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Mateo's Pov

“This can't be-” Theo snatches the reports from Connor and looks through them. “She can't be…” 

I wait for him to read it. His eyes wander back to the same lines as he stays in disbelief. For the first time Don Theo is speechless. 

We took two tests. One with mom and the other with Theo. She matched both.

Tears were burning my eyes, desperate to drop down my cheeks. But I hold them back. I had to keep my shit together since some of the people here are going to lose their own. 

“Give us a moment, Connor.” He nods and leaves at mom’s command. 

“That's…” Jude couldn't bring himself to complete the sentence. 

It was her. Our baby Scarlett. 

The girl for whom we’d thrown a feast to celebrate the day she was born. The one who instantly became our whole life, our little brat. The one we'd fight to cuddle. The one we still mourned the loss of. 

The same girl we’ve put through sick tortures. 

“This is all your fault! All your fucking fault!” Noah yells, harshly pushing back Theo. 

His jaw clenches at the disrespect and he balled his fists to contain his own anger. He understands. The reaction of our youngest brother was expected. He's always been bad at controlling his temper. 

“I didn't know-” He didn't let Theo complete his sentence. 

“If only you let him speak then he would've told you! None of this would've happened if you didn't have such an inflated ego to see him suffer!”   

Our eldest brother steps towards Noah with his chest heaving. Mom instantly steps between them and places a hand on Theo's chest to stop him.

“I didn't fucking know she was Scar! Or else I wouldn't have done it!” Theo gritted through his teeth. 

Noah keeps looking at him and suddenly his rage drops through his tears as he breaks down. “That night… when he ran away, he… he came to take me.” 

My eyes widened at Noah's words. He never told this to us before. But why would he keep it to himself? Was he keeping us from hating Elijah even more or lying to himself that it was a dream? 

Noah was just three at the time. He was a natural selection to be kidnapped as he would’ve forgotten his past as he grew up. 

“I always believed he would’ve killed me just like he killed Scar but… he wanted me.” His voice broke as he looked at mom who rushed to his side to comfort him. 

But Noah's eyes find Theo again, shining with hatred. “You know why I didn't go with him?” He spat the words at him. “Because of you! Because I wanted to sleep with you that night. Because the three months that my father was gone, you had become that for me. I had started looking up to you, idolizing you and you… you made me hurt my own sister.” 

Theo just stood silently watching him, not reacting to his words. No matter what he said, nothing would go through him right now. Noah always needs time to cool down. 

Mom rubbed his back as he sobbed on her shoulder. “It wasn't his orders, it was mine. I told Connor to leave her with both of you.” 

I didn't miss the couple of tears that came loose from her eyes which she wiped instantly. She's always been strong for us, she's always fought the worst circumstances just so we don't get to witness a mess. And right now she's trying her best to not have a meltdown.