CHAPTER FIFTY: THE HIDDEN HEIR

Elena couldn't move.

Damien's father stood at the end of the corridor, alive.

For years, Damien had believed him dead.

For years, Elena had believed the truth about her children had been buried with the past.

Now the man who had supposedly died stood before them as though seven years had never passed.

Damien stepped forward.

"You died."

His father smiled faintly.

"That was the story."

"You let me believe you were dead."

"It was necessary."

"For what?"

His father's eyes moved toward Daniel.

"For him."

Daniel immediately moved behind Elena.

She wrapped an arm around him.

"Stay away from my children."

The older man's expression remained calm.

"You still don't understand."

"Then explain."

"I will."

He lowered the weapon.

"But not here."

Victor laughed bitterly from the floor.

"You've always loved controlling the room."

Damien's father looked at him.

"And you've always loved pretending you're the victim."

Victor wiped blood from the corner of his mouth.

"You know what happens if she remembers everything."

"I know."

"Then you know she'll destroy you."

The older man looked at Elena.

"Perhaps."

He turned toward Damien.

"But before that happens, he deserves to know the truth."

Damien's jaw tightened.

"What truth?"

"About your mother."

Damien froze.

"My mother died when I was eight."

"No."

His father paused.

"She disappeared."

Elena watched Damien's expression change.

"You lied about that too?"

"I protected you."

"You destroyed my entire childhood."

His father's face hardened.

"Because your mother discovered what this family was doing."

"What were they doing?"

"Creating heirs."

Damien stared.

His father continued.

"Not children."

"Assets."

Elena felt sick.

"You experimented on them."

"We studied them."

"That's the same thing."

"No."

His father looked toward Caleb.

"Not when the purpose is survival."

Elena pulled Caleb closer.

"He is not yours."

"I know."

"Then why are you here?"

"Because the person who is looking for him is far more dangerous than I am."

Silence filled the corridor.

Damien frowned.

"Who?"

His father looked toward the broken window.

"The organization your grandfather has been working for."

Elena's blood ran cold.

"You mean there is someone above him?"

"There always was."

---

Gabriel stepped forward.

"Who are they?"

Damien's father looked at him.

"You know the name."

Gabriel's face changed.

Elena noticed.

"What name?"

Gabriel didn't answer.

"Gabriel."

He lowered his eyes.

"The Helix Foundation."

Elena frowned.

"What is that?"

"A private research organization," Gabriel said.

"Research?"

"Genetics. Medicine. Inheritance studies."

Damien's father corrected him.

"Genetic succession."

Elena looked at Caleb.

"And my children are part of it."

"They were never supposed to be."

"Then why were they taken?"

"Because someone believed their bloodline could unlock something."

"What?"

He hesitated.

"The original sequence."

Elena shook her head.

"Again with the sequence."

Her frustration broke through her fear.

"I don't care about your experiments or your records. I want one answer."

She looked directly at him.

"Who is the real heir?"

His expression changed.

"You aren't ready."

"I've spent seven years being lied to."

Her voice trembled.

"I am ready for anything."

The man studied her.

Then he pointed toward Daniel.

"The boy you believe is your son..."

Elena's heart stopped.

"...is not the heir."

Daniel's face fell.

Elena immediately pulled him closer.

"Don't listen to him."

He looked at her.

"But he said—"

"He's lying."

Her grandfather's voice suddenly came through the building's speakers.

"He's not."

Everyone looked up.

The old man's voice continued.

"For once, your husband's father is telling you the truth."

Damien stared at the ceiling.

"Where are you?"

A screen flickered on.

His grandfather appeared.

"You're standing in the middle of the answer."

Elena looked around.

"What does that mean?"

The old man smiled.

"The real heir isn't one of the twins."

Damien frowned.

"Then who?"

His grandfather's smile widened.

"You'll find out soon."

The screen went black.

---

Elena's heart pounded.

"Where is Lily?"

Silence.

She turned.

Lily wasn't beside her.

Neither was Noah.

"Where are the children?"

Damien immediately looked around.

"Lily!"

No answer.

Elena's breathing quickened.

