Chapter: Chapter 11: The Man Who Stole MeLena couldn’t move.The phone trembled in her hand as Damian stared at the message on its screen.Richard Carter didn’t save you, Lena. He stole you.For the first time, the man standing before her seemed to have lost control of his emotions.His face had gone pale.“Who sent that?” he asked.“I don’t know.”“Did you reply?”“Yes.”“What did you say?”Lena pulled the phone away from him.“Why does that matter? You look like you already know what it means.”Damian’s eyes lifted to hers.“Lena—”“Don’t.” Her voice cracked. “Not another secret. Not another half-truth. I want to know what you know about Richard Carter.”He closed the door behind him.“I found something in my father’s records several years ago.”Lena’s heart pounded.“What?”“A document with Richard Carter’s name on it. It was connected to a private arrangement between my father and Isabella Romano.”“An arrangement?”“I never understood the full details. The document was incomplete.”“And you knew Richard was connected to
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-11-04
Chapter: Chapter 10: The Woman Behind the MessageThe message remained on Elena’s phone.Your mother is alive. But if you want to see her, you must come alone.Beneath it was an address.And one final warning.Do not trust Damian Romano.For several seconds, nobody spoke.Lena stared at the screen, her thoughts racing. Their mother—the woman she had spent nineteen years believing was nothing more than a name on a birth certificate—might still be alive.But the message had been sent to Elena.Not her.“Who sent it?” Damian asked.Elena shook her head. “An unknown number.”“Show me.”She pulled the phone closer to her chest. “Why?”“Because whoever sent that message knows something about your mother. They also know enough about this family to understand that sending you alone could put you in danger.”Elena’s eyes narrowed. “And you think I should trust you?”Damian’s jaw tightened.“No,” he replied. “I think you should trust your instincts. But I also think you should question anyone who suddenly claims to know where your mother is.”
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-11-04
Chapter: CHAPTER 9: THE GIRL WHO TOOK MY PLACEThe sound of approaching footsteps shattered the silence in the garden.Lena turned toward the mansion.Damian stood beside her, his phone still in his hand. His expression had changed in a way she couldn’t quite describe. The calm, controlled man she knew had vanished. In his place stood someone who seemed prepared for a storm.“Who’s coming?” she asked.“Vincent.”“Your uncle?”“Yes.”Lena folded her arms. “Then let him come. I’m tired of everyone acting like I’m some dangerous secret.”Damian’s gaze settled on her.“You don’t understand what he’s capable of.”“Then explain it to me.”Before he could answer, the mansion’s front doors opened.Vincent Romano stepped into the garden, dressed in a dark suit, his silver hair neatly combed. He carried himself with the confidence of a man who had never been told no.His eyes immediately found Lena.For a moment, his expression was unreadable.Then he smiled.“Ah. The missing daughter.”Lena’s stomach tightened.“You know who I am.”“I’ve k
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-11-04
Chapter: CHAPTER 8: SEVEN MINUTES APARTLena had always believed that the truth, no matter how painful, was better than a lie.But as she stood in the middle of the Romano mansion’s private sitting room, staring at the woman who wore her face, she began to wonder if some truths were better left buried.The woman stood near the fireplace, dressed in a fitted black gown that made her look every bit like the heiress she claimed to be. Her dark hair fell over her shoulders in soft waves. Her eyes—Lena’s eyes—were cold, sharp, and filled with a resentment Lena couldn’t understand.It was like looking into a mirror that had learned to hate her.“Who are you?” Lena whispered.The woman’s lips curved into a humorless smile.“You really don’t know?”Lena shook her head. “I’ve never seen you before in my life.”“Of course you haven’t.” The woman took a step forward. “You were taken away before you could even open your eyes properly.”Lena’s fingers tightened around the photograph she had found earlier. The picture showed two newborn
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-11-04
Chapter: Chapter Seven — The Man in the Abandoned HotelThe abandoned hotel stood at the edge of the city, its once-grand entrance hidden behind overgrown bushes and a rusted metal gate.Lena stared through the car window.She remembered passing the building years ago with her father. Back then, it had been a popular hotel with bright lights and a fountain outside.Now the windows were dark, and weeds had swallowed the driveway.“Are you sure this is the place?” she asked.Damian checked the location on his phone.“This is where the signal ended.”“And my father's car?”“According to security, it's behind the building.”Lena's hands tightened around her bag.“If he's here, why hasn't he contacted me?”“Maybe he couldn't.”“Or maybe he's dead.”Damian looked at her.“Don't assume the worst before we have evidence.”She turned away.“That's easy for you to say.”“No, it isn't.”Something in his voice made her look at him again.For a moment, she wondered how many years he had spent wondering whether his own father was alive.Then the driver
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-10-10
Chapter: Chapter Six — The Voice in the Darkness“Hello, daughter.”Lena stopped breathing.The woman's voice echoed through the mansion's security speakers, calm and unmistakably familiar. It was the same voice she had heard moments ago, the voice that had called her daughter as though nineteen years of separation meant nothing.The lights remained off.Somewhere downstairs, a security alarm continued to ring.Lena gripped the front of Damian's jacket.“Who is that?” she whispered.Damian didn't answer immediately. His attention was fixed on the security monitor, which had begun flickering back to life.“Security room, respond,” he ordered into his phone.Static.He tried again.Nothing.Then the woman's voice returned.“Damian, darling. It's been a long time.”His expression hardened.“Isabella.”Lena's fingers tightened around his jacket.“You know she's alive?”“I know that voice.”“That isn't what I asked!”Before he could answer, the monitor flashed.A woman's face appeared.Dark hair. Pale skin. Familiar eyes.The woman in th
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-10-10
Masuk
