THE HIDDEN LEGACY
538 Words
Adrian sat alone in his office long after midnight.
The anonymous letter lay on his desk.
If you truly care about Elena Carter… ask her who she really is.
He had read it countless times.
Who had written it?
Was it a cruel prank?
Or was someone trying to warn him?
Adrian folded the letter and locked it inside his desk drawer.
“No,” he whispered.
“I won’t judge her based on an anonymous message.”
“If there’s a truth to discover…”
“I’ll hear it from Elena herself.”
The next morning, Elena noticed Adrian seemed distracted.
As she placed breakfast on the table, she smiled gently.
“Didn’t you sleep well?”
Adrian forced a smile.
“I had a lot on my mind.”
She hesitated.
“Is it because of work?”
He looked at her.
Part of him wanted to ask about the letter.
Instead, he simply said,
“I’ll be fine.”
Elena nodded, but she knew something had changed.
At Smith Global Holdings, Daniel entered Adrian’s office carrying another confidential file.
“I’ve finished the background investigation.”
Adrian immediately looked up.
“What did you find?”
Daniel placed the file on the desk.
“Almost nothing.”
Adrian frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“It’s as if Elena’s childhood records disappeared before she turned five.”
“No hospital records.”
“No school registration.”
“No official photographs.”
Daniel shook his head.
“I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Adrian slowly opened the file.
The pages were nearly empty.
Someone…
Had erased Elena’s past.
Meanwhile, the mysterious man sat inside an abandoned warehouse.
Several men stood before him.
“Everything is ready, sir.”
He smiled.
“Good.”
He held an old gold pendant in his hand.
On its surface was an elegant family crest.
“This belongs to the Harrison family.”
One of the men looked confused.
“Who are they?”
The mysterious man smiled coldly.
“One of the wealthiest families in America.”
“They disappeared from public life over twenty years ago after a tragic fire.”
He looked down at the pendant.
“But one heir survived.”
He slowly closed his hand around it.
“Elena.”
Back at the penthouse, Theo unexpectedly arrived after school.
“I wanted to surprise you!”
Elena laughed and hugged him.
“You certainly did.”
Adrian walked into the living room just as Theo was telling stories about school.
Within minutes, Adrian found himself laughing with the young boy.
Theo looked at him curiously.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Do you like my sister?”
Elena nearly dropped the tray she was carrying.
“Theo!”
Adrian laughed.
“Why would you ask that?”
Theo grinned.
“Because she smiles differently whenever she talks about you.”
Elena covered her face in embarrassment.
“Theo, that’s enough.”
Adrian couldn’t stop smiling.
Maybe…
The boy wasn’t wrong.
That evening, William invited Adrian to the Smith mansion.
As they sat beside the fireplace, William noticed his son’s unusual silence.
“Something is bothering you.”
- Writer
