Chapter 24: Final Preparations
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"Zoe Taylor is Rachel Williams," she declared triumphantly. "I have proof."
Michael scoffed. "Ridiculous! Rachel Williams is dead. I watched her sink beneath the waves myself."
"She has the exact same crescent birthmark on her wrist," Mia insisted. "What are the odds of that?"
Michael dismissed her initially, but Mia's certainty planted seeds of doubt.
"If what you're saying is true," his eyes hardened with malice, "I know exactly how to confirm it."
He quickly arranged a cruise party, inviting Jack and Zoe aboard the very yacht from which Rachel had been pushed.
"If she really is Rachel, returning to the scene will trigger a reaction," Michael sneered. "And if necessary, history can repeat itself—another tragic 'accident' at sea."
Mia frowned. "But if she is Rachel, what about Thompson? Why would he help her?"
"Maybe he doesn't know her true identity," Michael mused. "Or perhaps... they're conspiring against us. Either way, they'll both regret crossing me."
When the invitation arrived, Zoe recognized it immediately for what it was. "It's a trap, but also our opportunity."
"It's too risky," Jack argued, still recovering from his burns. "They clearly suspect who you really are."
"We've worked toward this for three years," Zoe said resolutely. "Besides, I'm not the same woman who was pushed overboard three years ago."
Jack studied her determined expression and finally nodded. "Then we face it together."
They decided to accelerate their endgame—they would expose everything at the upcoming Davis Group shareholders' meeting.
