As Pearl's eyes fluttered open, she found herself in a vast, unfamiliar room. The ceiling soared above her, with intricate patterns engraved into the plaster. A chandelier hung from the centre, casting a warm glow over the space.

She lay on a massive bed, with velvet drapes that seemed to swallow the windows whole. The walls were lined with old portraits, their subject eyes seeming to watch her. One particular portrait caught her attention.

She struggled to sit up, her head spinning. The room seemed to talk around her, like a ship on a stormy sea.he gripped the bedpost, trying to anchor herself. Where was she? Her memories were hazy, but recalled walking naked leaving the villa and then nothing.

She touched her body, she was wearing a gown, her hands moved to her head,she felt a sharp pain as she touched the bandage wrapped around her head.

A figure moved into her line of sight, an elderly woman with a kind face. The aura surrounding her showed she was a very powerful person and her clothes were one that Pearl couldn't recognize, even though she was a lover of fashion.

“You're awake, my daughter” the elderly woman said, walking towards Pearl who helped herself to sit on the bed. “I’ve finally found you, my heiress”. She added.

“Found me?” Pearl muttered, feeling shocked. Could it be that she had hit her head so hard that she was imagining things? First, she woke up in an unfamiliar house and now an old woman was saying something weird.

Could it be that the old woman was getting dermented and thus had thought she was someone else? That had to be the case, she didn't have any source of power nor did she ever run away from her.

For as long as she could remember, she grew up in an orphanage so she wondered why the old woman called her an heiress and was looking at her with so much love and concern.

“I’m sorry about the accident, my child”. The old woman added, bringing Pearl out of her thoughts.

“What accident? Pearl asked.

“You were in an accident two weeks ago”. The old woman replied, “You were unconscious for two weeks, I was scared”. She explained, knowing Pearl would ask more questions.

Accident? Unconscious for two weeks?Was it part of the plan to humiliate her after the divorce at the birthday party? First, an accident, then they kidnapped her and paid an old woman to call him heiress. Are they trying to embarrass her because she had told them they'd regret humiliating her?

“Sir, I think you've found the wrong person”. Pearl frowned as she said slowly. “And, I'm not your child”

She was afraid of speaking too loud so as to make the old woman and her other gang members who could be lurking around angry. The old woman could be a strong mafia queen.

“My child, you don't have to say that”. The old woman replied calmly.

“What do you want?”

“Who sent you?”

“Was it Mrs Reed, Julian, Tricia or Lizzy?”

“Is humiliating me not enough? Can't I just have peace after the divorce?”. Pearl asked with a persistent look.

The old woman just smiled politely at Pearl which puzzled her a bit.

Why is she acting cool, when she has been paid to hurt me?

“I'm very sorry for the misunderstanding, child. Please, allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Lady Mabel Carson, the Chairwoman of Nova Group”. Lady Mabel said with a beautiful smile.

“Nova Group? Carson? That's the most wealthy family in the country. Or is there another powerful and famous family with Carson?” Pearl asked.

Lady Mabel nodded her head, “No, there's just one Carson in Zenith City”.

“I heard they died in an accident about eighteen years ago”. Pearl asked with a confused look.

“Twenty years ago” Lady Mabel corrected. “You are right, it is the same family”.

“That's impossible, " they said everyone involved in the accident died that night. Their bodies were discovered a few days later on the shore. Am I seeing ghosts now? How can you be Lady Carson? Do I look like a child to you? Who are you trying to fool?” Pearl argued with an annoyed face.

She didn't know where she got this sudden boldness from, maybe the pains she was feeling gave way for the boldness. She decided to go all out on anyone knowing she was already in their trap and she will be killed eventually.

“ I understand your argument there. Hmm, it seems the media did a great job with the story”. Lady Mabel said with a sarcastic smile.

“ What are you talking about? What story?” Pearl asked with curiosity written over her face.

Lady Mabel smiled and answered, “ I think we need to start from the very beginning for you to understand everything, my child?”

“Wait, wait.. your child? Are you referring to me? How am I your child?” Pearl asked with a dazed expression.

“ Yes, my child. I was referring to you” Lady Mabel said, looking around the room to make Pearl know she was the only young lady in the room.

