Chapter 3 - THE INVESTIGATION BEGINS
Adrian hired a private investigator.
Not one of his company's usual investigators.
Someone independent.
Her name was Sofia Bennett.
She had spent twenty years investigating financial crimes, disappearances, and insurance fraud.
Adrian gave her one instruction.
“Find the truth.”
Sofia began with Lucas.
Birth certificate.
School records.
Medical history.
Every document suggested he was the son of Lena Carter.
But then she found something unusual.
Lucas's birth certificate had been filed three months after his supposed birth.
The hospital named on the document had closed six years earlier.
The doctor listed on the certificate had died ten years ago.
Sofia kept digging.
She found a vaccination record.
Then a school registration.
Then a passport.
All under the name Lucas Carter.
But none of the original records existed.
Someone had built his identity.
Not recently.
Twenty years earlier.
Meanwhile, Adrian searched for Elena.
The name Lena Carter appeared in a small town in Vermont.
A woman had lived there for nearly twenty years.
She had never married.
She owned a small bookstore.
And she had a son.
Lucas.
Adrian stared at the photograph Sofia provided.
The woman standing outside the bookstore had aged.
Her hair was shorter.
There were lines around her eyes.
But he knew her.
Even from a distance.
Even after twenty years.
Even after five years of believing she was dead.
It was Elena.
His wife was alive.
Adrian didn't tell anyone.
He drove to Vermont alone.
The bookstore was almost empty.
Rain tapped against the window.
A bell rang above the door as he entered.
A woman looked up from behind the counter.
For one second, neither moved.
Elena dropped the book in her hand.
Her face went white.
“Adrian?”
He could barely speak.
“It's me.”
She backed away.
“You shouldn't be here.”
“You're alive.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“You weren't supposed to find me.”
“Why?”
“Because if you found me, they would know.”
“Who?”
Elena shook her head.
“Not here.”
She locked the door.
Then led him upstairs.
Lucas was not there.
Adrian looked around the apartment.
A photograph of Lucas.
A photograph of a younger Elena.
And one old photograph of Adrian.
His heart broke.
“You kept this.”
“I never stopped loving you.”
“Then why did you leave?”
Elena finally looked at him.
“Because five years ago, someone tried to kill me.”
Adrian froze.
“The accident.”
“It wasn't an accident.”
“Who?”
Elena closed her eyes.
“Victor.”
Adrian felt cold.
“Victor Hale?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because he discovered something.”
“What?”
“That your father had left me control of a private trust.”
Adrian stared.
“What trust?”
“A trust containing assets worth more than a billion dollars.”
He was stunned.
“You never told me.”
“I couldn't.”
“Why?”
“Because Victor wanted control.”
“And Marianne?”
Elena looked down.
“She helped him.”
Adrian felt betrayed.
“My sister?”
“She believed I would give the trust to you.”
“Did you?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because the trust belonged to our children.”
Adrian froze.
“Our children?”
Elena nodded.
“Lucas.”
“Lucas is ours.”
Adrian couldn't breathe.
Then Elena said:
“And Daniel.”
Adrian stared.
May you like
“Daniel?”
“Our children were the reason they wanted me dead.”
