Chapter 6 — My Fiancée's Secret Partner
Chapter 6 — My Fiancée's Secret Partner
The scream came again.
"Mommy!"
I ran toward it.
Vanessa grabbed my sleeve.
"Daniel, wait!"
I pulled free.
That voice was Ilaria's.
My daughter was supposed to be somewhere safe.
There was no logical explanation for her being beneath Solmere.
But fear doesn't care about logic.
I ran through the darkness.
"ILARIA!"
The lights flickered.
For half a second, I saw a small figure at the end of the corridor.
A wheelchair.
A little girl.
Then the lights died again.
I reached the end of the hallway.
Nothing.
Only an empty wheelchair.
I stood there, breathing hard.
Vanessa arrived behind me.
"Where is she?"
I pointed.
"She was here."
Vanessa looked at the wheelchair.
Her face drained of color.
"That's not possible."
"Why?"
She touched the chair.
"Because Ilaria is not here."
I stared at her.
"Then what did I see?"
Before she could answer, a phone began ringing.
Inside the empty wheelchair.
I pulled it out.
One message appeared.
YOU SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO YOUR MOTHER.
Then another.
VANESSA KNOWS WHERE SHE IS.
I turned slowly.
Vanessa was staring at me.
"No."
"You told me Ilaria was safe."
"She is."
"Then why is someone sending me this?"
"I don't know."
"You're lying."
"I'm not."
"Then prove it."
She hesitated.
That hesitation was enough.
"Where is my daughter?"
Vanessa closed her eyes.
"She's at my house."
I stared.
"What?"
"I had someone watching her."
"Who?"
"My partner."
I felt something cold settle inside me.
"Your partner?"
Vanessa looked at me.
"Yes."
"Who is he?"
She whispered:
"Marcus."
The Man Behind Vanessa
We left Solmere immediately.
Adrian drove.
Vanessa sat in the back.
I sat beside him.
Nobody spoke.
Finally I asked:
"Who is Marcus?"
Vanessa didn't answer.
"Vanessa."
"He's someone I trust."
"You've said that before."
She looked down.
"Marcus was assigned to protect Elena."
"By whom?"
"Me."
"Before she disappeared?"
"Yes."
"So you've been planning this for eighteen months."
"Yes."
I turned toward her.
"And you never told me."
"I was trying to keep you alive."
"That's becoming a convenient excuse."
She flinched.
"You're right."
Adrian glanced at me.
"Don't push her."
I turned.
"You knew?"
"Yes."
"You knew Vanessa had a partner?"
"Yes."
"What else don't I know?"
Adrian's silence answered me.
I laughed bitterly.
"Apparently I'm the last person in my own life to know anything."
Marcus
The house was dark when we arrived.
I ran inside.
"Ilaria!"
A man stepped from the hallway.
Tall.
Dark hair.
Black coat.
He raised both hands.
"Daniel."
I stopped.
"Where is my daughter?"
"Safe."
"Show me."
He stepped aside.
Ilaria was asleep on the couch.
A blanket covered her.
Her stuffed rabbit was tucked beneath her chin.
I rushed to her.
I touched her forehead.
Warm.
Alive.
Safe.
She opened her eyes.
"Daddy?"
I pulled her into my arms.
"Baby."
She hugged me tightly.
"You're here."
"Yes."
She looked over my shoulder.
Then she whispered:
"That's not Uncle Adrian."
I turned.
Marcus was standing behind me.
"Who is he?"
Ilaria shook her head.
"The man from Mommy's room."
Marcus froze.
Vanessa stepped forward.
"Ilaria, sweetheart..."
"No!"
My daughter buried her face against me.
"He was there."
Marcus looked at Vanessa.
"She remembers."
Vanessa nodded.
"Yes."
I looked between them.
"Start talking."
The Secret Partnership
Marcus sat at the dining table.
He looked exhausted.
"I've been protecting Elena for eighteen months."
"Where?"
"Several places."
"Is she alive?"
"Yes."
"Where is she?"
"I can't tell you yet."
I stood.
"You don't get to decide that."
Marcus didn't move.
"If I tell you, she'll be dead within hours."
"Who would kill her?"
"The Circle."
"Clara?"
"No."
"Then who?"
Marcus looked at Vanessa.
She nodded.
He said:
"Your father."
I stared.
"My father is dead."
"Yes."
"So stop saying his name."
Marcus shook his head.
"Your father died seven years ago."
"I know."
"But the organization he built didn't."
"What are you saying?"
"Someone has been operating under his identity."
I felt a chill.
"Someone has been pretending to be my dead father?"
"Yes."
"Who?"
Marcus looked at me.
"We don't know."
The First Meeting
Vanessa finally explained how she met Marcus.
Six months before Elena disappeared, Vanessa discovered that someone inside the Circle was preparing to kill her sister.
She needed help.
Marcus was the only person she trusted.
He had worked security for the Vale family.
But he had secretly been working against them.
Together, they created a plan.
Protect Elena.
Protect Ilaria.
Expose the Circle.
Then everything went wrong.
"Why?"
I asked.
Vanessa looked at me.
"Because someone discovered us."
"Who?"
She whispered:
"Your fiancée."
I stared.
"You mean Vanessa?"
She nodded.
"I am Vanessa."
I frowned.
"Then who?"
She looked toward the hallway.
A woman's voice answered.
"Me."
Everyone turned.
A woman stood in the doorway.
Same face.
Same height.
Same eyes.
Same voice.
My blood froze.
Vanessa stood.
"Vivian."
The woman smiled.
"Hello, sister."
The Twin
Vivian walked into the room.
She wore a red coat.
My stomach dropped.
The woman from the warehouse.
The woman from the photograph.
The woman in the mirror.
