Chapter 17 — Face to Face
1444 Words
“Evelyn?”
Elena's voice trembled as she stared toward the staircase.
The woman's voice had come from upstairs, weak and frightened. It was impossible to mistake it now. Elena had heard it through the phone before, but hearing it in the same house made everything feel different.
She took a step forward.
Alexander immediately raised his gun.
“Don't move.”
Elena stopped.
“Where is she?”
Alexander's eyes remained on Damian.
“You shouldn't have come here.”
Damian moved slightly in front of Elena.
“You're holding a gun in my face and telling me I shouldn't have come?”
Alexander's expression remained calm.
“You don't understand what you're dealing with.”
“I understand enough.”
Damian's voice was dangerously quiet.
“My aunt is involved. My father was involved. Victor is involved. Now I find out my mother's secret has been hidden in this house.”
Alexander's jaw tightened.
“You're asking questions that should have remained unanswered.”
“And you're protecting people who should have been exposed.”
A sudden movement came from upstairs.
Elena looked toward the staircase.
“Evelyn!”
The woman appeared at the top of the stairs.
Elena stopped breathing.
For several seconds, she couldn't move.
The resemblance was overwhelming.
Evelyn had the same eyes as Elena's mother. The same dark hair. The same delicate features. She looked older than Elena by a few years, but there was no doubt they were related.
Evelyn held onto the railing as she slowly descended.
Her eyes landed on Elena.
Neither woman spoke.
Then Evelyn whispered, “You're Elena.”
Tears immediately filled Elena's eyes.
“You know me?”
“I've known about you for years.”
Elena swallowed hard.
“Are you my sister?”
Evelyn looked at her for a long moment.
“Yes.”
The word broke something inside Elena.
She covered her mouth as tears rolled down her cheeks.
“I thought you were dead.”
“So did I.”
Elena took another step toward her.
Alexander immediately moved forward.
“Stay where you are.”
Evelyn looked at him.
“Uncle Alexander, please.”
His expression hardened.
“You shouldn't be here.”
“I know.”
“But you're here anyway.”
Evelyn looked back at Elena.
“I've been waiting for this moment for a long time.”
Damian kept his attention on Alexander.
“Put the gun down.”
Alexander laughed quietly.
“You've always been reckless.”
“And you've always hidden behind other people.”
Damian's eyes narrowed.
“Did you take Evelyn?”
“No.”
“Did my father?”
Alexander didn't answer.
Damian's voice became colder.
“Answer me.”
Evelyn stepped forward.
“Your father didn't take me.”
Damian looked at her.
“Then who did?”
“My mother.”
Silence filled the room.
Elena stared at her.
“Victoria?”
Evelyn nodded.
“She took me from the hospital.”
Elena's eyes widened.
“Why?”
“Because your mother was going to expose her.”
“My mother?”
Evelyn nodded.
“Victoria believed your mother had information that could destroy the family.”
“What information?”
Evelyn hesitated.
“The original records.”
Damian frowned.
“Records of what?”
“Everything.”
Evelyn looked at Elena.
“Your mother discovered that the Cross family wasn't just moving money. They were moving people. Children were being given new identities and placed with wealthy families.”
Elena felt sick.
“My sister was one of them.”
“Yes.”
“Why did they choose you?”
Evelyn's eyes filled with tears.
“Because I was your mother's daughter.”
Elena stepped closer.
“My mother knew where you were?”
“At first.”
“What happened?”
“She tried to get me back.”
Evelyn looked down.
“She came to Victoria and begged her to release me.”
“And she refused.”
“Yes.”
“What happened after that?”
Evelyn's voice became quieter.
“Your mother threatened to expose everyone.”
Elena wiped her tears.
“That's why she died.”
Evelyn shook her head.
“Not exactly.”
“What do you mean?”
“Your mother didn't die that night.”
Elena's heart stopped.
She looked at Richard's earlier confession in her memory.
Her mother had survived.
She had been taken somewhere.
But now Evelyn was confirming it.
“Where did she go?”
Evelyn looked toward Alexander.
He shook his head.
“Don't.”
Evelyn ignored him.
“She was taken to a private facility.”
“By who?”
“Your father.”
Elena's face went pale.
“My father?”
“Yes.”
“Why would he take her?”
“To protect her.”
Elena shook her head.
“That doesn't make sense.”
“It doesn't,” Evelyn admitted. “But your father was trying to keep her alive.”
Damian looked at Alexander.
“You knew?”
Alexander remained silent.
Damian's expression darkened.
“Where was the facility?”
“It's gone.”
“Where?”
“Blackwood.”
Elena looked around the room.
“This place?”
Evelyn nodded.
“This estate was one of the safe houses.”
Elena stared at her.
“My mother was here?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“After the bridge accident.”
Elena's heart pounded.
“She survived.”
“Yes.”
“And then?”
Evelyn's expression changed.
“She disappeared.”
“Disappeared where?”
“No one knows.”
Elena felt as though she couldn't breathe.
“My mother is alive?”
Evelyn didn't answer immediately.
Then she looked directly into Elena's eyes.
“I don't know.”
The answer hurt more than Elena expected.
After twenty years of believing her mother was dead, even uncertainty felt like hope.
Damian turned toward Alexander.
“You know where she is.”
Alexander shook his head.
“I don't.”
“Then why have you been protecting Evelyn?”
“Because she is the last person who can expose the truth.”
“What truth?”
Alexander looked at Elena.
“The truth about your birth.”
Elena froze.
“What does my birth have to do with this?”
Evelyn's face became pale.
Alexander closed his eyes briefly.
“Your mother didn't give birth to you at the hospital where your father registered your birth.”
Elena stared at him.
“What?”
“You were born at a private clinic.”
“Why?”
“Because your mother was hiding you.”
“From Victoria?”
Alexander shook his head.
“From your father's enemies.”
Elena's mind raced.
“Who was my real father?”
The room became silent.
Damian looked at Alexander.
Alexander looked at Evelyn.
Finally, Evelyn whispered,
“Richard Hart isn't your biological father.”
Elena felt the world stop.
She looked toward her sister.
“No.”
“I'm sorry.”
“My father raised me.”
“Yes.”
“Then who is my father?”
Evelyn's eyes moved toward Damian.
Elena followed her gaze.
Her heart began pounding.
Damian's face had gone completely still.
“No,” he whispered.
Elena looked at him.
“Why are you looking at Damian?”
Evelyn swallowed.
“Because the man who fathered you was a member of the Cross family.”
Damian took a step backward.
“That isn't possible.”
Alexander said nothing.
Elena stared at Damian, unable to understand.
“Who?”
Evelyn's lips trembled.
“Damian's father.”
The room fell silent.
Elena couldn't breathe.
Damian looked as shocked as she was.
“My father?”
Evelyn nodded.
“You and Damian are related.”
Elena shook her head violently.
“No. No, that can't be true.”
Evelyn reached for her.
“Elena—”
“Don't.”
She stepped backward.
Everything she had believed about her life was collapsing.
Her mother.
Her father.
Her sister.
The Cross family.
The marriage.
All of it suddenly felt like one enormous lie.
Damian stared at Elena, horror slowly replacing the anger in his eyes.
Then Alexander spoke.
“And that's exactly why your marriage to Damian was arranged.”
Elena turned toward him.
“What?”
Alexander's smile was cold.
“Because nobody can inherit the Cross fortune if the truth about Elena's bloodline becomes public.”
Damian's expression changed.
He finally understood.
The marriage had never been about twelve million dollars.
It had been about control of the Cross bloodline.
And Elena was at the center of it.
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