The Devil's Forbidden Secretary

Chapter Eighteen : The Woman Behind the Door

Elena

The words on the screen wouldn't leave Elena's mind.

I am the one who asked them to take you.

Camille.

Alive.

After seven years of believing she was dead.

And somehow, she had been the one who ordered Elena's disappearance.

Elena stared through the car window as Veyra's lights blurred past.

"Why would she do that?"

No one answered.

Lucien drove with both hands locked around the steering wheel.

Eva sat beside Elena.

Elias was in the back.

For once, even he had nothing sarcastic to say.

Elena turned toward him.

"You know something."

Elias looked at her through the mirror.

"Yes."

"Tell me."

"I can't."

"Why?"

"Because Camille asked me not to."

Elena's stomach dropped.

"You've spoken to her."

Elias said nothing.

"You have."

"Yes."

"When?"

"Recently."

"Where is she?"

"I don't know."

"You're lying."

"I wish I were."

Elena turned toward Lucien.

"Stop the car."

He glanced at her.

"Why?"

"Stop."

He pulled over.

Elena stepped out.

The night air hit her face.

She needed to breathe.

Too many secrets.

Too many people who knew things about her life that she didn't.

Lucien followed.

"Elena."

"Don't."

He stopped.

She turned toward him.

"You said you loved me."

"I do."

"Then answer one question honestly."

"Anything."

"Did you know Camille was alive?"

Lucien's face changed.

"No."

She studied his eyes.

He wasn't lying.

She believed him.

And somehow, that made everything worse.

"Why does everyone keep choosing what I should know?"

"Because they're afraid."

"Of me?"

"Of what happens if you remember."

She shook her head.

"I don't want to be protected anymore."

Lucien stepped closer.

"Then don't be."

"What does that mean?"

"It means from now on, we face everything together."

She looked at him.

"You don't even know who you are."

"I know who I am."

"Your biological father may be Victor Laurent."

"That doesn't change me."

"Your biological mother may be Camille."

"That doesn't change me either."

"You may have been adopted."

"Still me."

"You may be connected to every person trying to destroy me."

Lucien's eyes softened.

"That's the one thing I'm certain about."

Elena frowned.

"What?"

"I choose you."

---

Laurent Tower

They arrived at the tower just before midnight.

The building had been abandoned for years.

Or so Lucien believed.

The entrance doors opened automatically.

Elena stopped.

"Someone knew we were coming."

Lucien drew his weapon.

Eva whispered:

"It's a trap."

"I know."

Elias looked around.

"They're watching."

They entered.

The lobby was completely dark.

Then the lights came on.

A single red line illuminated the floor.

It led toward an elevator.

The doors opened.

No one was inside.

A message appeared on the screen.

ELENA ONLY.

Lucien stepped forward.

"No."

Another message appeared.

IF SHE DOESN'T ENTER, CAMILLE DIES.

Elena's heart stopped.

"She's here."

Lucien grabbed her hand.

"You're not going alone."

The elevator doors remained open.

Elias stepped forward.

"I'll go."

Elena shook her head.

"No."

Lucien looked at her.

"I'm coming."

She nodded.

Eva grabbed Lucien's arm.

"Don't trust anything you see."

He looked at her.

"Why?"

"Because this tower was built for illusions."

The doors closed.

The elevator began descending.

Elena frowned.

"There's no basement on the plans."

Lucien checked his phone.

"No signal."

The elevator continued downward.

One floor.

Two.

Ten.

Twenty.

Then the display changed.

LEVEL -17

Elena's blood ran cold.

"Seventeen."

Lucien looked at her.

"Your missing years."

The elevator stopped.

The doors opened.

---

The Laboratory

White walls.

Glass rooms.

Medical equipment.

Rows of files.

Elena stared.

"This is a hospital."

Lucien shook his head.

"No."

"What is it?"

"A research facility."

They walked forward.

A monitor turned on.

A video began playing.

Elena froze.

It showed herself.

At seven years old.

She was sitting in a chair.

A man stood behind her.

A doctor.

"Do you know your name?"

Young Elena shook her head.

The doctor smiled.

"Good."

The video continued.

"Do you know who your mother is?"

Young Elena whispered:

"Seraphina."

"Good."

"Who is your father?"

She hesitated.

"I don't know."

The doctor looked at someone outside the camera.

"Memory suppression successful."

Elena covered her mouth.

Lucien stared at the screen.

"Someone erased your memories."

The video continued.

A second recording.

Elena at nine.

Then eleven.

Then thirteen.

Each time, the same test.

Same questions.

Same answers.

Same manipulation.

Lucien looked horrified.

"Who did this?"

A voice came from behind them.

"I did."

They turned.

A woman stood in the doorway.

Older.

Pale.

Dark hair.

Elena's heart stopped.

She knew her.

Even though she had never seen her before.

"Camille."

The woman smiled.

"Hello, Elena."

Elena couldn't move.

Then tears filled her eyes.

"You."

Camille stepped forward.

"You've grown so beautiful."

Elena's voice broke.

"You're alive."

"Yes."

"You let me believe you were dead."

"I had to."

"You let me believe I killed you."

Camille's face crumpled.

"I'm sorry."

Elena stepped forward.

"Why?"

Camille looked at Lucien.

Then back at Elena.

"Because if you remembered the truth, they would have killed you."

"Who?"

Camille's voice became a whisper.

"Everyone."

---

Camille's Confession

Camille walked toward the glass wall.

"I didn't ask them to take you because I hated you."

"Then why?"

"Because you were dying."

Elena froze.

"What?"

"Your memories weren't the only thing they changed."

Camille touched the glass.

"You were sick."

