043: The Man in the Memory

"Someone was there that night."

Elena's voice trembled through the phone.

Damian's heart tightened.

He had heard fear in her voice before, but this was different.

This wasn't fear of Adrian.

It wasn't fear of Vanessa.

It wasn't even fear of the uncertainty surrounding her past.

This was the fear of remembering something she had spent years forgetting.

"Elena," Damian said gently, "where are you?"

"At home."

"Are you with your grandfather?"

"Yes."

"Good. Stay with him."

There was a brief silence.

Then Elena whispered,

"Damian..."

"I'm coming."

He ended the call.

Victor was still standing across from him.

"What happened?"

"She remembered something."

Victor's face changed.

"What?"

"She remembers a man talking to her father."

For several seconds, Victor didn't respond.

His expression was enough to tell Damian that the memory mattered.

"You know who it was."

Victor finally looked at him.

"I may."

Damian's jaw tightened.

"Then tell me."

"I need to speak to Elena first."

"She's upset."

"I know."

"Then why are you making me wait?"

Victor sighed.

"Because some memories are better handled carefully."

Damian stared at him.

"She has spent years wondering about her parents. She deserves answers."

Victor nodded.

"She does."

He picked up his coat.

"Let's go."

At Blackwood Mansion, Elena sat in the library.

The wooden box remained open on the table.

Photographs and old letters were scattered around it.

Her grandfather sat opposite her.

He looked older than he had that morning.

Elena noticed.

"Grandpa..."

He looked up.

"Yes?"

"You know something."

It wasn't a question.

He lowered his eyes.

"I know many things."

"About my parents?"

"Yes."

Elena's eyes filled with tears.

"Then why didn't you tell me?"

Her grandfather swallowed.

"Because you were a child."

"I know."

"You didn't understand what had happened."

"I understand that."

"But after that..."

His voice broke slightly.

"I wanted you to have a childhood."

Elena looked down at the photograph of her parents.

"I had one."

"Did you?"

She looked up.

He continued quietly.

"You lost your parents."

"You were taken away from everything familiar."

"You had to grow up without understanding why your life had changed."

"I didn't want to put more weight on your shoulders."

Elena's eyes burned.

"You should have trusted me."

"I know."

She looked away.

For years, she had thought the unanswered questions were because her grandfather simply didn't want her to know.

Now she was beginning to understand.

He had been trying to protect the little girl she had once been.

But that didn't make the silence hurt any less.

"I can't keep living with half the story," she whispered.

Her grandfather reached for her hand.

"I know."

"Then tell me."

Before he could answer, the sound of the front door opening echoed through the mansion.

Elena looked toward the hallway.

Damian appeared.

Their eyes met.

For a moment, Elena felt a strange sense of relief.

She hadn't realized how much she had wanted him there until she saw him.

Damian walked toward her.

"Are you alright?"

She shook her head.

"No."

He didn't ask her to pretend otherwise.

He simply sat beside her.

"I'm here."

Those two words were enough to make her eyes sting.

She looked down quickly.

"I remembered something."

Damian gently took her hand.

"What?"

"A man."

Her grandfather closed his eyes.

Damian noticed.

"Tell me what you remember."

Elena took a shaky breath.

"I was outside."

"Somewhere with a garden."

"My parents were there."

She closed her eyes.

The memory came back.

A little girl hiding behind a large stone pillar.

Her mother's voice.

Her father's footsteps.

Then another man's voice.

"You can't keep her here."

Elena's breathing became uneven.

Her fingers tightened around Damian's.

"My father said something."

"What?"

"She's my daughter."

Damian's expression hardened.

Elena continued.

"Then the man said..."

She stopped.

"Elena?"

She opened her eyes.

"He called me the heir."

Her grandfather looked down.

Damian remained calm.

"What happened next?"

"I don't know."

She touched her forehead.

"It's gone."

"Don't force yourself."

"But I want to remember."

"I know."

Tears slipped down her cheeks.

"I'm tired of people knowing things about me that I don't know."

Damian's expression softened.

"You don't have to remember everything tonight."

"But what if I never remember?"

"You will."

"How do you know?"

"Because you're stronger than you think."

