Chapter 10 - ISABELLA
Isabella did not point the gun at me.
She pointed it at Sofia.
My adoptive mother sat upright in the hospital bed.
Her face contained no surprise.
Only grief.
“You’re alive,” she whispered.
Isabella’s hand shook.
“You knew.”
“I hoped.”
“You knew.”
Security footsteps approached outside.
Isabella closed the door and locked it.
Victoria backed against the wall.
I stood between the two sisters.
“Put the gun down.”
Isabella looked at me.
Her expression changed.
For one second, rage gave way to wonder.
She studied my face, my hands, the shape of my mouth.
“My daughter.”
“No.”
The word came instinctively.
She flinched.
“You are Elena.”
“I am.”
“I named you Lucia.”
Light.
The word my mother taught Noah.
The password.
The hidden name.
Sofia began to cry.
“Isabella, please.”
“You took her.”
“I saved her.”
“You took her to America and gave her your name.”
“Conrad was searching.”
“So was I.”
“You disappeared.”
“Marcus imprisoned me.”
The story emerged in fragments.
Marcus had removed Isabella from the clinic after the twins were born.
He told Sofia she died.
In reality, he kept her inside a private medical facility while Conrad negotiated control of the children.
The nurse escaped with me.
Conrad kept Julian.
Isabella escaped three years later.
By then, Sofia had found and adopted me.
When Isabella tried to approach us, Marcus threatened to kill both children.
She disappeared again, building evidence, waiting for enough power to strike.
“Why wait thirty years?” I asked.
“Because every official I contacted belonged to Conrad.”
“You watched my children.”
“I protected them.”
“You sent the threat with the flowers?”
“No.”
“The photographs?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To prove Conrad’s men were close.”
“You could have contacted me.”
“I tried.”
“When?”
“The night before your wedding.”
I remembered a woman outside the church.
Silver scarf.
Tears in her eyes.
Adrian’s security had removed her after she called my name.
I had assumed she was confused.
“I thought you were dangerous.”
“I was.”
The honesty chilled me.
“I wanted to take you and run.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“Sofia begged me to let you have your life.”
I turned toward my mother.
“You spoke to her?”
“Once.”
“You said you did not know whether she was alive.”
“I lied.”
The room seemed to split.
“Again.”
“To protect you.”
“Stop using those words.”
Sofia closed her eyes.
Isabella lowered the gun slightly.
“Your mother protected the lie, not you.”
“She is my mother.”
“I gave birth to you.”
“And then you spent thirty years watching.”
Pain crossed her face.
The gun lowered further.
Security began forcing the door.
“You need to surrender,” Victoria said.
Isabella looked at her.
“You raised my son.”
“Yes.”
“Did you love him?”
Victoria’s composure broke.
“With everything I had.”
“Then why did you let Conrad hurt him?”
“Because I was weak.”
Isabella nodded.
“At least one of us admits it.”
The door burst open.
Police entered.
Isabella placed the gun on the floor.
She surrendered without resistance.
Before they took her away, she looked at me.
“The second ceremony is not for Bellmere.”
“What is it for?”
“Your marriage.”
I stared at her.
“My marriage is over.”
“No.”
Her eyes moved toward Victoria.
“Adrian was never legally married to you.”
The police led her out.
Victoria remained against the wall.
I turned to her.
“What did she mean?”
Victoria said nothing.
“Tell me.”
“Your marriage license was replaced.”
“By whom?”
“Conrad.”
“Why?”
“To prevent you from gaining spousal rights over Blackwood assets if your identity was discovered.”
My marriage had been emotionally false.
Now I learned it might also have been legally false.
“What did I sign?”
“A ceremonial certificate.”
“Adrian?”
“He believed it was valid.”
“Then what is the second ceremony?”
Victoria looked toward the sealed DNA report.
“A forced legal union between Bellmere’s female heir and Conrad’s chosen successor.”
Nausea rose in my throat.
“Who is the chosen successor?”
“Not Adrian.”
“Then who?”
A message arrived on my phone.
It contained a live image of Noah and Lily’s hotel room.
The beds were empty.
Mrs. Bellini lay unconscious on the floor.
May you like
Below the picture were four words.
BRING ELENA TO THE CHAPEL.