"What was wrong with me?"

"Your blood."

Lucien stepped forward.

"What does that mean?"

Camille looked at him.

"You have the same condition."

Lucien's expression changed.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course you don't."

She smiled sadly.

"Your memories were altered too."

Elena stared at Lucien.

"What?"

Camille nodded.

"That's why you don't remember meeting Elena before."

Lucien froze.

"We met?"

"Years ago."

"When?"

"March 14, 2019."

Elena's heart raced.

"The photograph."

Camille nodded.

"You were both there."

Lucien shook his head.

"I would remember."

"No."

Camille looked at him.

"You wouldn't."

She pressed a button.

Another recording appeared.

Young Elena sat on a hospital bed.

A teenage-looking Lucien sat beside her.

They were holding hands.

Elena's eyes filled with tears.

"We knew each other."

Camille nodded.

"You were thirteen."

Lucien stared at the screen.

"I was twenty-four."

"No."

Camille shook her head.

"You were thirteen too."

Silence.

Lucien stepped backward.

"That's impossible."

Camille looked at him.

"Because you've been living under a false identity too."

Elena turned toward him.

"Lucien..."

He looked terrified.

"Who am I?"

Camille's eyes filled with tears.

"You are not Lucien Laurent."

---

The Name Beneath the Name

Camille approached him.

"Your real name is Gabriel."

Lucien froze.

"Gabriel?"

"Gabriel Voss."

Elena's heart pounded.

"Then who is Lucien?"

Camille looked at her.

"An identity created after the fire."

"What fire?"

"The Laurent fire."

Camille took a photograph from a drawer.

A burned mansion.

Three bodies.

One survivor.

She handed it to Elena.

"Seven years ago, your memories were altered."

Elena stared at the photograph.

"Why?"

"Because someone wanted to erase the connection between you and Gabriel."

Elena looked at Lucien.

"You were Gabriel."

He looked completely lost.

"Why would they change our identities?"

Camille's voice dropped.

"Because you were in love."

Elena's breath caught.

"No."

Camille nodded.

"You were."

Lucien stared at her.

"At thirteen?"

Camille shook her head.

"Not romantic love."

She looked at Elena.

"Something much more dangerous."

Elena frowned.

"What?"

"You trusted each other."

Camille's expression became grave.

"And you discovered the truth about Augustus together."

---

The Real Betrayal

Suddenly, the laboratory doors locked.

Camille turned.

"No."

Lucien raised his gun.

"What?"

Camille looked terrified.

"They found us."

A voice came through the speakers.

"Of course we did."

Adrian.

Elena's heart dropped.

The screens turned on.

Adrian appeared.

Behind him stood Augustus.

And Victor.

But there was someone else.

A woman.

The woman from the photograph.

Elena's identical twin.

Eva stared at the screen.

"That's not possible."

Adrian smiled.

"It is."

Elena looked at Eva.

Then at the screen.

The woman smiled.

She had the same face.

But something was different.

Her eyes were colder.

Adrian spoke:

"Allow me to introduce the daughter you were never supposed to meet."

Eva whispered:

"Another twin."

Adrian nodded.

"Three daughters."

Elena's blood ran cold.

Camille closed her eyes.

"No."

Adrian laughed.

"Yes."

He looked directly at Elena.

"Your mother gave birth to three girls."

Elena stared.

"Three?"

Adrian nodded.

"Elena."

He pointed at Eva.

"Eva."

Then at the woman on the screen.

"And Ava."

The three identical faces stared at one another.

Camille began crying.

"I tried to protect them."

Adrian smiled.

"You failed."

---

The Final Door

A loud mechanical sound echoed through the laboratory.

A hidden door opened.

Behind it was a long corridor.

Adrian's voice came through the speakers.

"Elena."

She looked toward the corridor.

"Come."

Lucien stepped beside her.

"No."

Adrian laughed.

"If you don't, I'll activate the system."

Camille's face went pale.

"What system?"

"The one that contains her memories."

Elena froze.

"My memories?"

Adrian nodded.

"Every memory you've lost."

The screen changed.

Thousands of files appeared.

Every day of Elena's childhood.

Every erased memory.

Every secret.

Every lie.

Adrian smiled.

"You want the truth?"

Elena's hands shook.

"Yes."

"Then come get it."

The screen went black.

Lucien grabbed her hand.

"We don't go in alone."

Camille stepped forward.

"I'm coming."

Eva joined them.

"So am I."

Elias appeared at the doorway.

"And me."

For the first time, all four stood together.

Elena.

Eva.

Elias.

Lucien.

A family created by secrets.

Bound together by lies.

And hunted by the same enemy.

Then Camille whispered:

"There's one thing you need to know before you enter."

Elena looked at her.

"What?"

Camille's eyes filled with fear.

"The memories weren't erased."

She swallowed.

"They were removed."

Elena frowned.

"What's the difference?"

Camille stared at her.

"They're still inside you."

A sudden pain exploded behind Elena's eyes.

She screamed.

Images flooded her mind.

A burning house.

Camille holding a baby.

Alexander fighting someone.

Lucien—young Lucien—crying.

Elias covered in blood.

Eva screaming.

A third baby.

And finally—

a man standing over all of them.

Elena opened her eyes.

She knew him.

She had always known him.

Her own memories had simply been hiding his face.

She whispered:

"Adrian."

Camille shook her head.

"No."

Elena stared.

"Then who?"

Camille answered with trembling lips:

"The man who ordered everything."

The lights went out.

A man's voice whispered from the darkness:

"Your father."

And Elena realized the worst part.

She finally remembered him.

Alexander.

Not as the hero she had imagined.

But as the man who had started the entire nightmare.