Chapter 8 — The Mistress Who Knew Too Much
Chapter 8 — The Mistress Who Knew Too Much
The woman standing in the darkness had my face.
Not exactly.
She was older.
Her hair was shorter, streaked with silver.
A thin scar ran from the corner of her left eye toward her cheek.
But the eyes were mine.
The same gray eyes.
The same narrow shape.
The same expression when anger was trying to hide behind control.
My mother looked as though she had seen a ghost.
My father couldn't speak.
Julian stood completely motionless.
I stared at the woman.
“My name is Elena Vale.”
Her voice was calm.
Too calm.
“And you stole my life.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
She smiled sadly.
“You don't even know how much of it belongs to me.”
She stepped into the light.
I saw the scar more clearly.
Then another.
A small white mark crossed her collarbone.
There were scars on her hands too.
Old ones.
Deep ones.
The kind that didn't come from accidents.
My mother whispered:
“Eleanor.”
The woman looked at her.
“You still remember.”
My mother's face crumpled.
“I never forgot you.”
“You told everyone I was dead.”
“I had no choice.”
“You always had a choice.”
The sentence struck my mother like a physical blow.
I looked between them.
“Eleanor?”
The woman nodded.
“That was the name they gave me.”
She looked at me.
“But your grandfather called me Elena.”
My stomach twisted.
“So we're sisters.”
She nodded.
“Half sisters.”
My father finally spoke.
“You shouldn't be here.”
She laughed.
“You're still giving orders?”
“I thought you were dead.”
“You made sure everyone thought that.”
“I was protecting you.”
Her smile disappeared.
“You were protecting the trust.”
I looked at my father.
“Dad.”
He closed his eyes.
She answered for him.
“Your father didn't save me.”
She pointed toward him.
“He abandoned me.”
I stepped closer.
“Why did everyone believe you were dead?”
She looked at my mother.
“Tell her.”
My mother shook her head.
“Eleanor—”
“Tell her.”
Silence.
Then my mother spoke.
“Your grandfather had two daughters.”
I already knew that part.
“One was Eleanor.”
She pointed at me.
“And one was you.”
“No.”
My mother swallowed.
“Your grandfather believed Victor would use his first daughter to control the trust.”
Eleanor laughed bitterly.
“So he hid me.”
“Not at first.”
“What happened?”
Eleanor answered.
“He gave me to people he trusted.”
My mother lowered her eyes.
“They were supposed to protect me.”
“They sold me.”
My breath caught.
“To whom?”
“Victor.”
The room seemed to shrink.
Eleanor continued.
“I was fourteen.”
I couldn't speak.
“Victor took me to Europe. He told everyone I had run away. Your grandfather searched for months.”
“What happened then?”
“He stopped searching.”
My mother whispered:
“Because Victor threatened Elena.”
She pointed toward me.
I looked at her.
“Me?”
“He said that if your grandfather kept looking, you would disappear too.”
Eleanor's eyes softened.
“So he chose you.”
I stared at her.
“He chose one daughter over the other.”
“Yes.”
“And you hate me for that.”
“No.”
She stepped closer.
“I hate them.”
She looked at my mother.
“My father.”
“My father.”
Then Julian.
“And him.”
Julian lowered his head.
“But not you.”
I didn't know whether that made it better.
It didn't.
I looked at Julian.
“You knew.”
He nodded.
“When?”
“Three years ago.”
My chest tightened.
“You knew my sister was alive for three years?”
“Yes.”
“And you never told me.”
“I was ordered not to.”
“By whom?”
He looked at Eleanor.
“Her.”
Eleanor smiled faintly.
“I needed him.”
“For what?”
“To find the contract.”
I stared at her.
“You used my husband.”
“Yes.”
“You had him spy on me.”
“No.”
She looked at Julian.
“I had him spy on Victor.”
I frowned.
“Then why did he stay married to me?”
Julian answered quietly.
“Because leaving you would have made Victor suspicious.”
I laughed.
“You always have an explanation.”
“I know.”
“And every explanation makes it worse.”
“I know.”
Eleanor interrupted.
“He did something else.”
I looked at her.
“What?”
“He protected Lucas.”
My heart stopped.
“From Victor?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“He created a false identity.”
“For my son?”
Julian nodded.
“He made Lucas disappear from every database Victor controlled.”
I looked at Julian.
“You saved him.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
His eyes met mine.
“Because he was your son.”
That answer hurt more than any excuse could have.
Eleanor walked toward the table.
She picked up the contract.
“The document behind the painting isn't the real agreement.”
“What?”
“It was bait.”
My father went pale.
“What did you say?”
“Victor was supposed to find it.”
My mother stared at her.
“You planted it?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To make him believe he had won.”
I looked at the contract.
“The real one is somewhere else.”
Eleanor nodded.
“Exactly.”
“Where?”
She smiled.
“With Julianne.”
My stomach dropped.
“The mistress?”
Eleanor nodded.
“She knows everything.”
I couldn't believe it.
“Julianne works for you?”
“Not exactly.”
“Then who does she work for?”
Eleanor looked at Julian.
