Chapter 6 — Mia’s Hidden Promise
Chapter 6 — Mia’s Hidden Promise
Dominic returned to Vale Estate before sunrise.
He had never driven that fast in his life.
Not when enemies were chasing him.
Not when his first business deal collapsed.
Not even when his car exploded twelve years earlier.
Because now he knew something worse than death was waiting inside his home.
Harper was there.
Alone.
Mia was missing.
Nathan had access to the house.
And somewhere inside the estate, according to Isabella, lived a woman who was supposed to have died twenty-seven years ago.
Margaret Vale.
His father's first wife.
The woman who had supposedly died before Dominic was old enough to remember her.
The woman who might know why his entire life had been built on a lie.
Dominic stepped out of the SUV.
"Where is Harper?"
Daniel hurried toward him.
"West wing."
"Is she safe?"
"We have guards outside the room."
Dominic's eyes hardened.
"Outside?"
Daniel hesitated.
"Yes."
"Why isn't anyone inside?"
"We didn't want to frighten her."
Dominic pushed past him.
"Next time, frighten me instead."
He entered the house.
The hallway was silent.
Too silent.
Dominic reached the guest bedroom.
The door was open.
Harper was sitting on the bed.
Alone.
She looked up.
"Mr. Vale."
Dominic crossed the room and crouched in front of her.
"Are you okay?"
She nodded.
"Where's Mommy?"
"We're going to find her."
Harper looked at him seriously.
"She promised."
"What did she promise?"
"That she would come back."
Dominic touched her shoulder.
"She will."
Harper studied his face.
"Mommy said promises are important."
Dominic's chest tightened.
"She was right."
Harper looked down.
"She made another promise."
"To you?"
"No."
"To who?"
Harper shrugged.
"I don't know."
Dominic frowned.
"What did she say?"
Harper looked toward the window.
"She said if anything happened to her, I should give you something."
Dominic went still.
"What?"
Harper reached beneath her pillow.
She pulled out a small folded piece of paper.
Dominic took it.
His fingers tightened when he recognized Mia's handwriting.
He unfolded it.
There were only six words.
I PROMISED YOUR FATHER I WOULD PROTECT HER.
Dominic stared.
Then another line appeared beneath it.
NOW I NEED YOU TO PROTECT HER FROM ME.
His blood ran cold.
"What does this mean?"
Harper shook her head.
"Mommy said you would understand."
Dominic looked toward the doorway.
He didn't understand.
Not yet.
But he knew one thing.
Mia hadn't disappeared because she was taken.
She had left willingly.
And she had left a message telling Dominic to protect Harper from her.
Mia was three miles away.
She sat inside an abandoned chapel with her hands trembling in her lap.
Rain tapped against the broken stained-glass windows.
She had escaped the estate through an underground passage.
A passage she had known about for three years.
A passage Richard Vale had shown her before he died.
She had promised never to use it unless the danger became greater than the truth.
Tonight, it had.
A man stepped out from the darkness.
Mia stood.
"You came."
The man nodded.
"You shouldn't have left."
"I had to."
"Dominic knows."
"I know."
"He'll find you."
Mia looked away.
"I want him to."
The man frowned.
"Then why did you run?"
Mia whispered:
"Because if I stay, they'll use me against Harper."
He stepped closer.
"You know what they want."
"Yes."
"Then tell Dominic."
"I can't."
"Why?"
"Because he isn't ready."
The man looked at her.
"Nobody is ready for this."
Mia's eyes filled with tears.
"I promised."
"What promise?"
Mia looked toward the broken altar.
"The promise I made five years ago."
She closed her eyes.
"I promised Richard."
Five years earlier.
Mia was sitting in a hospital room.
Harper had just been born.
She was tiny.
Too quiet.
The doctors had told Mia there had been complications.
They had taken blood.
They had taken records.
They had asked questions Mia didn't understand.
Then Richard Vale entered.
He was older.
Weaker.
But his eyes were still sharp.
He stood beside the newborn crib.
"What's her name?"
Mia whispered:
"Harper."
Richard nodded.
"Good."
Mia looked at him.
"Why are you here?"
"To make you an offer."
"I don't want your money."
"I know."
"Then what?"
"Protection."
Mia frowned.
"From whom?"
Richard looked at the newborn.
"Everyone."
Mia pulled Harper closer.
"What are you talking about?"
Richard sat down.
"There are people who believe this child belongs to them."
"She doesn't."
"They don't care."
"Who are they?"
Richard didn't answer.
Instead, he removed a small key from his pocket.
He placed it on the table.
"The truth is hidden beneath my house."
