.""
But when Nia arrived at the atelier that afternoon, she discovered something terrible.
Her new competition design had disappeared from the studio.
The fabric was gone.
The embroidery samples were missing.
And on her worktable sat a small white envelope.
Inside was a photograph of her bedroom.
Her sewing machine.
Her mother's wooden box.
And a handwritten message.
Withdraw before graduation, or you'll lose more than a dress.
Nia stared at the photograph.
Then she noticed something in the background.
A figure standing outside her bedroom window.
May you like
Someone had been watching her.
And the figure was wearing the same diamond bracelet Vanessa had worn on the day she stole the first gown.
