Chapter 8: The Truth Elena Hid
Richard had imagined finding Elena a thousand different ways.
In every version, he ran to her.
He held her.
He told her how much he had missed her.
He told her he forgave her.
But standing inside the abandoned facility, watching a black screen where her face had appeared moments before, Richard realized something terrifying.
He was not ready.
Not for the truth.
Not for what she had been forced to do.
Not for what she might say.
The facility lights flickered above him.
Then the speakers came alive.
Charles’s voice filled the hallway.
“You always were emotional, Richard.””
Richard looked up.
“Show yourself.””
A quiet laugh echoed.
“You still think everything is solved by confrontation.””
“You kidnapped my children.””
“No.””
The voice remained calm.
“I protected them.””
Richard’s hands tightened.
“Stop saying that.””
“Why?””
Charles paused.
“Because deep down, you know I’m right.””
Richard stared at the cameras.
“You’re insane.””
A long silence followed.
Then Charles said:
“Ask Elena why she never came back.””
The speakers went silent.
Richard hated that the question stayed with him.
Because despite everything Charles had done, one thing remained.
Elena had not returned.
Not once.
Not even when Richard became powerful enough to protect her.
Not even after Charles died.
Unless…
Unless Charles had never been dead.
Richard turned to Daniel.
“Find the control room.””
Daniel nodded.
“There should be one nearby.””
Victoria looked at the screen.
“What about Elena?””
Richard stared at the dark monitor.
“We find her.””
The underground facility was larger than Richard expected.
The deeper they went, the more disturbing it became.
Old offices.
Storage rooms.
Private laboratories.
Files stacked behind locked doors.
Charles had not abandoned this place.
He had simply hidden it.
Daniel opened a security panel.
“I need access.””
Richard stepped closer.
“How long?””
“Ten minutes.””
“You have five.””
Daniel gave a tired smile.
“Still impatient.””
Richard looked at him.
“You worked for my father.””
Daniel lowered his eyes.
“Yes.””
“Why?””
The old lawyer continued typing.
“Because I thought I could control him.””
Richard almost laughed.
“And?””
“I was wrong.””
The answer was simple.
Honest.
Richard respected honesty more than excuses.
Before he could respond, a sound came from the hallway.
A small voice.
“Dad?””
Richard turned.
Noah stood there.
His expression was frightened.
Richard immediately walked over.
“What are you doing here?””
Noah looked down.
“I didn’t want to stay behind.””
Richard sighed.
“You should have told me.””
“I was scared you would leave.””
The words stopped him.
Richard crouched.
“Leave you?””
Noah nodded.
“Like everyone else.””
For a moment, Richard could not speak.
Then he placed a hand on Noah’s shoulder.
“I’m not leaving.””
“Promise?””
Richard looked directly into his eyes.
“I promise.””
Noah nodded.
Then he whispered:
“I heard her.””
Richard froze.
“Who?””
“My sister.””
Richard looked at him.
“What?””
“When the screen turned on.””
Noah touched his necklace.
“I heard her voice.””
Richard’s heart raced.
“What did she say?””
Noah looked toward the dark hallway.
“She said…”
He hesitated.
“She said she was sorry.””
They found Elena behind a reinforced door.
Not a prison cell.
Not exactly.
A room designed to look comfortable.
A bed.
A chair.
Books.
A window showing a fake view of the outside.
Richard hated it more.
Because it was not cruelty.
It was control.
Daniel opened the door.
Richard stepped inside alone.
Elena was sitting near the window.
Her hair was gray.
Her face was older.
But her eyes were exactly the same.
The moment she saw him, she covered her mouth.
“Richard.””
His name sounded like a memory.
He stopped several feet away.
Neither moved.
Twelve years stood between them.
Twelve years of questions.
Pain.
Loss.
Finally, Elena whispered:
“You found me.””
Richard’s voice shook.
“Yes.””
Her eyes moved behind him.
To Noah.
She stood suddenly.
“Noah.””
The boy froze.
Then ran.
Elena dropped to her knees.
She held him tightly.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Richard watched his son hug the woman who had protected him all those years.
A mother.
A son.
A family that should have been together.
When they separated, Noah touched her face.
“You’re older.””