Mia stared at it.
"What truth?"
"The truth about my family."
"Why tell me?"
"Because you're the only person I trust."
Mia almost laughed.
"You don't know me."
Richard looked directly into her eyes.
"I know more about you than you think."
Mia's face hardened.
"What do you want?"
"Promise me something."
"What?"
"If I die, protect Harper."
"From whom?"
Richard whispered:
"From my sons."
Mia froze.
"Your sons?"
"You've met one."
"Dominic."
Richard nodded.
"And the other?"
His face darkened.
"You must never let Harper meet him."
"Why?"
"Because he will use her to destroy Dominic."
Mia looked down at her daughter.
"And if Dominic wants to know the truth?"
Richard's answer was immediate.
"Then tell him only when he is ready."
"How will I know?"
"You'll know."
Richard stood.
Then he looked at Harper one final time.
"If anything happens to me, take her away."
"Where?"
"Anywhere."
"How far?"
"Far enough that the Vale name cannot find her."
Mia's voice trembled.
"And if they do?"
Richard looked at her.
"Then trust my son."
"Which one?"
Richard's expression became unreadable.
"The one who still has a conscience."
Mia opened her eyes.
The chapel was cold.
The man standing across from her watched silently.
"Richard knew this would happen," he said.
Mia nodded.
"He knew Alexander would come."
"He knew Margaret would return."
"He knew Nathan would betray Dominic."
Mia shook her head.
"Nathan didn't betray Dominic."
The man frowned.
"What?"
"Nathan was protecting him."
"Then why did he take you?"
Mia looked toward the door.
"He didn't."
The man went still.
"Then who?"
Mia whispered:
"Margaret."
Back at the estate, Dominic stood inside the hidden laboratory.
He had read every page of Project 17.
There were records of blood samples.
Adoption files.
Hospital transfers.
Private doctors.
Payments.
Names.
He found Nathan's name repeatedly.
But next to each entry was the same phrase:
PROTECT DOMINIC.
Dominic stared.
"Why would Nathan help my father?"
Daniel stood beside him.
"Maybe because your father threatened him."
"No."
Dominic shook his head.
"That's not it."
"What do you mean?"
"My father didn't trust people."
"He controlled them."
"Exactly."
Dominic pointed at the files.
"These aren't orders."
Daniel examined the pages.
"What are they?"
"Instructions."
"For Nathan?"
"For protecting me."
Dominic opened another folder.
A photograph fell out.
Nathan.
Dominic.
Both teenagers.
Standing beside Richard.
Dominic remembered the day.
He had thought his father had simply taken them hunting.
Now he realized something.
Nathan had been assigned to him before Dominic even understood what the word protection meant.
Daniel looked at the photograph.
"He was your guardian."
Dominic shook his head.
"More than that."
He turned the photograph over.
There was writing.
IF DOMINIC EVER DISCOVERS THE TRUTH, NATHAN MUST LEAD HIM TO MIA.
Dominic stared.
"Then why didn't he?"
Daniel looked at him.
"Maybe he tried."
Dominic's expression darkened.
"Or maybe someone stopped him."
The library door opened.
Nathan entered.
Dominic turned.
"Where is Mia?"
Nathan stopped.
"I don't know."
"You took her."
"No."
"You had access."
"Yes."
"You helped her disappear."
Nathan looked at him.
"Yes."
Dominic's anger sharpened.
"So you admit it."
"I helped her escape."
"From whom?"
"Margaret."
Dominic froze.
"You know she's alive."
Nathan nodded.
"Yes."
"How long?"
"Twenty-seven years."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because your father told me not to."
"He's dead."
"I know."
"Then why are you still obeying him?"
Nathan's eyes filled with regret.
"Because he saved my life."
Dominic stared.
"When?"
"The night your father died."
Nathan looked down.
"I was the one who killed him."
Silence.
Dominic's face became expressionless.
"What?"
Nathan swallowed.
"Richard didn't die naturally."
Dominic remembered Isabella's words.
His mother had said the same thing.
"Then what happened?"
Nathan's voice broke.
"I was ordered to kill him."
"By whom?"
Nathan looked at Dominic.
"Margaret."
Mia's phone rang.
She answered.
"Hello?"
Dominic's voice.
"Where are you?"
Mia closed her eyes.
"I knew you'd find me."
"Tell me where."
"I can't."
"You left Harper."
"She's safe."
"She's four years old."
"I know."
"Then why?"
Mia's voice trembled.
"Because I made a promise."
"To my father?"
"Yes."
"What promise?"
"To protect Harper."
"From whom?"
Mia hesitated.
"From the Vale family."
