Chapter 2 - THE WOMAN WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD
The darkness lasted six seconds.
For Daniel, it felt like an hour.
Somewhere beyond the office, guests screamed.
Glass shattered.
A child cried out.
“Noah!”
Daniel ran toward the hallway.
Vivienne grabbed his jacket.
“Daniel!”
He tore away.
Emergency lights flickered on.
Red illumination filled the corridor.
Daniel sprinted toward the ballroom.
“Noah!”
He entered and immediately knew something was wrong.
Guests were moving in every direction.
Security officers were shouting.
The orchestra had stopped.
Elena was standing near the center of the ballroom.
Alone.
Daniel’s chest tightened.
“Where is he?”
Elena turned.
Her face was white.
“I thought he went with you.”
Daniel stopped.
“What?”
“A man came over.”
“What man?”
“He said you sent him.”
Daniel looked toward the ballroom doors.
“Where did he take Noah?”
Elena pointed.
“The service corridor.”
Daniel ran.
Elena followed.
Behind them, Vivienne emerged from the hallway.
She didn’t ask where Noah was.
Daniel noticed.
He stopped.
Vivienne almost walked into him.
“Where is our son?”
Daniel demanded.
She blinked.
“What?”
“Noah is gone.”
Her face changed.
But the reaction came too late.
Daniel saw it.
“You knew.”
“That’s insane.”
“You knew something was going to happen.”
“Daniel—”
He grabbed her shoulders.
“Where is Noah?”
Guests stared.
Vivienne lowered her voice.
“Take your hands off me.”
“Tell me where he is.”
“I don’t know.”
Elena ran toward the service doors.
Daniel released Vivienne and followed.
The corridor beyond was empty.
One metal door stood open.
Cold night air rushed inside.
Elena reached it first.
“Noah!”
Nothing.
Daniel ran into the alley behind the hotel.
A black SUV was disappearing around the corner.
Elena pointed.
“There!”
Daniel pulled out his phone.
He called security.
“Lock every gate.”
A voice answered.
“Mr. Whitmore, the west gate was opened manually.”
“By whom?”
A pause.
“We’re checking.”
Daniel ran toward the parking lot.
Elena stayed beside him.
Vivienne appeared behind them.
“Daniel, stop.”
He turned.
“Why?”
“The police should handle this.”
“My seven-year-old son was just taken.”
“And running into the street won’t help him.”
Elena stared at Vivienne.
“You know who took him.”
Vivienne laughed.
“Here we go again.”
“You know.”
“Elena.”
Daniel stepped between them.
“Why would she know?”
Elena’s eyes remained fixed on Vivienne.
“Because this happened before.”
Daniel felt cold.
“What happened before?”
Elena looked at him.
“My baby disappeared from a hospital.”
She pointed toward the road.
“Now the same people are taking him again.”
Vivienne shook her head.
“You’re delusional.”
Elena stepped closer.
“You promised me he was dead.”
Vivienne’s confidence faltered.
“You stood beside my hospital bed.”
Daniel stared at his wife.
Elena continued.
“You held my hand.”
“No.”
“You told me the doctors had tried everything.”
“Stop.”
“You told me there was nothing left for me to see.”
“Stop!”
Vivienne’s shout echoed through the parking structure.
Elena didn’t move.
“You said my baby had already been taken downstairs.”
Vivienne’s breathing became uneven.
Daniel stared at her.
“You were at the hospital?”
She turned toward him.
“I can explain.”
“Were you there?”
“Yes.”
The word nearly knocked him backward.
Daniel had met Vivienne at St. Matthew’s.
She had told him she was recovering from complications after an emergency delivery.
He remembered arriving.
He remembered the private room.
He remembered the tiny infant already lying in the bassinet beside her.
Noah.
He remembered Vivienne crying.
He remembered believing those tears were happiness.
Daniel looked at Elena.
“Where were you?”
