Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Firstborn

Elena stared at the photograph.

The little boy looked no older than six.

Dark hair.

Soft features.

And eyes that looked painfully familiar.

Her eyes.

She reached for the phone with trembling fingers.

"That's not possible."

Damien said nothing.

He was staring at the photograph too.

The boy stood in front of a stone wall, wearing a blue sweater. There was no smile on his face. No fear either.

Just a strange, quiet sadness.

At the bottom of the photograph was a message.

YOUR FIRSTBORN HAS BEEN WAITING FOR YOU.

Elena swallowed.

"I never had another child."

Adrian looked at the screen.

"According to this file, you did."

"Then the file is wrong."

"It might be."

Damien turned toward him.

"But you don't sound convinced."

Adrian's silence answered him.

Elena looked at him.

"Tell me the truth."

Adrian hesitated.

"Six years ago, before the twins were born, there was another pregnancy."

Her face drained of color.

"I would remember that."

"You should."

"Then why don't I?"

"Because the same thing happened again."

Damien's eyes hardened.

"Someone erased her memory."

Adrian nodded.

"Yes."

Elena closed her eyes.

Another missing piece.

Another child.

Another lie.

How much of her life had been stolen from her?

She opened her eyes.

"Who took my first child?"

Adrian looked toward the photograph.

"That's what we need to find out."

---

Marcus approached them.

"We've got a problem."

Damien turned.

"What?"

"The vehicle that took Noah disappeared."

"Track it."

"I've tried."

"And?"

"The plates were fake."

Damien's expression darkened.

"Then use the cameras."

"Already did."

Marcus handed him a phone.

"The vehicle entered an underground tunnel beneath the eastern district."

Damien studied the map.

"Where does it lead?"

Marcus pointed.

"Old Ashford property."

Damien's stomach tightened.

"Another one?"

"Yes."

Elena stepped closer.

"What property?"

"The old children's residence."

Adrian suddenly looked alarmed.

"That's impossible."

Damien looked at him.

"What?"

"That place was demolished."

Marcus shook his head.

"According to the city records."

He enlarged the map.

"But according to the satellite images, the building is still there."

Elena's heart began racing.

"The children."

Damien nodded.

"That's where they're taking them."

He turned to Marcus.

"Get the car."

---

They drove through the city in silence.

Elena sat between the two boys.

The child they had rescued had barely spoken since leaving the chapel.

She looked at him.

"What is your name?"

He stared at her.

"Lucas."

She hesitated.

"Which Lucas?"

He frowned.

"I don't know."

Elena's heart broke.

She reached for his hand.

"You don't have to know right now."

The boy looked at her.

"Are you really my mommy?"

She couldn't answer immediately.

"I think so."

He studied her face.

Then leaned against her.

"I remember your voice."

Elena closed her eyes.

A tear slipped down her cheek.

Across from them, Damien watched silently.

For the first time, the thought of being a father didn't frighten him.

It terrified him that he had almost lost the chance.

He reached across and rested his hand over Elena's.

"We'll find the others."

She nodded.

"All of them."

---

The old Ashford property appeared behind a line of dead trees.

The gate was rusted.

The main building looked abandoned.

But there were fresh tire marks in the dirt.

Damien stepped out.

"Stay behind me."

Elena followed anyway.

"I've heard that before."

He almost smiled.

"You're becoming difficult."

"I learned from you."

The moment they reached the entrance, the door opened.

No one stood behind it.

Damien glanced at Marcus.

"Stay here."

They entered.

The building smelled of dust and old wood.

Then Elena heard something.

A child's laughter.

She stopped.

"Did you hear that?"

Damien nodded.

They followed the sound down a corridor.

It led to a large room.

Several beds stood inside.

Empty.

Except for one.

A small boy sat on it.

Elena stopped breathing.

He looked exactly like the child in the photograph.

Six years old.

Dark hair.

Her eyes.

He looked up.

For several seconds, he simply stared at her.

Then he whispered:

"Mommy?"

Elena's legs nearly gave way.

She moved toward him.

"What's your name?"

The boy looked confused.

"You gave me one."

Her heart broke.

"I don't remember."

He lowered his eyes.

"You promised you would come back."

Elena knelt.

"I'm sorry."

The boy looked at her.

"You always say that."

She froze.

Damien stepped closer.

"What's your name?"

The boy answered quietly.

"Daniel."

Damien's expression changed.

Daniel.

The same name Noah had mentioned.

The same name connected to the man who had taken Lucas.

But this wasn't a man.

It was a child.

Elena looked at Damien.

"Daniel."

The boy nodded.

"Yes."

She touched his cheek.

"Who has been taking care of you?"

Daniel looked toward the door.

"Grandpa."

Elena's blood ran cold.

"Victor?"

Daniel nodded.

"But he said you were dangerous."

Damien crouched.

"What did he tell you?"

Daniel looked at him.

"He said Daddy would come and take me away."

Damien swallowed.

"I am your father."

Daniel's eyes widened.

"You're Daddy?"

"Yes."

The boy studied him.

Then slowly reached out.

Damien took his hand.

The moment their fingers touched, Daniel whispered:

"I remember you."

Damien's breath caught.

"From where?"

"The hospital."

---

A noise sounded behind them.

The door slammed shut.

Marcus immediately reached for his weapon.

"Nobody move."

The lights came on.

A screen mounted on the wall flickered.

Victor appeared.

Elena stared at him.

"Where are the children?"

Victor smiled.

"Safe."

"Bring them back."

"You still don't understand what is happening."

Damien stepped toward the screen.

"Then explain."

Victor leaned back.

"Daniel is your firstborn."

Damien looked at the child.

"And the twins?"

"Your other sons."

Elena's eyes narrowed.

"Why did you separate us?"

"Because you were becoming a threat."

"To you?"

"To everything I built."

Damien's voice hardened.

"You stole my memories."

Victor smiled.

"I protected you from the truth."

"You destroyed my family."

"No."

Victor shook his head.

"I gave you a family."

Elena stepped forward.

"You gave me a life full of lies."

Victor's expression changed.

"You want the truth?"

"Yes."

"Then look behind you."

Elena turned.

A door at the far end of the room opened.

A woman stepped inside.

Eva.

But she wasn't alone.

She was carrying a baby.

Elena's breath caught.

"That's impossible."

Eva looked at her.

"It's not."

Damien stared at the baby.

"Whose child is that?"

Eva's eyes filled with tears.

"Yours."

The room fell silent.

Elena shook her head.

"No."

Eva looked at her.

"He's the child you were pregnant with after the accident."

Elena's face went white.

"I wasn't pregnant."

Eva whispered:

"Victor made sure you believed you weren't."

Damien stared at the baby.

Then at Victor's image.

"What have you done?"

Victor smiled.

"Nothing you won't understand soon."

The screen went black.

At the same moment, every door in the building locked.

Marcus rushed toward the entrance.

"It's sealed."

Damien looked at Elena.

She was holding Daniel.

The two boys they had rescued were beside her.

And Eva stood across the room with the baby.

Three children.

Three impossible truths.

Then Daniel suddenly pointed toward the ceiling.

"Mommy."

Elena looked up.

"What?"

He whispered:

"There's another one."

A faint cry came from above them.

Everyone froze.

Damien looked at the ceiling.

Another child.

Another secret.

Another lie.

And somewhere above them, a small voice called:

"Daddy."

Damien's blood ran cold.

Because the voice sounded exactly like his own.