"She was right beside me."

Gabriel ran toward the rear corridor.

"Everyone search!"

Damien's father suddenly looked toward the stairwell.

"Too late."

Elena spun toward him.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing."

"Where is my daughter?"

"I don't know."

Victor pushed himself to his feet.

"He's telling the truth."

Elena looked at him.

"How do you know?"

"Because whoever took them wanted us distracted."

Damien's face hardened.

"Then we find them."

They rushed through the building.

The hallway was empty.

Then Elena heard something.

A faint sound.

A child's voice.

"Mommy."

She ran toward it.

Damien followed.

The voice came from behind a closed door.

Elena opened it.

Lily stood inside.

Alone.

Elena dropped to her knees and hugged her.

"Are you okay?"

Lily nodded.

"Where were you?"

"A woman brought me here."

"What woman?"

Lily pointed toward the corner.

"Her."

Elena turned.

Nobody was there.

Then Lily handed her something.

A small envelope.

"She told me to give this to you."

Elena opened it.

Inside was a single photograph.

Her heart stopped.

The photograph showed her in the hospital seven years earlier.

She was holding a newborn baby.

Not Caleb.

Not Daniel.

Another child.

Elena stared at the picture.

"No."

Damien came closer.

"What is that?"

"I don't know."

Lily pointed at the photograph.

"That's the baby she said you forgot."

Elena's hands began to shake.

"I never had another baby."

Gabriel looked at the photograph.

His expression changed.

"Elena..."

"What?"

He pointed to the hospital bracelet on the baby's wrist.

There was a name.

ALEXANDER VALE.

Damien stared.

"Vale?"

His father suddenly went pale.

Elena noticed.

"You know that name."

He didn't answer.

"Who is Alexander?"

He looked at Elena.

"The child was supposed to have died."

Elena's heart pounded.

"Why?"

"Because he wasn't supposed to exist."

Damien stepped forward.

"Who was his mother?"

His father looked at Elena.

"Your mother."

Damien froze.

Elena couldn't breathe.

"What?"

"Alexander was your mother's child."

Damien's face went blank.

"My mother had another child?"

"Yes."

"Where is he?"

His father didn't answer.

Elena looked at the photograph again.

The baby had the same dark eyes as Damien.

The same unmistakable features.

Her heart sank.

"He's alive."

It wasn't a question.

His father looked away.

"Yes."

Damien's voice became quiet.

"Where?"

A phone began ringing.

Everyone turned.

It was Gabriel's phone.

He answered.

"Hello?"

A man's voice came through.

Gabriel's face changed.

He slowly lowered the phone.

Elena stepped closer.

"Who was that?"

Gabriel looked at her.

"Dr. Mason."

"Where is he?"

Gabriel swallowed.

"He says he has Alexander."

Damien's father closed his eyes.

Then Dr. Mason's voice came through the speaker again.

"Bring Elena to the old hospital."

A pause.

"Alone."

Elena stared at Gabriel.

Then the voice continued:

"And tell her this."

Another pause.

"Her third child has been waiting seven years to meet his mother."

The call ended.

Elena couldn't speak.

Damien immediately shook his head.

"You're not going anywhere alone."

But Elena was still staring at the photograph.

Three children.

Three secrets.

And suddenly, the title of her forgotten past felt far more frightening than she had ever imagined.

She looked at Damien.

"I have to go."

"No."

"I need answers."

"I'll go with you."

The old man interrupted.

"If you go together, Alexander dies."

Everyone froze.

Elena slowly turned toward him.

"How do you know?"

His expression was unreadable.

"Because I was there when he was born."

Elena's voice trembled.

"Then tell me the truth."

He looked directly into her eyes.

"Alexander wasn't your mother's child."

Silence.

"Then whose child was he?"

The old man stared at Damien.

And for the first time since they had found him, fear appeared in his eyes.

"Yours."

Elena's world stopped.

Damien looked at his father.

"That's impossible."

The old man shook his head.

"No."

He looked at Elena.

"Alexander was born before the twins."

And somewhere in the distance, a baby's cry echoed through the building.