Chapter 3

Ethan was instantly by my side, shielding me as the guards finally grabbed a struggling, screaming Maria.

"Are you alright, Gabby?" he asked, his voice low and tight with anger.

"I... I don' t understand," I stammered, letting my shoulders shake. My mind, however, was ice-cold, calculating. The stain on my dress was a perfect symbol of my violation.

My mother rushed over, her face pale with shock. "My poor baby. Who is that horrible girl?"

But before anyone could answer, another voice cut through the noise.

"Wait! Let her go!"

We all turned. It was Andrew. He was pushing his way through the crowd, his face a mask of confusion and guilt. He went straight to Maria, placing a hand on the guard' s arm.

"Let her go," he repeated, softer this time. "She' s telling the truth."

The room fell silent again, a heavier, more confused silence this time.

My father stared at his son. "Andrew, have you lost your mind?"

"No, Dad," Andrew said, his eyes pleading. "I... I met her a few weeks ago. By chance. She told me her story."

He wouldn' t look at me. He looked at Maria, who was now clinging to his arm, sobbing theatrically.

"She has proof," Andrew said, his voice gaining conviction. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, folded piece of fabric. He held it up. It was a corner of a baby blanket, faded and worn, with the Blakely family crest embroidered on it.

"I remember this," Andrew whispered, his eyes wide. "From when Gabby was a baby. We had matching ones."

I stared at the blanket. A cheap fake. The crest was slightly off, the stitching clumsy. But in the dim light, to a person desperate to believe, it was convincing.

My mother' s composure finally broke. She looked from the blanket to Maria' s tear-streaked face, then to my stained dress. Pity and confusion warred on her face.

"What is happening?" she whispered.

"We need a DNA test," Ethan said, his voice cutting through the emotion like a knife. "That' s the only way to settle this nonsense."

"She can' t stay here," my father said, his voice firm.

"She has nowhere else to go!" Andrew pleaded. "Look at her! We can' t just throw her out on the street. What if she' s right? We have to let her stay. At least until the test results come back."

My mother looked at Maria, who was shivering in Andrew' s arms. Her heart won out over her head.

"Andrew is right," she said softly. "She can stay. Just until we know the truth."

My father looked like he wanted to argue, but he deferred to my mother. Ethan shot me a look, a mixture of frustration and apology.

I just stood there, the cold wine seeping into my skin, and watched as my brother, my closest confidant, led the impostor further into my home.

The first battle was over. I had survived the initial explosion, but the enemy was now inside the gates.