Elena laughed through tears.
“So are you.””
“I missed you.””
“I missed you every day.””
Richard looked away.
The moment was beautiful.
And painful.
Because he was still waiting for his answers.
Elena looked at him.
“I know what you’re thinking.””
Richard nodded.
“Do you?””
“Yes.””
Her voice softened.
“You want to know why.””
He swallowed.
“Yes.””
Elena looked down.
“I tried to come back.””
Richard said nothing.
“I tried many times.””
“Then why didn’t you?””
Her eyes filled.
“Because Charles made sure I understood what would happen if I did.””
Richard stepped closer.
“He threatened you.””
“Yes.””
“He threatened Noah.””
“Yes.””
“And Amelia.””
Elena froze.
The name changed everything.
Richard noticed.
“You know.””
Tears formed in Elena’s eyes.
“Yes.””
“Where is she?””
Elena looked away.
“I don’t know.””
Richard’s chest tightened.
“But you talked to her.””
Elena looked surprised.
“How do you know?””
“She called me.””
For the first time, Elena looked hopeful.
“She found you?””
Richard nodded.
“She said someone took her.””
Elena closed her eyes.
“No.””
“What?””
Her expression changed.
Fear.
Real fear.
“Richard, you need to understand something.””
“What?””
“Charles was never the only danger.””
The room became silent.
Richard felt the same cold feeling he had felt when Daniel spoke.
“There was someone else.””
Elena nodded.
“Someone Charles trusted.””
“Thomas Reed.””
Her face changed.
“You know his name.””
“He’s alive.””
Elena looked terrified.
“No.””
“Yes.””
She shook her head.
“That’s impossible.””
“Apparently not.””
Elena sat down slowly.
“Thomas was the one who helped Charles hide everything.””
Richard watched her.
“What everything?””
She looked at him.
“The reason Charles wanted Amelia gone.””
Richard waited.
Elena took a deep breath.
“When Amelia was born, Charles discovered something.””
“What?””
“That Amelia had proof.””
“Proof of what?””
Elena looked toward Noah.
Then back at Richard.
“Proof that Charles was not your father’s real heir.””
Richard frowned.
“What?””
She continued:
“Your father built his empire on a lie.””
Richard stared.
“What are you saying?””
Elena’s voice trembled.
“Charles had a secret before he met your mother.””
Richard felt the room shift.
“What secret?””
She looked at him.
“Richard…”
A tear rolled down her cheek.
“Charles was never the first Vale.””
Silence.
“What does that mean?””
“It means the man you called your father spent his entire life pretending to be something he wasn’t.””
Richard stepped back.
“That’s impossible.””
“No.””
Elena shook her head.
“It’s the reason he was willing to destroy anyone who knew.””
Daniel entered suddenly.
“I found something.””
Everyone turned.
Daniel held a file.
His face was pale.
“I accessed the main server.””
Richard looked at him.
“What did you find?””
Daniel opened the folder.
Inside was a document.
An old birth record.
Richard stared.
Then his face changed.
Because the name at the top was not Charles Vale.
It was another man.
A man Richard had never heard of.
Daniel whispered:
“Charles stole the Vale identity.””
Richard looked at Elena.
She nodded.
“And Amelia found the evidence.””
The lights suddenly shut off.
Again.
A familiar voice came through the speakers.
Charles.
“You always were curious, Richard.””
The screen turned on.
Charles appeared.
But this time, he was not alone.
A hand rested on his shoulder.
A young woman stood beside him.
Dark hair.
The same eyes as Noah.
The same scar above her eyebrow.
Amelia.
Richard stopped breathing.
Charles smiled.
“Meet your daughter.””
Amelia looked directly at the camera.
Her expression was cold.
Then she said:
“Dad…”
A pause.
“I need you to know something.””
Richard stepped toward the screen.
“What?””
Amelia’s eyes filled with tears.
Then she whispered:
“I’m not the person you need to save.””
The screen flickered.
Charles smiled.
“Because the person you really need to save…”
The camera moved.
Revealing someone tied to a chair beside Amelia.
Someone Richard recognized.
Someone he thought was dead.
Margaret Vale.
May you like
Charles leaned closer.
“Is your mother.””
