Chapter 8: The Woman Elena Was Afraid Of
The abandoned church smelled of rain, old wood, and burned candle wax.
I entered through the side door with Daniel and Thomas behind me.
Meline remained in the car with two guards.
We had agreed she would stay outside.
She hadn't agreed happily.
The sanctuary was dark.
Rows of empty pews stretched toward an altar covered in dust.
"Hello?"" I called.
My voice echoed.
No answer.
Daniel moved toward the center aisle.
"Something's wrong.""
I looked at him.
"What?""
"There are no footprints.""
I glanced down.
He was right.
The floor was coated in dust.
Except for one clean trail.
Leading directly to the altar.
Thomas raised his weapon.
We followed it.
A small white blanket sat on the altar.
My daughter's blanket.
I reached for it.
Daniel grabbed my wrist.
"Don't.""
A red light blinked beneath the fabric.
We jumped back.
It wasn't an explosive.
It was a recording device.
The speaker crackled.
Elena's voice filled the church.
"Damen.""
I looked around.
"You always were predictable.""
I shouted, "Where is my daughter?""
A laugh echoed from hidden speakers.
"Safe.""
"Bring her out.""
"Not yet.""
"Then what do you want?""
"Your father's trust.""
"You already know the truth.""
"I know enough.""
Her voice changed.
"Not everything.""
Daniel stepped forward.
"Where is Victor?""
Silence.
Then Elena laughed.
"Daniel Mercer.""
He stiffened.
"You survived.""
"Unlike your father.""
"Your father didn't kill Claire.""
Another silence.
This one was longer.
"Who told you that?""
"Richard.""
"Richard Vance lied to you.""
"He left evidence.""
"Evidence can be manufactured.""
I looked at Daniel.
"Don't listen to her.""
Elena continued.
"Your father was a monster.""
I shouted, "You murdered people to steal my company.""
"Your company?""
Her voice became almost amused.
"You still don't understand what this is about.""
"What is it about?""
"Your blood.""
The church lights suddenly turned on.
A projector illuminated the wall behind the altar.
Photographs appeared.
My father.
Claire Carter.
Meline.
And a little girl.
Then another photograph.
Elena as a child.
Standing beside her father.
But the next photograph made my chest tighten.
My father was standing beside Elena's mother.
They were holding hands.
Daniel stared at the screen.
"That's Claire.""
Meline gasped.
I turned toward her.
"You knew.""
She shook her head.
"No.""
The photograph changed.
My father and Claire.
Then Richard Courtland.
Then Victor.
Three men standing together outside a hospital.
The date was twenty-seven years earlier.
The year Meline was born.
A recording began.
My father's voice.
"I made a mistake.""
Claire answered.
"It wasn't a mistake.""
"It destroyed everything.""
"You chose your family.""
"I chose survival.""
The recording cut.
Elena's voice returned.
"Your father had two families.""
She paused.
"And one secret.""
A new photograph appeared.
A newborn baby.
Then another.
Two infants.
Born on the same day.
One had been labeled *MELINE CARTER*.
The other:
*ELENA COURTLAND.*
I stared.
"No.""
Daniel whispered, "Twins.""
Meline covered her mouth.
The projector flickered.
Elena appeared on screen.
Her face was wet with tears.
"Yes.""
She looked directly into the camera.
"Meline is my twin sister.""
I felt the ground disappear beneath me.
Meline shook her head.
"That's not possible.""
"It is.""
Elena's voice cracked.
"Our mother gave birth to two girls.""
The screen showed a hospital record.
One child was listed under Claire's name.
The other had been transferred.
The receiving family was listed as *COURTLAND*.
Richard Courtland had taken Elena.
He had taken one of the twins.
And he had raised her to hate the Vances.
"Why?"" Meline whispered.
Elena answered through the speakers.
"Because our father wanted a weapon.""
Daniel stared at the screen.
"Richard Courtland.""
"Yes.""
"Why raise his own daughter to destroy another family?""
Elena's face hardened.
"Because he believed the Vances stole everything from him.""
I shook my head.
"What does that have to do with my daughter?""
Elena looked directly at me.
"Everything.""
The screen changed again.
A document appeared.