“That's the problem.”
The gallery door suddenly opened.
Everyone turned.
Julianne stood there.
Her hair was wet from the rain.
Her face was pale.
She was no longer wearing the smug expression I'd seen when she walked into my resort wearing my emerald necklace.
She looked terrified.
She locked the door behind her.
Then she said:
“Victor knows I'm here.”
Eleanor stepped forward.
“Where is the contract?”
Julianne reached inside her coat.
She removed a thin black envelope.
“I have it.”
My mother gasped.
My father stared.
Julian walked toward her.
“Give it to me.”
“No.”
“Julianne.”
She stepped backward.
“I don't trust you.”
He stopped.
“Why?”
“Because you lied to me too.”
His face hardened.
“What did I lie about?”
She looked at me.
“Everything.”
I felt my stomach tighten.
“What does that mean?”
Julianne stared at me.
“Your husband wasn't sent to marry you.”
I laughed bitterly.
“I already know.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“You don't.”
She looked at Julian.
“He wasn't sent to protect you.”
“Then why?”
Julianne answered:
“To make you sign.”
“Sign what?”
“The final transfer.”
I looked at Julian.
He said nothing.
My heart sank.
“What transfer?”
Julianne's eyes filled with tears.
“The one that would have given Victor control of the entire empire.”
Nobody moved.
I turned toward Julian.
“Did you know?”
He looked at me.
“I knew there was an agreement.”
“Did you know it would transfer the empire?”
“Yes.”
The word landed like a bullet.
I stepped backward.
“You were going to make me sign.”
“At first.”
“At first?”
“I changed my mind.”
“When?”
“When Lucas was born.”
I stared at him.
“You knew about Lucas before I did.”
“Yes.”
“And you still stayed.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
He looked devastated.
“Because I loved you.”
I laughed.
“You don't get to use that word.”
“I know.”
“Love doesn't look like this.”
“I know.”
“Love doesn't let a woman believe her child died.”
“I know.”
“Love doesn't turn her into a prisoner of her own marriage.”
“I know.”
Julian's voice broke.
“But I was trying to undo what I had already done.”
I looked away.
“Too late.”
“Yes.”
Julianne placed the black envelope on the table.
Eleanor opened it.
Inside was a single document.
Older than the others.
The paper was yellowed.
The signatures were faded.
But the names were clear.
Thomas Vale.
Victor Kane.
Eleanor Vale.
Elena Vale.
I stared.
“Why are both our names here?”
Eleanor pointed to a paragraph.
“Because the trust was never supposed to belong to one heir.”
I read the clause.
The Vale estate shall remain divided between both daughters until such time as either heir voluntarily relinquishes her claim.
I looked at Eleanor.
“You never relinquished yours.”
“No.”
“Then I never owned the whole empire.”
“No.”
“You did.”
“Yes.”
I swallowed.
“Then why did everyone call me the sole heir?”
“Because your grandfather wanted Victor to believe I was dead.”
“So you were hidden.”
“Yes.”
“And I was used as bait.”
“Yes.”
My father stepped forward.
“I didn't know about the final clause.”
Eleanor looked at him.
“You knew enough.”
My father shook his head.
“No. Your grandfather told me only that you had to disappear.”
“Because he was ashamed.”
“Because he was afraid.”
“Same thing.”
My mother stepped between them.
“Stop.”
Eleanor looked at her.
“You don't get to tell me when to stop.”
My mother lowered her head.
“You're right.”
A phone began ringing.
Nobody knew whose.
Then I realized it was mine.
Unknown number.
I answered.
“Hello?”
A man's voice whispered:
“Do you know where your husband is?”
I looked at Julian.
“He's here.”
“No.”
The voice laughed.
“The other one.”
My blood went cold.
“Who?”
“Your father's son.”
I looked at my father.
He went pale.
“Lucas?”
The voice said:
“Come to the east wing.”
Then the call ended.
I turned toward my father.
“Where is Lucas?”
He looked around.
The boy was gone.
My heart stopped.
“Where's my son?”
Nobody answered.
I ran toward the door.
Julian grabbed my arm.
“Wait.”
“Let go.”
“We don't know if it's a trap.”
“My son is missing.”
“I know.”
“Then move.”
Eleanor stepped in front of us.
“No.”
I stared at her.
“What?”
“Victor wants you to run.”
“I don't care.”
“He wants you angry.”
“I don't care.”
“He wants you alone.”
I stopped.
“Why?”
“Because the contract isn't the prize.”
She looked at Julian.
“The signature is.”
I felt sick.
“What signature?”
“Yours.”
We reached the east wing together.
The corridor was dark.
Every portrait seemed to watch us.
My mother stayed behind with Julian.
Eleanor walked beside me.
“You don't have to trust me.”
“I don't.”
“Good.”
“Why?”
“Because trust is what destroyed this family.”
We reached the old nursery.
The door was open.
Inside was Lucas.
Sitting on the floor.
Alive.
Unhurt.
I ran to him.
He wrapped his arms around my waist.
“Mom.”
I held him so tightly he complained.
