The Surrogate Revenge

Chapter 9

HEATHER’S POV

I kept staring at the phone after the call ended, barely moving my hand from where it rested against the bed.

I had wanted to hear Adrian's voice so badly that I had convinced myself everything would feel better once he answered.

Instead, I felt more confused. He had sounded completely normal, almost too normal for someone whose wife had disappeared after giving birth.

There had been no panic in his voice, no questions about where I was, no sign that he had been searching for me.

Then there was Vivianne, laughing in the background and calling him babe like she had done it a thousand times before.

Maybe I didn't hear everything.

I kept telling myself that as I lowered the phone onto the bed.

My eyes fell on my wedding ring, and I slowly turned it around my finger. I remembered the day Adrian put it there, the way I had looked at him and believed I had finally found the person I could build a life with.

I remembered our home, the ordinary mornings, the arguments that never lasted very long, and the happiness I had felt when I found out I was pregnant.

Those memories were still mine. Nobody could walk into this room and tell me they hadn't happened.

“I just want to know what happened,” I whispered, staring at the ring as my voice trembled. “Why can't someone tell me the truth?”

A few minutes later, the door opened, and I quickly wiped my cheeks when the older maid walked in carrying a tray of food.

She placed it beside me and gave me a gentle smile before adjusting the plate so I could reach it.

“Miss, you should try to eat something,” she said softly, keeping her voice calm as she watched me. “The young masters asked us to make sure you had some food while they were away.”

I looked toward the door before asking, “Are they back yet?” I tried to keep my voice steady, but I couldn't hide the little bit of relief I felt when she shook her head.

“No, Miss,” she replied kindly, standing beside the bed with her hands folded in front of her. “They haven't returned yet. They asked us to stay with you and make sure you're comfortable until they come back.”

I nodded and looked down at the food. I wasn't very hungry, but I picked up the fork and moved a little food around the plate anyway. The thought of seeing Dominic again made my stomach twist.

He had looked at me earlier as if he knew me, and I still couldn't understand why. I didn't want another conversation where someone told me I was Elara, especially when I was still trying to understand what had happened to my own life.

After eating a few bites, I looked at the maid again. “Can I ask you something?” I asked carefully, watching her face to make sure she didn't mind.

“Of course, Miss,” she replied with a small smile.

“How long have you worked for this family?” I asked, glancing around the room. “Have you always lived here?”

The maid shook her head gently. “I

don't live here, Miss, but I've worked for the Williams family for many years. Most of the staff have been here for a long time. We watched the young masters grow up.”

I looked around the room again, taking in the expensive furniture, the large windows, and the quiet hallway outside. “So this is their home?”

“Yes, Miss,” she answered with a respectful nod. “The estate has belonged to the Williams family for generations.”

I didn't know why, but that answer made me feel even more out of place.

Everything here looked like it belonged to people who had never had to worry about anything, while I felt like I had been dropped into the middle of someone else's life.

I lowered my eyes and played with the edge of the blanket before finally asking the question that had been sitting in my mind.

“Did they have any other children?”

The maid hesitated, and that small pause immediately made me nervous. “They had a daughter, Miss,” she finally answered, her voice becoming quieter.

My fingers stopped moving.

“Elara?” I asked, barely getting the name out.

The maid nodded slowly. “Yes, Miss. Elara Williams disappeared eighteen years ago when she was very young. The family searched for her for years and never stopped hoping that she might still be alive.”

I looked away quickly, my throat tightening. I didn't want to hear another detail about this girl.

Every new thing I learned only made the situation more confusing, and I was already struggling to keep myself together.

“Please don't tell me anymore,” I whispered, pulling the blanket closer around myself. “I'm sorry. I just don't think I can listen to this right now.”

The maid immediately nodded. “Of course, Miss. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you.”

She left after that, closing the door quietly behind her. I remained still for a while, staring at the space in front of me.

I knew the maid hadn't meant any harm, but her words kept replaying in my head. Eighteen years. A missing daughter. Three brothers who looked at me as if they had finally found someone they had been waiting for their entire lives.

I didn't know what to make of any of it, so I went back to what I did know. I remembered the orphanage. I remembered meeting Adrian. I remembered our wedding and the life we had built together.

I remembered finding out I was pregnant and how happy I had been because I thought I was finally going to have the family I had always wanted.

Those memories weren't vague. I could remember small details from them, things no stranger could have told me.

So how could I be this Elara girl?

I reached for my phone again and looked through it, hoping there might be something that could help me understand what had happened. There wasn't much.

Some contacts were still there, along with a few messages and photographs, but most of my belongings were either lost during the accident or somewhere inside the mansion. I didn't even have my own clothes. Everything I had was being taken care of by people I didn't know.

My eyes settled on my wedding ring again, and I rubbed my thumb across it. It was such a small thing, but it made me feel connected to the life I remembered.

Adrian had put it on my finger. I had worn it through our marriage, through the pregnancy, through everything.

Maybe he can still explain this.

Probably I was holding onto him because I was scared, but I didn't care. I wasn't ready to believe the worst about him based on one phone call. I needed to hear the truth from him before I made any decision about what I believed.

For now, I could only take things one step at a time and try not to let everyone else's certainty make me doubt everything I remembered.

“I'll figure this out,” I whispered, looking down at my ring. “I just need to know what's really happening.”

A quiet knock came from the door, and I looked up as the maid returned. This time she was carrying a small brown box with both hands. She walked over carefully and placed it beside me on the bed before taking a small step back.

I frowned at it. “What is that?”

“These were recovered from the accident, Miss,” she explained gently, resting her hands against the front of her apron.

“The staff found them among the belongings that were brought here with you, so we thought you should have them.”

I stared at the box, suddenly feeling more nervous than I expected. Maybe there was something inside that I would recognize immediately.

Something from my purse, something from my home, or even something small that could remind me of who I had been before I woke up here.

I reached toward the lid, then stopped and looked up at the maid. “Are you sure they're mine?” I asked quietly, needing to be certain before I opened it.

She gave me a gentle smile and nodded. “Yes, Miss. These were the only personal belongings found with you.”