She looked at him.

"And because you don't have to do it alone."

Something inside her broke.

Elena leaned forward and rested her forehead against his shoulder.

Damian froze for half a second before wrapping his arms around her.

He didn't say anything.

He simply held her.

For the first time since the memories began returning, Elena allowed herself to cry without trying to hide it.

Damian's hand moved gently over her hair.

"I'm scared," she whispered.

"I know."

"What if what I find changes everything?"

"Then we'll deal with it."

"What if I don't like the truth?"

"Then I'll still be here."

She lifted her head.

Their eyes met.

There was something different between them now.

Something neither of them was ready to name.

Elena gave him a small, emotional smile.

"Why are you always there?"

Damian looked at her.

"Because I want to be."

Her heart skipped.

Before either of them could say more, the library doors opened.

Victor walked in.

Elena immediately straightened.

The moment she saw him, something inside her shifted.

A strange familiarity passed through her.

"You."

Victor stopped.

Elena stared at him.

"I remember you."

Victor's face went pale.

"Not clearly," she continued.

"But I remember your face."

Her grandfather looked at Victor.

"It has begun."

Victor slowly nodded.

"Yes."

Elena stood.

"Were you there?"

Victor looked at her.

"Yes."

"That night?"

He hesitated.

"Yes."

Elena's eyes filled with tears again.

"Then tell me."

Victor looked at her grandfather.

Then at Damian.

Finally, he answered.

"Your father trusted me."

"Why?"

"Because I worked with your family."

"To protect them?"

"Yes."

"From who?"

Victor shook his head.

"It wasn't that simple."

Elena's frustration returned.

"Everyone keeps saying that."

"I need the truth."

"You deserve it."

Victor took a breath.

"Your parents had built something powerful."

"Their company was worth a great deal."

"They had business rivals."

"Some respected them."

"Others didn't."

Elena listened carefully.

"Did my parents do something wrong?"

"No."

Victor answered immediately.

"Your parents were good people."

"Then why were they afraid?"

Victor looked at her.

"Because money and power can change people."

Her grandfather closed his eyes.

Victor continued.

"Your parents knew there were people who wanted control over parts of the Vale business."

"But they never believed it would go as far as it did."

Elena swallowed.

"What happened?"

Victor hesitated.

"That is what I need you to understand."

"I wasn't there to stop your parents from dying."

"I was there because your father asked me to make sure you survived whatever happened next."

Elena's eyes widened.

"Survived?"

Her grandfather immediately stepped forward.

"Victor."

But it was too late.

Elena had heard the word.

"What do you mean survived?"

Victor looked ashamed.

"I mean that your father knew something was wrong."

"Three days before their deaths, he asked me to keep you close."

Elena's breathing stopped.

"Why?"

Victor looked directly into her eyes.

"Because he believed something was about to happen."

Silence filled the room.

Elena looked at her grandfather.

"You knew?"

Her grandfather's eyes filled with tears.

"I knew your father was afraid."

"And I knew he was trying to protect you."

"But I didn't know everything."

Elena slowly sat down.

Her entire body felt weak.

Damian immediately moved closer.

Victor reached into his coat.

"I have something else."

He placed an old envelope on the table.

"It belonged to your father."

Elena stared at it.

"What's inside?"

"A letter."

"To whom?"

Victor looked at her.

"To you."

Elena's breath caught.

She reached toward the envelope.

Her fingers trembled as they touched it.

For years, she had wondered what her parents would have said to her if they had lived long enough to watch her grow up.

Now...

She might finally find out.

She looked at Damian.

He gave her a reassuring nod.

"Open it when you're ready."

Elena took a deep breath.

Then slowly began breaking the seal.

But before she could remove the letter, her grandfather suddenly spoke.

"Elena..."

She looked up.

His face had changed.

He looked terrified.

"Don't open that until you know one thing."

"What?"

Her grandfather stared at the envelope.

"Your father didn't write that letter after he knew he was going to die."

He paused.

"He wrote it before."

Elena's eyes widened.

Damian's expression hardened.

Victor lowered his gaze.

And suddenly, the letter in Elena's hands felt heavier than anything she had ever held.