Chapter 3
1641 Words
The Children He Wasn't Supposed to Meet
Elana's POV
The photograph showed my children standing outside my home. But the person who took it wasn't there by accident. Someone had been watching them.
My fingers tightened around the phone. I immediately called their nanny. She answered on the second ring.
“Mrs. Vale?”
“Where are the children?”
There was a pause. “In their room.”
“Lock the doors.”
“Is something wrong?”
“Just do it.”
I heard her footsteps, and then a soft knock.
“Mrs. Vale?”
“What?”
“The children aren't here.”
“What did you say?”
“I thought they were with you.”
I stood so quickly that the chair fell behind me.
“No.”
I ran for the door, but it opened before I reached it. Silas stood outside. “What happened?” He asked.
“My children.”
“What about them?”
“They're gone.”
For the first time since I met him, the cold billionaire looked genuinely alarmed.
“Who has them?”
“I don't know.”
He grabbed my wrist. “Come with me.”
“I need to find them.”
“So do I.”
We rushed downstairs. Silas barked orders at his security team.
“Lock the gates.”
“Search every camera.”
“Check every vehicle leaving the property.”
His men scattered around.
“You said they weren't here.”
“They weren't.”
“Then how did they get inside?”
“That is what I'm going to find out.”
A security officer approached. “Sir.”
“What?”
“We found something.”
He handed Silas a tablet. I stepped closer.
The security footage showed my children walking through the mansion's east corridor.
“They came here?”
Silas nodded. “Someone brought them.”
The footage continued. A man appeared behind them. Black clothes, cap pulled low. His face wasn't visible. And he held something in his hand. A toy.
Noah and Nora followed him willingly.
I covered my mouth. “They know him.”
Silas watched the screen carefully. “Or he made them think they knew him.” The video suddenly went black.
“What happened?”
“Someone disabled the camera.”
“Can you find out who?”
Silas looked at his security chief.
“Now.”
The man hurried away. I turned to Silas.
“This is your fault.” His eyes snapped. “You brought us into this house.”
“And someone entered my house before that.”
“You think I don't know that?”
“You're the one who wanted them here.”
His voice dropped. “I also intend to bring them back.”
He walked toward the elevator. I followed.
“Where are you going?”
“To the east wing.”
“Why?”
“Because nobody goes there.”
The elevator doors opened. We stepped inside. But the moment the doors closed, I looked at him and asked. “Why did you say Nora has your eyes?”
He became still. “I told you.”
“You said it like you've seen her before.”
“I haven't.”
“Then how could you know?”
“Maybe I'm good at recognizing things.”
“That isn't an answer.”
“No.”
“It isn't.”
The elevator stopped, the doors opened. The east wing was dark. Silas pulled a gun from beneath his jacket.
“You carry a gun inside your home?”
“I carry one everywhere.”
He led, as I followed from behind. Then I heard something. A child's laugh.
“Noah?”
I ran. Silas grabbed my arm. “Wait.”
I pulled away. “That was my son!”
We moved to the sound. A door stood slightly open. I pushed it, empty. A small toy car lay on the floor.
I picked it up. Noah's favorite. Beside it was Nora's pink hair clip. My hands began shaking.
“They were here.”
Silas crouched. He touched something on the floor. Blood. I couldn't breathe again.
“Are they hurt?” I asked, gasping.
He touched the blood. “Not theirs.” He whispered. “How do you know?”
He examined it again. “Because there isn't enough.” A sound came from behind us, we spun around. A man attacked. Silas reacted instantly.
He blocked the first punch. The man swung again. Silas hit him hard. The attacker fell against the wall. I screamed.
“Where are the children?” He asked.
The man smiled. Silas grabbed his collar.
“Where?”
The man spat blood. “You're too late.” Silas punched him again. “Where are they?”
The man laughed. “You really don't know, do you?”
“Know what?” Silas asked. The man glanced back at me, and then smiled. “The children were never supposed to be yours.”
Silas's grip tightened. “What did you say?” He asked. The man's eyes shifted between us. “Ask your wife what happened in Paris.”
I bowed my head down, I couldn't breathe.
Silas turned to me. “Paris?” I said nothing.
“What happened in Paris?” He asked, now angry. The attacker laughed. “You didn't tell him?”
“Tell me what?” Silas asked. The man bit down. His body jerked. I screamed. Silas caught him, but it was too late. Poison.
The man's eyes went blank. Silas lowered him down. Then he looked at me. “What happened in Paris?” He asked again.
I stepped backward. “Nothing.”
“Don't lie to me, Elana.”
“I don't know what he's talking about.”
“You're shaking.”
“Because my children are missing!”
“That's not the only reason.”
I couldn't answer. He stepped closer. Three years of secrets were standing between us. Then his phone rang, he answered.
“What?”
The security chief's voice came through.
“Sir, we found the vehicle.”
“Where?”
“Two blocks from the mansion.”
“Children?”
“No.”
“What did you find?”
“Blood.”
My knees nearly gave out. Silas caught me before I fell.
“Where?”
“Inside the vehicle.”
He ended the call. I grabbed his jacket. “My children are alive.”
“You don't know that.”
“I know my children.”
My voice broke. “They're alive.”
Silas said something that frightened me more than anything else that night.
“I believe you.”
He took my hand. “We're getting them back.”
Twenty minutes later, we reached the abandoned vehicle. The back door was open, inside were two small blankets. A bottle of water and a stuffed rabbit. Nora's rabbit.
I grabbed it. “She had this.” Silas examined the seat. “There was someone else here.”
“What?”
He pointed to a small piece of fabric caught on the door. It's black, and expensive. He rubbed it between his fingers.
“What?” I asked.
He didn't answer.
“Silas?”
“I know this material.” I said.
“From where?”
“From my own security uniforms.”
My blood stopped moving. “One of your men took them?”
“Maybe.”
“Then find him.”
Silas immediately called his security chief.
“Bring everyone to the mansion.”
“Everyone?”
“Everyone.”
He hung up, then his phone rang again.
Unknown number. He answered. A distorted voice spoke.
“Mr. Sterling.”
“Who are you?”
“You have something we want.”
“What could that be?”
“Your wife.”
The voice continued. “Bring Elara to the old Saint Mary's warehouse.” Silas said nothing.
“You have one hour.”
“What happens if I refuse?”
A child's voice came through the phone.
“Mama?”
My heart shattered. “Nora!” I reached for the phone. Silas held me back. “Put them on again.”
The voice laughed. “You heard your daughter.”
“Don't touch her.”
“Then bring Elara.”
The call ended. I looked at Silas and said, “I'll go.”
“No.”
“They want me.”
“They want to use you.”
“Exactly!”
“I can protect myself.”
“No.”
“Silas—”
“You're not going anywhere.”
I stepped closer. “They have my children.”
“And I'm telling you I'm going with you.”
“Why?”
He didn't answer, not immediately. Then his voice softened. “Because I won't let them take my family.”
Did you just say my family?
He didn't even know the truth, or maybe—
Maybe he did. Before I could ask, another message arrived on his phone.
A photograph. Noah and Nora sat together in a dark room. They were alive, but behind them stood a man wearing a black mask.
Not Silas's mask, this one is different. The message beneath the photograph was short.
“Ask your husband who really caused his accident.”
Sila's face had gone completely pale. “You know him,” I whispered. He didn't answer.
“Silas?”
His eyes remained fixed on the photograph. Then he said quietly: “That's impossible.”
“Who is he?” I asked.
For the first time, I saw fear in Silas' eyes.
“He died three years ago.”
I face hoarse, because the masked man in the photograph slowly lifted his hand.
And removed his mask.
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