Chapter 13: The Children He Tried to Erase
For years, I thought Adrian’s biggest secret was the affair.
Then I discovered Lily.
Then I discovered Rebecca.
And now I was standing in a quiet café, staring at a woman who had just told me my husband had hidden another child.
Another life.
Another person he decided he had the right to erase.
“Where is he?”” I asked.
Rebecca looked terrified.
“I don’t know.””
“How can you not know?””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Because Adrian made sure nobody knew.””
My hands tightened around the coffee cup.
“How?””
Rebecca looked down.
“When I left him, I tried to take my son with me.””
The pain in her voice was immediate.
“But Adrian had money. Connections. Lawyers.””
She swallowed.
“He convinced the court I was unstable.””
The words hit me because they sounded familiar.
Too familiar.
“He used the same story,” I whispered.
Rebecca nodded.
“He always does.””
A cold silence settled between us.
Then my phone rang.
Marcus.
I answered immediately.
“Elena.””
His voice was tense.
“What happened?””
I looked at Rebecca.
“Adrian found her son.””
Silence.
Then Marcus said:
“Where are you?””
I told him.
Five minutes later, my brothers walked into the café.
Marcus looked at Rebecca carefully.
Not suspiciously.
Protectively.
“You’re Rebecca Vale?””
She nodded.
“I know what you’ve heard.””
Marcus sat down.
“We’ve heard a lot.””
Rebecca opened her folder.
“There’s something you need to see.””
She removed an old photograph.
A young boy stood beside Adrian.
The boy looked about six years old.
I stared.
“He looks like him.””
Rebecca nodded.
“His name is Noah.””
Caleb picked up the photo.
“When was this taken?””
“Eight years ago.””
My stomach tightened.
Eight years.
The same year Adrian married me.
The same year he told me we were starting our future.
While he was hiding another child.
Julian slammed his hand against the table.
“That man built his whole life on lies.””
Rebecca looked at him.
“He built it on people’s silence.””
Everyone became quiet.
Because she was right.
Adrian didn’t just hurt people.
He isolated them.
He convinced every victim they were alone.
Then he controlled the story.
My phone buzzed.
A message from Claire.
*Lily wants to talk to you.*
My heart softened.
After everything, that little girl was still the person I wanted to protect most.
I called.
Claire answered.
“She’s here.””
Then a small voice came through.
“Mom?””
I closed my eyes.
“Hi, Lily.””
“Are you okay?””
The question surprised me.
Not “Are you my mom?””
Not “Where were you?””
Are you okay?
“I’m okay.””
A pause.
“Are you mad at me?””
My heart broke.
“No.””
“Dad said you hate him.””
I looked around the table.
At my brothers.
At Rebecca.
At all the people Adrian had hurt.
“Lily, listen to me.””
“Okay.””
“Adults sometimes do bad things and then they blame other people.””
“Like Dad?””
I swallowed.
“Yes.””
She was quiet.
Then she asked:
“Are you going to leave me too?””
That question nearly destroyed me.
“No.””
The answer came instantly.
“Never.””
I heard her breathe.
Then she whispered:
“Okay.””
After the call ended, nobody spoke.
Marcus finally said:
“She trusts you.””
I looked at the phone.
“I don’t want to lose her again.””
“You won’t.””
But before I could answer, Caleb’s laptop chimed.
He had been checking the foundation records.
His face changed.
“What?””
Everyone turned.
He looked at Marcus.
Then at me.
“We found Noah.””
Rebecca stood.
“Where?””
Caleb turned the screen.
A file appeared.
A school record.
A location.
A name.
Then another detail.
The custody information.
My blood went cold.
Because the person listed as Noah’s legal guardian was not Rebecca.
It wasn’t Adrian either.
It was someone else.
Someone connected to the foundation.
Someone I knew.
“Who is that?”” I whispered.
Marcus stared at the screen.
“Elena…”
I looked closer.
The name was impossible.
Because it belonged to the woman who had stood beside me for years.
My closest friend.
May you like
The person I trusted more than anyone.
And the person who had helped Adrian destroy me.