“Two floors below.”
His mind raced.
“No.”
“I was registered under my maiden name.”
Daniel stared at the burned hospital document still clenched in his hand.
Elena Rose Bennett.
“What happened?”
Elena took a breath.
“I was twenty-two.”
“I had almost no money.”
“The baby’s father had disappeared before I knew I was pregnant.”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
“Who was the father?”
Elena looked at him strangely.
“I don’t know.”
Daniel frowned.
“What does that mean?”
“It means the man I knew wasn’t who he said he was.”
“What was his name?”
“David.”
Daniel’s stomach tightened.
His middle name was David.
Vivienne looked away.
Daniel saw it.
“Elena.”
He stepped closer.
“What did David look like?”
She hesitated.
“Tall.”
“Dark hair.”
“Gray eyes.”
Daniel stopped.
Elena’s eyes moved across his face.
She had noticed it too.
“No.”
Daniel shook his head.
“No.”
Elena whispered.
“I wondered from the first time I saw you.”
Vivienne suddenly spoke.
“This is exactly why I kept her away.”
Daniel turned.
“What?”
Vivienne realized her mistake.
Too late.
“You kept her away?”
“I meant—”
“You just said she was a stalker you knew nothing about.”
Vivienne said nothing.
Daniel stepped toward her.
“You knew who she was.”
Silence.
“You knew Noah was her child.”
Vivienne’s face hardened.
“You don’t understand.”
“Then make me understand.”
She looked around.
Police sirens approached in the distance.
Vivienne lowered her voice.
“Your family wanted an heir.”
Daniel stared at her.
“My family?”
“Your father wanted one.”
“My father died nine years ago.”
“No.”
Daniel felt the world tilt again.
Vivienne continued.
“He disappeared nine years ago.”
Daniel shook his head.
“I saw his coffin.”
“You saw a closed coffin.”
Daniel remembered.
The official explanation had been a private plane accident over the Atlantic.
Only wreckage had been recovered.
The coffin had contained personal effects.
No body.
His hands began trembling.
“What does my father have to do with Noah?”
Vivienne looked toward Elena.
“Everything.”
Before Daniel could demand more, his phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
“Daniel Whitmore?”
A man’s voice.
“Who is this?”
“Your son is safe.”
Daniel’s body went rigid.
“Where is he?”
“That depends on you.”
Elena moved closer.
Daniel put the call on speaker.
“What do you want?”
The voice remained calm.
“Bring Elena Bennett to the old Whitmore estate.”
Elena went pale.
Vivienne whispered.
“No.”
Daniel looked at her.
The caller continued.
“Midnight.”
“No police.”
“If I see one patrol car, you won’t see the boy.”
Daniel clenched his jaw.
“I want to hear Noah.”
Silence.
Then a small frightened voice came through the phone.
“Daddy?”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Noah.”
“Daddy, I’m scared.”
“I know.”
“I want Mommy.”
Daniel looked at Elena.
She covered her mouth.
“I’m bringing her.”
“No!”
Vivienne grabbed the phone.
Daniel shoved her hand away.
The caller laughed softly.
“Still protecting secrets, Vivienne?”
Her face turned white.
Daniel stared at her.
The caller continued.
“You always were loyal.”
The line went dead.
Police vehicles entered the parking area.
Daniel lowered the phone.
Elena whispered.
“Who was that?”
Vivienne stared toward the approaching lights.
“I don’t know.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“Yes, you do.”
“No.”
“Who was it?”
Vivienne remained silent.
Daniel held up the burned hospital document.
“My son is missing.”
“My father may be alive.”
“A woman you claimed not to know says you stole her baby.”
“And someone just kidnapped Noah and asked for Elena by name.”
He moved until they were inches apart.
“So this is the last time I’m asking politely.”
“Who was on that phone?”
Vivienne finally looked at him.
May you like
Her answer was barely audible.
“Your father.”
