Chapter Twenty-Two: The Missing Memory

"Lucas!"

Elena's scream tore through the basement.

She spun around.

The room was empty.

No Lucas.

No footsteps.

Nothing.

Damien's heart slammed against his ribs.

"Elena, stay with Noah."

"Lucas!"

She tried to run toward the stairs, but Damien caught her.

"Wait."

"Let me go!"

"They want you to panic."

"My son is gone!"

"I know."

Damien released her.

"Marcus, lock every exit."

Marcus immediately moved toward the staircase.

Adrian remained where he stood.

His expression was unreadable.

Damien turned on him.

"You knew this would happen."

Adrian shook his head.

"No."

"You brought us here."

"I brought you here because you needed to see the truth."

"You took Lucas."

"No."

Adrian's voice hardened.

"I didn't."

Damien stepped closer.

"Then who did?"

Adrian looked toward the darkened corner of the basement.

"The same person who has been moving everyone around this board for five years."

Damien's eyes narrowed.

"Victor."

Adrian didn't answer.

That was enough.

---

Noah clung to Elena.

"Mommy..."

"I'm here."

"Lucas was there."

"I know."

"He went with someone."

Elena froze.

"Who?"

Noah pointed toward the far wall.

"A man."

Damien immediately looked over.

"Did you see his face?"

Noah shook his head.

"He wore a black coat."

"Anything else?"

"He called Lucas by another name."

Damien's expression tightened.

"What name?"

Noah whispered it.

"Daniel."

Elena stared at him.

"Daniel?"

Noah nodded.

Damien looked at Adrian.

"Who is Daniel?"

Adrian's expression changed.

"You don't know?"

"No."

Adrian took a slow breath.

"Daniel was Lucas's name before Victor changed his records."

Damien's eyes hardened.

"Then why did you say Lucas wasn't who we thought he was?"

"Because Lucas isn't the only identity that was changed."

Adrian looked at Noah.

"Neither is Noah."

---

Elena's grip tightened around her son.

"What are you saying?"

Adrian looked at Damien.

"The two boys were switched."

Damien went still.

"No."

"Yes."

"You're lying."

"I wish I were."

Adrian pointed toward the document Damien still held.

"Look at the date."

Damien looked down.

The order separating the children had been signed five years ago.

But beneath his signature was another name.

Dr. Adrian Vale.

Damien stared.

"You signed this."

"I did."

"Why?"

"Because I thought I was protecting them."

"From whom?"

"Victor."

Damien shook his head.

"Then why would you separate them?"

Adrian's expression hardened.

"Because Victor was going to kill one of them."

Elena's face went pale.

"Which one?"

Adrian looked at Noah.

"Lucas."

---

Damien's mind raced.

"Why?"

"Because Lucas had the wrong blood."

"Wrong blood?"

Adrian nodded.

"Victor needed Lucas to appear to be someone else."

Damien stared at him.

"Who?"

Adrian didn't answer immediately.

Then he said:

"Victor's legitimate heir."

Silence.

Elena looked confused.

"Damien?"

Adrian nodded.

"Victor wanted Lucas to replace you."

Damien's face hardened.

"Why?"

"Because Victor knew you would eventually turn against him."

Adrian continued.

"He needed an heir he could control."

Damien's eyes narrowed.

"And Noah?"

Adrian looked away.

"Noah was never supposed to survive."

Elena pulled Noah closer.

"Why?"

"Because Noah was proof that the original plan had failed."

Damien stepped forward.

"What original plan?"

Adrian looked directly at him.

"The plan to make everyone believe you had one child."

---

A noise came from upstairs.

Everyone froze.

Marcus raised his hand.

"Someone's moving."

Damien looked toward the staircase.

"How many?"

Marcus listened.

"Three."

Adrian immediately stepped back.

"We need to leave."

Damien stared at him.

"You know another exit."

"Yes."

"Show me."

Adrian turned toward a wall.

He pressed his hand against a hidden panel.

It opened.

A narrow passage appeared.

Elena stared.

"You knew this was here?"