Dominic's voice became cold.
"Then why did you bring her into my house?"
"Because Richard told me to."
"He wanted you there."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because he believed you were the only Vale who could protect her."
Dominic went silent.
Mia continued.
"But he was wrong about one thing."
"What?"
"You aren't the only one who can protect her."
Dominic's voice softened.
"Then who?"
Mia whispered:
"Me."
The line went silent.
Then Dominic heard another voice behind her.
A man's voice.
"That's not true."
Mia's face went white.
She turned.
The man stood in the chapel doorway.
Alexander.
He looked almost exactly like the man in the old photographs.
But his eyes were colder.
He smiled.
"You're still protecting the wrong person."
Mia stepped backward.
"Stay away from me."
Alexander walked closer.
"You promised my father."
Mia shook her head.
"I promised Richard."
"He was my father too."
"He wanted you stopped."
Alexander smiled.
"He wanted Dominic protected."
"Yes."
"From me."
"Yes."
Alexander looked toward the phone in Mia's hand.
"Then why are you talking to him?"
Mia didn't answer.
Alexander held out his hand.
"Give me the phone."
"No."
"Then I'll take it."
Mia stepped backward.
Alexander's expression changed.
"Where is the key?"
Mia froze.
"What key?"
"The one you hid under your pillow."
Mia stared.
"You found it."
"No."
He smiled.
"Dominic did."
Mia's blood ran cold.
Alexander continued:
"Which means he has opened the laboratory."
Mia closed her eyes.
"What did he find?"
"Enough."
"What do you want?"
"Nothing from you."
"Then why are you here?"
Alexander looked toward the phone.
"I came to tell Dominic the truth."
Mia shook her head.
"No."
"Why?"
"Because the truth will destroy him."
Alexander's smile faded.
"No."
He whispered:
"The truth will finally set him free."
At the estate, Dominic heard a click.
The phone line remained open.
Then Alexander spoke.
"Hello, Dominic."
Dominic stood perfectly still.
"You've been looking for me."
"Where is Mia?"
"Safe."
"Where?"
"With me."
Dominic's eyes hardened.
"Touch her and—"
Alexander laughed.
"You still think I'm the enemy."
"Are you?"
"No."
"Then prove it."
"I will."
A pause.
"Ask your mother."
Dominic's face changed.
"What?"
"Ask Isabella why she lied about your birth."
The call ended.
Dominic stared at the phone.
Daniel stepped closer.
"Sir?"
Dominic looked at him.
"Get the car."
"Where are we going?"
"Back to the nursing home."
But before Dominic could leave, Harper appeared in the hallway.
She was holding something.
A small wooden box.
"Mr. Vale."
Dominic crouched.
"What is that?"
"Mommy gave it to me."
"When?"
"Before she disappeared."
Dominic took the box.
There was a lock.
He tried the key.
It opened.
Inside was a single photograph.
Dominic looked at it.
His entire body went rigid.
It showed Mia.
Richard.
Alexander.
Nathan.
And Margaret.
All standing together.
But Harper wasn't the reason Dominic couldn't breathe.
The photograph had been taken only six months ago.
Long after Richard's supposed death.
Long after Margaret's supposed death.
Long after Alexander supposedly disappeared.
On the back, Mia had written:
THEY ARE ALL ALIVE.
Dominic turned the photograph over again.
There was one final sentence.
AND ONE OF THEM IS HARPER'S FATHER.
Harper looked up at him.
"Mr. Vale?"
Dominic swallowed.
"Yes?"
"Mommy said you would know what to do."
He looked at the child.
For the first time in his life, Dominic Vale had no idea what to do.
Because every person he trusted was lying.
Every dead person might be alive.
Every family story might be false.
And somewhere in the darkness, a man who looked like his brother was waiting for him to discover the final secret.
Dominic stood.
"Daniel."
"Yes, sir?"
"Nobody leaves this estate."
"Even you?"
Dominic looked toward the door.
"Especially me."
Then his phone rang.
A message appeared.
One photograph.
Mia.
Alive.
Standing beside Alexander.
And behind them...
was Margaret Vale.
Under the photograph were four words:
COME ALONE, LITTLE BROTHER.
Dominic stared at the message.
Then looked at Harper.
His decision was immediate.
He would go.
But he would not go alone.
Because Mia had made a promise to protect Harper.
And now Dominic had made one of his own.
Whatever the truth was...
whatever bloodline had been hidden...
whatever his father had done...
Dominic would bring Mia home.
And if someone stood between him and the woman who had protected his family for years—
May you like
he would destroy them.
Even if that person was his own brother.
