Claire picked up the court order, her eyes moving rapidly across the lines.

“This signature,” she said, her voice shaking. “It’s dated after the judge died.”

“Yes,” I said. “He forged it. He used his position at the firm to bypass the legal adoption process.”

“So…” Claire looked up at me, a tear finally escaping and running down her cheek. “I was never legally adopted?”

“No,” I said. “He took you. He stole you from her family, and he covered his tracks so no one would ever look for you.”

Claire looked back at the photograph of Rose.

She trace the outline of Rose’s face with her thumb.

“Why would he do that?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

“I think he wanted to keep a part of her,” I said. “And he wanted to make sure his secrets stayed buried.”

The anger in Claire’s eyes began to replace the shock.

She set the photograph down and looked at the forged court documents.

“He lied to me my whole life,” she said, her jaw tightening. “Every story he told me about where I came from was a lie.”