Adrian nodded.

"Your family built this estate with secrets everywhere."

Damien ushered Elena and Noah inside.

Marcus followed.

Adrian came last.

The panel closed behind them.

They moved quickly through the passage.

Elena held Noah's hand.

"Where is Lucas?"

Adrian answered without turning.

"Alive."

"You don't know that."

"I do."

"How?"

"Because whoever took him wanted him alive."

Damien looked at him.

"Why?"

Adrian stopped.

"Because Lucas knows something."

"What?"

Adrian's expression changed.

"He remembers."

Damien's heart dropped.

"Remembers what?"

"The night everything happened."

---

The passage opened into an underground room.

A single monitor illuminated the darkness.

Adrian walked toward it.

He pressed a button.

A recording appeared.

Damien stared at the screen.

It showed a hospital room.

Five years earlier.

Elena was lying unconscious on a bed.

A newborn baby was beside her.

Damien appeared on the recording.

But he looked different.

His eyes were empty.

A man stood beside him.

Victor.

Damien watched himself sign a document.

Then Victor leaned toward him.

"Do you understand?"

The younger Damien nodded.

"Separate them."

Elena covered her mouth.

"No..."

Damien couldn't breathe.

The recording continued.

Victor pointed toward two bassinets.

"One stays with Elena."

"And the other?"

"Take him away."

Damien's recorded voice sounded cold.

"Where?"

Victor smiled.

"Somewhere nobody will ever find him."

The screen went black.

Damien stared at it.

"I don't remember."

Adrian looked at him.

"That's the truth."

Elena's eyes filled with tears.

"Why would you do that?"

Damien turned toward her.

"I didn't know."

"You were there."

"I know."

"You signed it."

"I know."

His voice broke.

"But I don't remember."

Adrian stepped forward.

"They drugged you."

Damien looked at him.

"What?"

"Victor had already begun manipulating your memory."

Adrian continued.

"You weren't making decisions freely."

Elena looked at Damien.

Her anger softened into something more painful.

Confusion.

Then another screen turned on.

A video of Lucas appeared.

He was sitting in a room.

Someone stood behind him.

Lucas looked directly into the camera.

"Daddy."

Damien stepped closer.

"Lucas."

The boy's eyes filled with tears.

"They found me."

A man's voice came from behind him.

"Tell your father what you remember."

Lucas shook his head.

"No."

The man grabbed his shoulder.

Damien's expression hardened.

"Let him go."

The man ignored him.

"Tell him."

Lucas looked at the camera.

Then whispered:

"That night, Mommy didn't give birth to me."

Elena froze.

"What?"

Lucas continued.

"I was already there."

Damien stared.

"Already there?"

Lucas nodded.

"I remember the woman who brought me."

"Who?"

Lucas looked toward the person behind him.

Then back at the camera.

"She looked like Mommy."

Elena's heart stopped.

"She looked like me?"

Lucas nodded.

"But she wasn't you."

Damien's expression changed.

"Who was she?"

Lucas whispered:

"Your mother."

The screen suddenly went black.

A message appeared.

COME TO THE OLD CHAPEL ALONE.

Then another line appeared beneath it.

BRING THE WOMAN WHO GAVE BIRTH TO THE WRONG CHILD.

Elena stared at the screen.

Damien turned toward her.

Neither spoke.

Because they both understood the message.

Someone believed Elena was not the woman who had given birth to Noah.

And whoever had Lucas knew the answer.

Then Adrian's phone rang.

He answered.

His face changed immediately.

"What?"

He listened.

Then slowly lowered the phone.

Damien stepped toward him.

"What happened?"

Adrian looked at him.

"They found the chapel."

"Who?"

Adrian's expression was grim.

"Victor."

A second later, another message appeared on Damien's phone.

A photograph.

Lucas was standing inside the old chapel.

Behind him stood Victor.

And beside Victor was a woman who looked exactly like Elena.

Damien's blood ran cold.

The woman smiled at the camera.

Then the message appeared:

SHE'S THE REAL MOTHER.