Chapter 5: The Woman Who Was Supposed to Be Dead
“Your mother is alive.””
Evelyn's words seemed to drain all the air from the room.
I stared at her.
“No.””
She nodded.
“No, you're wrong.””
“Lena—”
“My mother died in a hospital bed. I held her hand. I watched the doctors cover her face!””
Evelyn reached for me, but I stepped away.
“Don't touch me!””
Victor moved closer.
“Lena, please.””
I turned toward him.
“You knew this too?””
“No.””
“Then why does everyone around me know more about my parents than I do?””
Nobody answered.
I grabbed the photograph and held it up.
“Where was this taken?””
Evelyn wiped her eyes.
“St. Catherine's. Your mother visited your father shortly after he was admitted.””
“Why did she let me believe she was dead?””
“Because Leon was watching you.””
I shook my head.
“That doesn't make sense.””
Evelyn stood and walked to an old cabinet.
She unlocked a small drawer and removed a cassette recorder.
“Your father left this with me before he disappeared.””
She pressed PLAY.
Static filled the room.
Then a familiar voice emerged.
My father's voice.
“Lena, if you're hearing this, I'm sorry.””
My knees nearly gave out.
“There's something I never told you. Your mother and I weren't separated because of money or work. We were hiding you from someone inside Romano Holdings.””
A pause.
Then he continued.
“Five years ago, I discovered that Leon had been using the company to finance an illegal operation. He wasn't working alone. Someone inside Victor's security team was helping him.””
Victor leaned forward.
“Who?””
The recording continued.
“Dmitri was involved, but he wasn't the person giving the orders. The real person was someone Victor trusted even more.””
The tape crackled.
Then my father's voice dropped.
“It's Clara Whitmore.””
Victor froze.
“What?””
I looked at him.
“Your fiancée?””
Victor shook his head.
“That's impossible.””
The recording continued.
“She approached me with documents proving that Victor's father had been murdered. She wanted the evidence destroyed. When I refused, she threatened my family.””
Victor stood so quickly that his chair fell backward.
“My father died of a heart attack.””
Evelyn looked at him sadly.
“That's what they told you.””
Victor gripped the edge of the table.
“Clara was twenty years old when my father died.””
“She was already working for Leon,” Evelyn replied.
The recording ended with a click.
I stared at the machine.
“Where is my mother?””
Evelyn looked toward the window.
“She contacted me yesterday.””
“Yesterday?””
“She said Leon had discovered her location. She asked me to prepare a safe place for her.””
“Where is she now?””
Evelyn hesitated.
Then she opened another drawer and removed a folded piece of paper.
“An address in Brooklyn.””
I grabbed it.
Victor examined the handwriting.
“That's an old Romano property.””
“Can you take me there?””
Victor nodded.
“Of course.””
Evelyn caught his sleeve.
“Victor, there's something else.””
He turned.
“Leon has already sent someone to that address.””
My stomach dropped.
“How do you know?””
Evelyn reached for her phone.
“Because the person he sent just called me.””
The phone rang.
She answered without speaking.
A man's voice came through the speaker.
“Mrs. Shaw, you've been very difficult to reach.””
Evelyn went pale.
Victor gestured for her to put it on speaker.
“Who is this?”” he demanded.
The man chuckled.
“Hello, Victor.””
Leon.
My blood turned cold.
“Where is my mother?”” I shouted.
Leon laughed softly.
“Lena. Such a pleasure to finally speak to you.””
“Tell me where she is!””
“Your mother is safe. For now.””
Victor snatched the phone.
“If you touch her, I'll destroy everything you've built.””
“Victor, you still don't understand. You're not the only one who has been betrayed.””
“What do you want?””
“The ledger.””
Victor went silent.
Leon continued.
“Bring me the original records Daniel stole, and I'll give you your mother.””
I stepped closer.
“You have my father too. Give him back.””
Leon sighed.
“Your father is becoming a problem. He refuses to tell me where he hid the final account numbers.””
“Then let him go!””
“I'm afraid that's not an option.””
The call ended.
Victor immediately dialed another number.
“Find the property. Every entrance. Every exit.””
I grabbed his wrist.
“We're going there.””
“Lena, it's a trap.””
“I don't care.””
“You could walk straight into an ambush.””
I stared at him.
“My mother spent two years pretending to be dead so I could survive. My father has been imprisoned for five years. I'm done hiding.””
Victor studied my face.
Then he nodded.
“Fine. But you're staying behind me.””
Forty minutes later, we arrived at the Brooklyn property.
It was an abandoned brick townhouse surrounded by rusted fencing.
The front door stood slightly open.
Victor raised one hand.
“Stay behind me.””
We entered carefully.
The air smelled of dust and damp wood.
A single lamp illuminated the living room.
On the table sat two cups of coffee.
One was still warm.
“Mom?”” I whispered.
A floorboard creaked upstairs.
I rushed toward the staircase.
Victor caught my arm.
“Lena, wait.””
Then a woman's voice floated down.
“Lena?””
I stopped breathing.
It was her.
My mother's voice.
I climbed the stairs slowly.
At the top stood a woman wearing a gray coat.
Her hair was shorter. Her face was thinner.
But her eyes were exactly the same.
“Mom?””
She covered her mouth.
“Oh, my baby.””
I ran into her arms.
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
I held her so tightly that my fingers hurt.
Then I pulled away.
“Why?””
My mother began crying.
“I'm sorry.””
“You let me bury you!””
“I had to.””
“You had to let me believe you were dead?””
She lowered her eyes.
“Leon was going to kill you if he knew I was alive.””
I shook my head.
“You should have trusted me.””
She touched my cheek.
“I was trying to give you a life.””
Then she looked over my shoulder.
Her expression changed.
“Victor?””
He stood at the bottom of the staircase.
“Yes, Margaret?””
My mother slowly stepped away from me.
“Why did you bring her here?””
Victor frowned.
“What?””
My mother pointed toward his coat.
“Because the tracker Leon placed on you is transmitting our exact location.””
Victor reached inside his jacket.
His fingers found a small black device.
Before he could remove it, headlights flooded the windows.
Several car doors slammed outside.
My mother grabbed my hand.
“Lena, there's a basement entrance. Go!””
A loud voice came from the front door.
“POLICE! OPEN UP!””
Victor looked toward the windows.
Then his phone rang.
He answered.
A familiar female voice spoke.
“Hello, darling.””
Clara.
“Did you really think you could find Margaret without me knowing?””
My mother whispered something that made my blood turn to ice.
“She's not working for Leon.””
I looked at her.
“Then who is she working for?””
May you like
My mother stared at Victor.
“She's the reason your father disappeared.””