“You're okay.”
He nodded.
“Who brought you here?”
He pointed toward the window.
“A lady.”
“What lady?”
He described her.
Tall.
Dark hair.
Emerald necklace.
My blood ran cold.
“Julianne?”
Lucas shook his head.
“No.”
“Then who?”
He looked at Eleanor.
“Her.”
I turned.
Eleanor was staring at him.
“What did you tell him?”
“Nothing.”
Lucas suddenly spoke.
“She said you're supposed to remember.”
“Remember what?”
Eleanor's face changed.
She stepped closer.
“Your childhood.”
I frowned.
“What about it?”
“You don't remember the fire.”
“What fire?”
She looked at my mother.
My mother went white.
“What fire?”
Eleanor whispered:
“The night I was taken.”
I remembered nothing.
But then—
A flash.
Smoke.
A hallway.
A little girl screaming.
Someone carrying me.
A man's voice.
Don't look back.
I grabbed my head.
The memory came again.
A door.
Flames.
A little girl's hand in mine.
A woman crying.
Then someone pulled me away.
I gasped.
“My sister.”
Eleanor nodded.
“You remembered.”
I looked at her.
“You were there.”
“Yes.”
“Who started the fire?”
She didn't answer.
My mother did.
“Your grandfather.”
I stared at her.
“No.”
“He wanted to destroy the evidence.”
“What evidence?”
“The original contract.”
I looked at Julian.
He understood before I did.
“The contract that proves Victor didn't own anything.”
Eleanor nodded.
“And the contract that proves something else.”
“What?”
She looked at me.
“Victor didn't start this.”
I felt my blood turn cold.
“Then who did?”
Eleanor looked toward my father.
My father closed his eyes.
I whispered:
“Dad?”
He didn't answer.
Eleanor spoke.
“Your father did.”
The room went silent.
I couldn't move.
My father finally looked at me.
“I was trying to save you.”
Eleanor laughed.
“That's your favorite lie.”
My father shook his head.
“I didn't know what would happen.”
“You knew.”
“I thought the fire would destroy the documents.”
“And me?”
“I didn't know you were inside.”
“But I was.”
“Yes.”
“And she was.”
He looked at Eleanor.
“Yes.”
“And you left us.”
“I came back.”
“After the fire.”
“I came back.”
“You were too late.”
My father began crying.
For the first time in my life, I saw him not as my father.
Not as the man who had protected me.
But as a frightened man who had made one decision twenty years ago and spent the rest of his life trying to outrun it.
I whispered:
“You almost killed us.”
He nodded.
“Yes.”
Then Eleanor opened the black envelope again.
“There is one final page.”
She removed it.
I stared at the signature.
My grandfather.
Then mine.
Except I had never signed it.
“How is my signature here?”
Eleanor looked at me.
“Because you signed it when you were eight.”
I shook my head.
“That's impossible.”
She turned the page.
There was a child's handwriting.
My handwriting.
A signature I recognized from an old school notebook.
I stared.
“What did I sign?”
Eleanor's voice was quiet.
“Your consent to the trust.”
I felt dizzy.
“You tricked me into signing.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“You signed it willingly.”
“I was eight.”
“You were told it was a drawing.”
I looked at my mother.
She started crying.
“I'm sorry.”
I looked at Eleanor.
“What does the contract say?”
She pointed to the final clause.
I read it.
Then read it again.
My heart stopped.
Upon reaching the age of thirty, Elena Vale shall become the final controlling authority of the Vale Trust, provided that she has never voluntarily surrendered her claim.
I stared at the date.
Tomorrow.
My thirtieth birthday.
I looked at Julian.
He understood.
Victor had been racing against a deadline.
Not sunrise.
Not the board meeting.
Tomorrow.
My birthday.
If I reached thirty without signing anything, the trust would become fully mine.
Eleanor smiled.
“Now you understand.”
Victor didn't want me dead.
He wanted my signature.
Julian had been sent to obtain it.
My mother had hidden me.
My father had lied.
Julianne had infiltrated the marriage.
Everyone had been fighting over one thing.
My choice.
Then my phone buzzed.
A message appeared.
MIDNIGHT TOMORROW.
Another followed.
YOU WILL SIGN.
Then:
OR JULIAN DIES.
I looked up.
Julian's phone began ringing.
He answered.
His expression changed.
“What?”
He listened.
Then slowly lowered the phone.
“What happened?”
He looked at me.
“Victor has my brother.”
I stared.
“You have a brother?”
Julian's face went pale.
“Yes.”
“Who?”
He looked toward Eleanor.
She answered.
“Victor's favorite weapon.”
Then she whispered:
“And the only man alive who knows what really happened the night your grandfather died.”
The lights suddenly went out.
A gunshot echoed somewhere downstairs.
Lucas screamed.
And from the darkness came Victor's voice.
“Happy early birthday, Elena.”
Then another gunshot.
And this time, someone in the house screamed my name.
“ELENA!”
It was Julian.
I ran toward the sound.
May you like
And realized too late that the person Victor had taken wasn't his brother.
It was my mother.
