Bride behind the mask novel (Marguerite)

Miley's mind was a whirlwind of confusion. She was a year younger than Marguerite, so how could she possibly remember the events surrounding Marguerite's birth?

Instead of answering Robert right away, Miley hollered toward the foyer,

"Mom! Can you come here for a sec? We need to ask you something!"

Harriet scurried into the room, concern etched on her face. "What's up, honey?"

Miley swiftly retrieved the photo from its hidden compartment and echoed Robert's inquiry with urgency.

Harriet scrutinized the photo, her eyes narrowing with recognition at the sight of the blanket, and after a moment's reflection, it clicked. "This blanket was Marguerite's from the day she was born. Laverne used to say she wouldn't go anywhere without it, clung to it like a security blanket. She finally stopped using it around three, and Laverne kept it safe ever since. I remember her joking that she'd save it for Marguerite's wedding day, to gift her husband-to-be with a piece of her childhood. I'm not sure if she ever did gift it, but I am certain Laverne considered this blanket a cherished keepsake for Marguerite."

"Did Yuna have a similar blanket when she was born?" Robert interjected.

Harriet shook her head, a definitive no. "Never saw one like it with Yuna."

As Miley watched the back-and-forth between her mother and Robert, she felt lost in the shuffle, unable to piece together the significance of their words.

She squinted at Robert, perplexed. "Okay, slow down. What's the big deal about the blanket?"

Robert's expression was solemn as he pulled out another photo from his wallet.

It was a newborn picture of his sister, a little bundle swaddled in a butter-yellow blanket. He held up the photo next to the one of Laverne cradling Marguerite, and asked, "Don't these blankets look almost identical?"

Miley looked at them closely, and suddenly the penny dropped.

Still, she frowned. "But matching blankets don't necessarily mean anything, right? Maybe the Abletts just ended up using Marguerite's blanket for Yuna when they took her home?"

Robert sank into contemplation, considering Miley's suggestion.

Memories of his father's actions at the hospital and Zoe's words echoed in his mind,

"Because Yuna was the Fitzgerald's daughter, we spared no effort in treating her as our own. Our affection for her even surpassed what we felt for Marguerite, which led everyone to believe that Yuna was our biological child and Marguerite was the adopted one."

With that revelation, Robert shook his head, "Zoe said they doted on Yuna out of guilt. If that's true, why would they give something meant for Yuna to Marguerite?"

In a flash of insight, Miley's eyes widened as she turned to lock gazes with Robert.

Her throat dry with anticipation, she blurted out, "The most likely explanation is that this blanket was always Marguerite's to begin with!"