*VANCE SUCCESSION PROTOCOL*
My father's signature was at the bottom.
Elena continued.
"Your father created a bloodline clause.""
I stared at the document.
"If a Vance heir married another direct descendant of Richard Courtland, all controlling assets would transfer into a joint trust.""
Daniel frowned.
"That's why Elena wanted Damen.""
I felt sick.
Elena laughed.
"Not exactly.""
My stomach dropped.
She continued.
"Richard wanted me to marry Damen.""
I remembered everything.
The dinners.
The parties.
The way Elena had slowly inserted herself into my life.
The way she had made herself seem vulnerable.
The way she had told me Meline didn't understand me.
It had never been love.
It had been an assignment.
But Elena wasn't finished.
"I was supposed to marry you and take the company.""
She paused.
"Then Meline ruined everything.""
Meline stepped toward the screen.
"Because I knew.""
Elena's expression changed.
"You knew you were my sister?""
"I knew there was another daughter.""
"You knew it was me.""
Meline's eyes filled with tears.
"Your father showed me a photograph.""
Elena's voice became cold.
"And you still didn't tell me.""
"I tried.""
"You chose them.""
"I chose my family.""
Elena laughed bitterly.
"You don't even know what family means.""
The screen went black.
A door opened somewhere behind us.
Thomas spun around.
A woman walked into the church.
She wore a dark blue coat.
Gray hair.
A silver locket.
Meline whispered one word.
"Claire.""
The woman smiled sadly.
"Hello, sweetheart.""
Meline couldn't move.
Daniel dropped his weapon.
"You're alive.""
Claire looked at him.
"I've been alive for twenty-seven years.""
I stared at her.
"Why did everyone believe you were dead?""
She looked at me.
"Because Richard Vance helped me disappear.""
"Why?""
"Because your grandfather ordered my death.""
I shook my head.
"My father said Richard Courtland ordered it.""
"He did.""
She walked toward us.
"But Victor Vance helped him.""
Daniel's face hardened.
"You lied.""
"No.""
Claire looked at him.
"I survived because your father warned me.""
"My father?""
"Daniel's father.""
She turned to me.
"Your father took me out of the country.""
"Then why did he tell everyone you were dead?""
"Because Victor was searching for me.""
I looked toward Meline.
"And Elena?""
Claire's expression broke.
"I couldn't save both girls.""
Meline whispered, "You chose her.""
"I chose the one Richard had already taken.""
Tears rolled down her face.
"I thought if Elena stayed with him, I could keep Meline safe.""
Meline stared at her.
"You left me.""
"I know.""
The words hung in the church.
Then Claire looked at me.
"And that's why Elena hates you.""
"Because my father hid her?""
"No.""
Claire's face went pale.
"Because Elena believes you killed her.""
I frowned.
"I've never met her before.""
"Not as an adult.""
She reached into her coat.
She pulled out a photograph.
It showed two young girls.
Meline stood on one side.
Elena on the other.
And between them was a teenage boy.
Me.
I stared at the image.
"I don't remember this.""
"You were seven.""
Claire looked toward the photograph.
"Your father brought you to see Meline once.""
My pulse raced.
"Why?""
"Because you asked to meet your sister.""
Meline looked at me.
"I remember.""
I stared at her.
"You do?""
"You gave me a red toy car.""
Something deep inside me shifted.
A memory surfaced.
A little girl.
Dark hair.
A red toy car.
A woman crying.
And another little girl standing behind a glass door.
Watching me.
Elena.
I whispered, "She was there.""
Claire nodded.
"She watched you choose Meline.""
I looked at the photograph.
"And that's what started all this.""
"No.""
Claire's expression became terrified.
"That was only the beginning.""
A phone rang.
Not mine.
Not Thomas's.
Claire reached into her pocket.
She answered.
Her face changed.
"What?""
She listened.
Then looked directly at me.
"Damen.""
"What?""
"They found the baby.""
Relief hit me.
"Where?""
Claire's eyes filled with horror.
"She's at the Vance estate.""
I froze.
"We just left there.""
"No.""
Claire shook her head.
"They found her beneath the house.""
May you like
My blood turned to ice.
"We're standing above her.""
