Chapter 10 - THE CHILD ELENA NEVER KNEW SHE HAD
Elena stopped breathing.
Sophie remained in her arms.
The girl was crying quietly as a paramedic wrapped her injured arm.
Daniel stared at Vivienne.
“No.”
Vivienne’s smile disappeared.
“You wanted the truth.”
Daniel stepped toward her.
“Do not play games.”
“I’m not.”
Elena looked up.
“What did you say?”
Vivienne stared at her.
“Sophie is your daughter.”
Elena shook her head.
“No.”
Margaret closed her eyes.
That was enough.
Elena saw it.
“Mom.”
Margaret looked away.
Elena stood so quickly Sophie almost slipped.
Daniel caught the child.
Elena walked toward Margaret.
“Look at me.”
Margaret did not.
“Look at me!”
She finally did.
Elena’s voice shook.
“Is she mine?”
Margaret began crying.
Elena’s knees nearly buckled.
“No.”
Margaret whispered.
“I’m sorry.”
Elena made a sound of pure disbelief.
Daniel held Sophie tighter.
The little girl stared at Elena.
Confused.
Terrified.
Vivienne spoke.
“The surgery you remember was not a miscarriage.”
Elena turned.
“Shut up.”
“It was a delivery.”
“No.”
“You were heavily sedated.”
“No.”
“You were twenty-one weeks farther along than you had been told.”
Elena stared.
“That is impossible.”
Charles stepped forward.
“It is not.”
Daniel turned on him.
“You knew?”
Charles looked broken.
“Not at first.”
Daniel laughed.
“Of course.”
Elena looked at Margaret.
“You told me I had a cyst.”
Margaret nodded through tears.
“You told me the pain was complications.”
“Yes.”
“You told me I had lost an ovary.”
“Yes.”
Elena’s face twisted.
“But I gave birth.”
Margaret cried harder.
“Yes.”
Sophie watched them.
Daniel felt sick.
He crouched beside her.
“Sophie.”
The girl looked at him.
“You’re safe.”
She whispered.
“Who is she?”
Daniel did not know how to answer.
Elena heard.
She turned.
Her entire face collapsed.
She moved toward Sophie slowly.
“I…”
Her voice failed.
She tried again.
“My name is Elena.”
Sophie stared at her.
“I know.”
Elena froze.
“What?”
Sophie looked toward Margaret.
“Grandma had pictures.”
Elena’s tears returned.
“What pictures?”
“Of you.”
“Lots.”
Elena looked at Margaret.
“You showed her pictures of me?”
Margaret nodded.
Sophie continued.
“She said you were my aunt.”
Elena covered her mouth.
The little girl looked confused.
“Are you not my aunt?”
Elena knelt.
Her hands trembled.
“No.”
Daniel watched her struggle.
Finally, she spoke.
“I think I’m your mother.”
Sophie stared.
The dock became silent.
Even Vivienne looked away.
Sophie shook her head.
“My mommy is Rachel.”
Elena’s tears fell.
“I know.”
Sophie frowned.
“She sang to me.”
Elena looked at Margaret.
Margaret whispered.
“Rachel raised her.”
Daniel understood.
Sophie might be biologically Elena’s.
But Rachel had been her mother.
Elena understood too.
She did not try to correct the child.
Instead, she nodded.
“Then Rachel was your mommy.”
Sophie’s eyes filled.
“Is she dead?”
Elena looked toward the lake.
Her voice broke.
“I think so.”
Sophie began crying.
Elena opened her arms.
Then stopped.
She did not force the hug.
Sophie looked at her.
For several seconds, neither moved.
Then Sophie stepped forward.
Elena held her.
Daniel turned away.
He needed one second not to see it.
Because the scene was beautiful.
And unbearable.
Noah arrived in a police vehicle several minutes later with the officer who had been watching him.
He ran toward Elena.
“Mommy!”
Sophie lifted her head.
She stared at Noah.
Noah stopped.
“Who is that?”
Daniel felt the insanity of the question.
How could they explain any of this to children?
Elena wiped her tears.
“This is Sophie.”
Noah looked at her bandaged arm.
“Did you get hurt?”
Sophie nodded.
Noah walked closer.
“I got taken too.”
Sophie stared.
“By Grandpa?”
Noah nodded.
Sophie pointed at Charles.
“I don’t like him.”
Noah whispered.
“Me either.”
For the first time that night, Daniel nearly smiled.
