Chapter 3 - THE MONTGOMERY SECRET
Sophia drove her black Porsche downtown, her right hand holding tightly onto Mia's hand across the center console. Mia sat quietly in the passenger seat, still wearing her stained maid's apron, staring out the window at the passing city lights. Her mind was spinning in a whirlpool of disbelief and overwhelming emotion.
An hour ago, she was an invisible catering maid getting berated over spilled juice. Now, she was sitting inside a luxury sports car, holding hands with a woman who claimed to be her twin sister.
"Where are we going?" Mia asked softly, her voice still hoarse from crying.
"To my apartment," Sophia replied, giving Mia's hand a reassuring squeeze. "It's safe there. No reporters, no Ethan, no fake high-society garbage. Just you and me."
They arrived at a sleek high-rise penthouse in downtown Los Angeles. Sophia guided Mia inside, leading her through the sprawling, modern living room overlooking the city skyline. Mia looked around in awe at the minimalist luxury, feeling deeply self-conscious in her uniform.
"Please, sit," Sophia urged gently, walking over to her bedroom and returning with a soft cashmere sweater and sweatpants. "Change into these. Get out of that uniform, Mia. You're never wearing it again."
Mia took the clothes gratefully and changed in the bathroom. When she came out, Sophia had poured two mugs of warm chamomile tea and sat waiting on the oversized velvet sofa.
"I still can't believe this," Mia whispered, taking a seat beside Sophia and sipping the warm tea. "How did we end up so different, Sophia? If we're twins... why were you adopted into wealth, while I grew up in foster homes and orphanages?"
Sophia’s expression darkened slightly. She picked up her half of the torn photograph, tracing the ripped edge with her thumb. "When I was adopted by the Montgomery family at age three, I was told my parents died in a car accident on the Pacific Coast Highway. My adoptive father, Richard Montgomery, was a wealthy attorney. He told me I was an only child and that there were no surviving relatives."
"My adoptive mother... the woman who raised me until I was five..." Mia paused, her voice shaking. "She told me she was a nurse at the hospital the night of the crash. She said my birth mother survived long enough to hand me to her in secret, begging her to protect me before she succumbed to her injuries."
Sophia frowned deeply, her brows knitting together in sudden suspicion. "Protect you? Protect you from what?"
"She never said," Mia admitted. "She died of cancer when I was five, and after that, I was placed in the state foster care system. I moved from house to house until I turned eighteen."
Before Sophia could answer, her phone rang loudly on the coffee table. The caller ID flashed: *Richard Montgomery (Dad)*.
Sophia stared at the screen, her heart hammering against her ribs. She picked up the phone and swiped to answer, putting it on speaker.
"Sophia!" Richard Montgomery's stern, commanding voice filled the room. "Where are you? Ethan called me in a absolute panic! He said you walked out of Julian Sterling's estate with one of the catering staff! Have you lost your mind? The Sterling merger depends on our family's public image!"
Sophia felt a cold rage blossom in her chest. "Hello to you too, Dad."
"Don't take that tone with me, young lady," Richard scolded. "Ethan said you caused a massive scene over some ridiculous old locket and a photo. Get back to the estate immediately and apologize to Ethan and his father!"
"I'm not coming back, Dad," Sophia said firmly, her voice steady and sharp. "And I'm not apologizing to anyone."
"Sophia, don't be foolish—"
"I met my twin sister today, Dad," Sophia interrupted coldly.
Silence stretched across the phone line. The sudden pause from Richard was so heavy and prolonged that Mia and Sophia exchanged a look of immediate alarm.
"What... what did you just say?" Richard's voice dropped an octave, losing its commanding edge and replacing it with a strange, nervous tension.
"You heard me," Sophia said, her eyes narrowing. "The maid Ethan insulted... her name is Mia. She has the other half of my family photo, Dad. The exact half that was torn from mine. She has our mother's locket. Why did you tell me I was an only child, Richard?"
On the other end of the line, Richard’s breathing became heavy and uneven. "Sophia... listen to me very carefully. You don't know what you're talking about. You've been manipulated by a scam artist. People in this city will do anything for money!"
"She didn't try to sell me anything!" Sophia shouted into the phone. "The locket fell off her neck by accident! The torn photos match down to the exact fiber! She is my twin sister, Richard! Why did you lie to me for twenty years?!"
"Sophia, bring that girl to my office tomorrow morning," Richard said, his tone suddenly shifting from anger to a chilling, calculated calm. "Do not speak to anyone else about this. Do not talk to the press. Bring her to me, and I will explain everything."
"You'll explain it now," Sophia demanded.
"Tomorrow morning, Sophia. Or I swear to God, I will freeze every single one of your trust accounts and turn this girl over to the police for extortion," Richard threatened coldly before hanging up the phone.
The call disconnected with a sharp beep.
Sophia stared at her phone, her body trembling with shock. She had known Richard Montgomery her entire life as a stern, demanding father, but she had never heard him sound so cold... or so afraid.
Mia looked at Sophia, her eyes filled with dread. "Sophia... your dad sounds dangerous. What if we made a mistake by exposing this?"
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Sophia looked at her sister, reaching out to grasp her hand tightly. "No. The only mistake was letting them keep us apart for twenty years. Something terrible happened the night our parents died, Mia. And Richard Montgomery knows exactly what it was."
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