Chapter 15: My Mother Is Alive

Ava couldn’t breathe.

The woman standing in front of her looked exactly like the woman in the photograph.

The same eyes.

The same smile.

The same small birthmark above her left eyebrow.

But that was impossible.

Her mother had been dead for fifteen years.

At least, that was what Ava had always believed.

The woman took one slow step toward her.

“My daughter.”

Ava stepped backward.

“No.”

The woman stopped.

Tears filled her eyes.

“Ava…”

“No!”

Ava shook her head violently.

“You’re not my mother.”

The woman looked heartbroken.

“I understand why you don’t believe me.”

“Then tell me who you are.”

“My name is Elena.”

Ava’s heart stopped.

That was her mother’s name.

She looked at Ethan.

He didn’t look surprised.

“You knew,” Ava whispered.

Ethan nodded.

“I suspected.”

“You knew she was alive?”

“I knew there was a possibility.”

Ava’s eyes filled with tears.

“And you never told me?”

“I didn’t know where she was.”

Elena looked at Ethan.

“He’s telling the truth.”

Ava turned toward her.

“Why did you leave me?”

Elena’s face crumbled.

“I didn’t.”

“My father told me you died.”

“He was lying.”

“Then why didn’t you come back?”

Elena looked away.

“Because I was told that if I came back, you would die.”

Ava felt her chest tighten.

“Who told you?”

Elena glanced toward the road.

“Richard.”

Ava’s anger returned.

“Of course.”

Ethan stepped closer.

“We need to leave.”

Elena shook her head.

“No.”

“What?”

“He already knows where you are.”

Ethan looked toward the street.

“How?”

Elena pointed at the black car.

“There is a tracker underneath it.”

Ethan immediately checked the vehicle.

A small device was attached beneath the rear bumper.

He ripped it off.

Ava stared at him.

“So they followed us.”

“Yes.”

Elena looked at Ava.

“They will come.”

“Who?”

“Richard’s men.”

Ava swallowed.

“Then where do we go?”

Elena looked at her daughter.

“There is somewhere they cannot find you.”

“Where?”

Elena hesitated.

“Home.”

Ava frowned.

“My home?”

“No.”

Elena’s voice dropped.

“Your childhood home.”

Ava’s blood ran cold.

“That house was sold after you died.”

Elena shook her head.

“Your father sold the house.”

“But the property belonged to you.”

“It still does.”

Ava stared at her.

“How?”

“Because the documents were never transferred.”

Ethan looked at Elena.

“Does Richard know?”

“He thinks the house was destroyed.”

“Why?”

“Because I made sure he believed it.”

Elena reached into her coat and pulled out a small brass key.

Ava stared at it.

“What is that?”

“The key to the house.”

Ethan looked at it carefully.

“Where have you kept it all these years?”

Elena smiled sadly.

“Somewhere Richard never thought to look.”

Ava’s eyes moved to the key.

Then to the silver key around her neck.

Two keys.

Two secrets.

Two vaults.

She suddenly understood why Ethan had been so desperate to protect her.

“What’s inside the house?”

Elena looked at her.

“Everything.”

“What does that mean?”

“Documents. Photographs. Names.”

Ava’s heart raced.

“The Black Ledger?”

Elena nodded.

“But that’s not all.”

“What else?”

Elena took a breath.

“The truth about Ethan’s family.”

Ava looked at Ethan.

“What truth?”

Elena’s eyes moved between them.

“The truth about the twins.”

Ethan stiffened.

Ava noticed.

“What about them?”

Elena looked toward the darkness.

“We don’t have time.”

She opened the car door.

“Get in.”

Ava hesitated.

For years, she had believed her mother was dead.

Now the woman she had spent half her life mourning was standing in front of her.

Alive.

But Ava couldn’t forget what Ethan had told her.

Trust no one.

She looked at Elena.

“How do I know you’re really my mother?”

Elena’s eyes filled with tears.

“You don’t.”

She reached into her purse and removed a small photograph.

She handed it to Ava.

It showed a little girl sitting on a woman’s lap.

Ava recognized the dress immediately.

She had worn it on her sixth birthday.

Her mother was sitting behind her, smiling.

On the back of the photograph was a handwritten sentence.

For my little Ava, who will always be my greatest reason to survive.

Ava’s fingers trembled.

She knew that handwriting.

She had seen it in the old birthday cards her father kept locked away.

She looked up.

“Mom?”

Elena nodded.

Ava broke down.

She threw her arms around her mother.

Elena held her tightly.

For fifteen years, both women had believed they had lost each other.

Now they were finally together.

But Ethan remained several steps away.

His phone suddenly rang.

He looked at the screen.

His face changed.

“Ava.”

She pulled away from Elena.

“What?”

Ethan turned the phone toward them.

A message had appeared.

WE KNOW WHERE YOU’RE GOING.

Another message arrived.

THE HOUSE ISN’T SAFE.

Then a final message.

BECAUSE ONE OF YOU IS ALREADY WORKING FOR US.

Ava slowly looked at everyone standing around her.

Ethan.

Elena.

Damien.

Victoria.

She didn’t know who to trust anymore.

And then Elena whispered something that made Ava’s blood run cold.

“It’s not one of them.”

Ava looked at her.

“Then who is it?”

Elena’s eyes filled with fear.

“Your father.”