Charles heard.
He deserved it.
Marcus placed Vivienne in handcuffs.
Daniel looked at her.
She did not resist.
But she was still smiling faintly.
That bothered him.
“You seem comfortable.”
Vivienne looked at him.
“Because you still think you have the story.”
“Don’t.”
“You don’t.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“Then finish it.”
Vivienne looked at Sophie.
“Sophie was Elena’s first child.”
Daniel’s stomach tightened.
“And Noah?”
“Her second.”
Elena went still.
Vivienne continued.
“Rachel carried neither child.”
Elena frowned.
“What?”
“Rachel was involved because she discovered what happened after Sophie was born.”
Daniel tried to follow.
“Then why did everyone believe Sophie was Rachel’s?”
“Because that was the cover story.”
Charles interrupted.
“Vivienne.”
She smiled.
“You don’t get to control this anymore.”
Charles’s face hardened.
Vivienne looked at Daniel.
“Your father wanted a biological heir.”
“We know.”
“No.”
“You know half.”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
“Then what is the other half?”
Vivienne stared at Elena.
“He wanted a very specific mother.”
Elena’s face changed.
“Why me?”
Charles looked away.
Vivienne laughed softly.
“Tell her.”
Charles remained silent.
Vivienne’s expression sharpened.
“Tell her why you selected her.”
Daniel looked at his father.
Charles whispered.
“Her genetics.”
Elena stared.
“What about them?”
Charles looked at her.
“You have a rare immune profile.”
Daniel frowned.
“So?”
Charles continued.
“Our family carries a hereditary heart defect.”
“Yes.”
“Children conceived with certain genetic matches had lower expression of the defect.”
Elena’s face filled with disgust.
“You screened women.”
“Yes.”
“For compatibility with Daniel.”
Charles closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
Daniel felt physically ill.
“You chose Elena like breeding stock.”
Charles flinched.
“Yes.”
The admission made it worse.
Elena stepped backward.
Noah grabbed her hand.
Sophie stood beside her.
Two children.
Both connected to a program none of them had chosen.
Daniel looked at his father.
“How many times was Elena used?”
Charles did not answer.
Daniel’s voice rose.
“How many?”
Vivienne spoke.
“Three.”
Elena froze.
Daniel slowly turned toward her.
Vivienne continued.
“Sophie was the first successful birth.”
“Noah was the second.”
Daniel felt dread spread through him.
“And the third?”
Vivienne smiled.
Charles shouted.
“Enough!”
Everyone froze.
Daniel stared at him.
Vivienne’s eyes gleamed.
“There.”
“That’s the secret he still wants buried.”
Daniel moved toward his father.
“What third child?”
Charles shook his head.
“Daniel.”
“What child?”
No answer.
Daniel grabbed his coat.
“Tell me.”
Charles whispered.
“I thought the baby died.”
Vivienne laughed.
“You hoped.”
Elena stared.
“What baby?”
Vivienne looked toward Margaret.
Margaret began sobbing again.
Elena stepped toward her.
“Mom.”
Margaret shook her head.
“I couldn’t tell you.”
Elena’s face drained.
“Tell me now.”
Margaret looked at the children.
Then at Elena.
“You had twins.”
Silence.
Daniel could hear the water beneath the dock.
Nothing else.
Elena stared.
“What?”
Margaret’s voice barely carried.
“When Noah was born…”
She swallowed.
“There was another baby.”
Daniel felt his heart stop.
“A twin?”
Margaret nodded.
Elena’s entire body began shaking.
“A boy or a girl?”
Margaret closed her eyes.
“A boy.”
Noah looked confused.
Daniel almost could not speak.
“Where is he?”
Margaret cried.
“I don’t know.”
Vivienne smiled faintly.
Daniel turned.
“You do.”
Vivienne met his eyes.
“Yes.”
“Where is my son?”
She leaned closer.
“Not yours anymore.”
Daniel’s hands tightened.
“What does that mean?”
Vivienne’s smile became cold.
“It means someone else has been raising him for seven years.”
Elena stepped forward.
“Who?”
Vivienne looked at Marcus.
Then at Charles.
Then back at Daniel.
“The same man who killed Detective Samuel Reed.”
Marcus went pale.
Daniel stared at him.
“You know who she means.”
Marcus said nothing.
May you like
Vivienne smiled.
And for the first time, Daniel realized the detective had been hiding something too.