She looked exactly like Vanessa.
I stared between them.
Vivian smiled.
"Daniel."
I couldn't speak.
Ilaria grabbed my hand.
"Daddy."
Vivian looked at her.
"Hello, little one."
Ilaria began shaking.
"Don't let her touch me."
I immediately moved between them.
Vivian smiled.
"Still protecting her."
"Stay away from my daughter."
"Of course."
She looked at Vanessa.
"You told him."
Vanessa's voice was cold.
"He deserved to know."
Vivian laughed.
"About the Circle?"
"About Elena."
"About me?"
"Yes."
Vivian slowly removed her gloves.
"Then we don't have much time."
I raised my weapon.
"Where is my wife?"
Vivian looked at me.
"Do you really want to know?"
"Yes."
"Even if the answer destroys everything you believe about her?"
"Yes."
She smiled.
"Then ask your fiancée."
I turned toward Vanessa.
"What does she mean?"
Vanessa was crying.
Vivian answered for her.
"Your wife wasn't kidnapped."
I stared.
"She left."
"No."
"She chose to leave you."
"You're lying."
"Am I?"
Vivian pulled a photograph from her coat.
She handed it to me.
Elena.
Standing outside an airport.
Alone.
Holding a passport.
And smiling.
The timestamp was eighteen months ago.
The night she disappeared.
I stared at it.
"No."
Vivian whispered:
"She left you because she was pregnant."
My heart stopped.
"What?"
Vanessa closed her eyes.
I looked at her.
"Is that true?"
She didn't answer.
"Vanessa."
She whispered:
"Yes."
I felt the world disappear beneath my feet.
"Elena was pregnant?"
"Yes."
"With my child?"
Vanessa nodded.
I looked at Ilaria.
Then back at Vanessa.
"Where is the baby?"
Vanessa began crying.
"Daniel..."
"Where is my child?"
Vivian smiled.
"That's the part your fiancée never told you."
The Second Child
Vivian placed another photograph on the table.
A newborn baby.
Tiny.
Wrapped in white.
A hospital bracelet around his wrist.
I read the name.
NOAH MARLOWE.
I couldn't breathe.
"He's alive."
Vivian nodded.
"Yes."
"Where?"
"With Elena."
I looked at Vanessa.
"You knew."
"Yes."
"For eighteen months."
"Yes."
"You let me believe Elena abandoned me."
"I was protecting her."
"And my son?"
"Protecting him too."
I couldn't control my anger.
"You stole my family from me."
Vanessa broke down.
"I was trying to keep them alive!"
"By lying?"
"Yes!"
"By humiliating my daughter?"
"I had no choice!"
I stared at her.
"You always have a choice."
She whispered:
"Not when they have a gun against your sister's head."
Silence.
Vivian laughed.
"I never threatened anyone."
Vanessa turned toward her.
"You threatened Ilaria."
"I warned her."
"You told me you'd kill her."
Vivian smiled.
"There's a difference."
"No."
Vanessa stepped forward.
"You've always enjoyed hurting people."
Vivian's expression hardened.
"Careful."
The Real Betrayal
Marcus suddenly stood.
"Enough."
Vivian looked at him.
"You."
Marcus moved closer.
"You were supposed to be dead."
"So were you."
"I protected Elena."
"You failed."
"I kept her alive."
"For eighteen months."
"Yes."
Vivian smiled.
"Then why is she still afraid?"
Marcus froze.
"What did you do?"
Vivian looked at me.
"Ask him."
I turned toward Marcus.
"What is she talking about?"
He didn't answer.
"Marcus."
He finally said:
"Elena doesn't trust you."
My chest tightened.
"Why?"
"Because she thinks you're still part of the Circle."
I laughed.
"I'm not."
"I know."
"Then why does she?"
"Because someone convinced her."
"Who?"
Marcus looked at Vanessa.
Vanessa looked at Vivian.
Vivian smiled.
"Me."
The Final Message
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
A woman's voice whispered:
"Daniel."
I knew it instantly.
Elena.
"Elena?"
"Listen."
"Where are you?"
"I can't tell you."
"Please."
"I have your son."
My heart shattered.
"Where?"
"I need you to do something."
"Anything."
"Come to Solmere tomorrow night."
"I will."
"Alone."
"No."
"Daniel."
"I'm not coming alone."
Silence.
Then she whispered:
"Then you'll never see Noah."
The line went dead.
I stared at the phone.
Vanessa was crying.
Marcus looked terrified.
Adrian slowly stood.
"No."
I turned.
"What?"
"That's not Elena."
"How do you know?"
"Because Elena would never threaten you with your own child."
Vivian smiled.
"Exactly."
She walked toward the door.
I raised my weapon.
"Stop."
She stopped.
"You're not going anywhere."
She turned.
"Daniel."
"What?"
"You still don't understand."
"Understand what?"
She smiled.
"The woman who called you wasn't pretending to be Elena."
My blood froze.
"Then who was it?"
Vivian opened the door.
"Your mother."
And before anyone could stop her, she disappeared into the darkness.
I stood there, frozen.
Then Ilaria tugged at my sleeve.
"Daddy?"
I looked down.
She was crying.
"What is it, baby?"
She whispered:
"Mommy told me not to trust Grandma."
I crouched beside her.
"When?"
"Before she disappeared."
My heart stopped.
"Did Mommy tell you anything else?"
Ilaria nodded.
She leaned close to my ear.
And whispered the sentence that would change everything:
"She said Grandma wasn't Grandma anymore."
I stared at the dark doorway.
For eighteen months, I had been searching for the woman who took my wife.
But perhaps I had been asking the wrong question.
Maybe the real mystery wasn't who kidnapped Elena.
May you like
Maybe it was this:
Who had taken my mother's place?