“This can't be happening, when the accident occurred, did I hit my head? I might be hallucinating”. Pearl said and rose up with a confused expression. “How can I be your child, when I don't know you? Is this some kind of prank or what? Let me tell you, I have no money, my husband and his family just humiliated me two weeks ago, they took away everything from me and your hypnosis will not work on me”

“You did hit your head a little, but no one is trying to hypnotise you here, my child”. Lady Mabel said with a hint of laughter in her voice. “Please, sit down let me explain everything to you”.

Pearl had no intention of sitting down, she had heard enough. Everything was baffling her and she just needed answers.

“I’m not your child, my name is…”

“Pearl Carson, I remember that name. I named you Pearl “ Lady Mabel said, interrupting her.

Pearl laughed, “Good acting, I guess the Reeds told everything about me”.

“ Like I said earlier, I am Lady Mabel Carson, the only survivor of the most powerful and famous family in Zenith City, the Carson family. Which is your family, my child. If only we knew things would go wrong soon…” Lady Mabel paused.

Pearl felt like she was a child listening to her grandmother read Bedtime stories to her. Beyond that, she could see the pains and hatred in Lady Mabel's eyes.

Lady Mabel composed herself and continued when she noticed the look of curiosity on Pearl's face, “ until the family was backstabbed by people we least expected. The whole family died that very night, so they thought. Your late father seemed to be prepared and made alternative plans”.

“ How come I have no memory of that, if I'm truly that's my family? At least, I should know about this, shouldn't I?” Pearl asked, “or am I suffering from memory loss?”

“ Hahaha”, Lady Mabel laughed, “ Of course not, you were very young back then, a three- year- old. And you didn't even know who you were. You won't have any memory of your family or anything that happened.”

“What are you talking about?” Pearl asked in utter shock. She was still trying to understand the whole situation.

“You had just celebrated your third birthday,the whole family was headed to the airport when the car’s brake failed. The car fell off the bridge, I had stayed back because I was sick that night. I heard about the accident the next morning, but your body wasn't found. I decided to lie low, scared that the enemy might come for me if they found out I was alive”.

Pearl looked more confused, she was told a kind man brought her to the orphanage. She was found begging for food. So this whole story wasn't adding up at all.

“ It took me years to finally meet you, my child. And I am very pleased and grateful for that. I had bumped into you in the airport, my eyes fell on the pendant on your necklace. I got information on you and followed up on everything happening to you since you got married to Julian Reed.” Lady Mabel said with an appreciative look.

Pearl was shocked and couldn't utter a single word. This was beyond her imagination.

“This pendant?” She asked, touching the pendant on her neck. “You mean everyone wearing this pendant is a member of the Carson family?” She asked sarcastically.

“No, dear “. Lady Mabel said, she walked towards Pearl. Brought out her own pendant and showed her. “ Look, this pendant is a family heirloom”.

Pearl gasped, it was the same pendant and it had Carson engraved by the sides. She removed her necklace and checked the pendant, it had the same thing.

“No, this can't be true”. Pearl said, stepping away from Lady Mabel.

Lady Mabel took a few steps towards her, held her hands. “You're my grandchild, who went missing twenty years ago”.she confirmed amidst tears.”While you were unconscious,we had taken your hair for DNA test, and it came out positive”.

“You did, what?” Pearl asked, freeing herself from Lady Mabel's hand. “Do you carry out DNA tests without consent?”

“I'm sorry, my child. I was desperate when I saw the pendant”. Lady Mabel apologized. “Can we conduct another one with your consent?”

“Of course, let's do it again”. Pearl agreed, “Who knows you might have paid for the result to be positive?”

Lady Mabel called the doctor, who came in and pulled a strand of hair from Pearl's head. He showed Pearl a ziploc bag with an inscription, “Late Mr Carson”.

“This is what we took from Mr Carson's corpse when we found out your body was missing. I had faith that you were alive “. Lady Mabel said.

Lady Mabel left the room, leaving Pearl to rest while waiting for the DNA results.

A few minutes later, a young lady dressed in a maid outfit knocked on the door. She opened the door, and walked in.

“Lady Mabel said you should come downstairs, the result is out “.

“I'll be there, shortly”. Pearl replied.

The young lady closed the door behind her. Pearl stood up and glanced outside the window.

What would be the outcome of the result? She thought as she walked out of the room.