Chapter 4 - THE MAN ELENA ESCAPEDHis name was Adrian Vale.
And the first thing Damian learned about him was that Adrian Vale was supposed to be dead.
Elena sat inside Damian's library with her arms wrapped around herself as she told the story.
“I met Adrian when I was twenty-three.”
Damian stood at the window.
“He was charming?”
“Extremely.”
“Rich?”
“He said he was.”
“Violent?”
“Not at first.”
Damian almost smiled.
Men like Adrian rarely were.
Not until the door was locked.
“He became controlling,” Elena continued. “Wanted my passwords. My schedule. He chose my clothes.”
“Did he hit you?”
“Once.”
Damian turned.
“Once?”
“I left after the first time.”
That surprised him.
Elena caught the expression.
“My mother raised me to leave the first time.”
The irony hung between them.
“Apparently she had different standards about kidnapping babies.”
Damian said nothing.
Elena continued.
“When Adrian realized I was gone, he followed me. Threatened people I worked with. Then I found out I was pregnant.”
“And told him?”
“No.”
“Good.”
“I changed apartments.”
“He found you.”
“Yes.”
Her fingers tightened.
“One night he broke into my place.”
Damian's jaw flexed.
“He had a gun. Said if he couldn't have me, nobody would.”
“What happened?”
“My neighbor heard screaming and called police. Adrian ran.”
“Then?”
“His car went off a bridge two nights later.”
“Body?”
“Never recovered.”
Damian stared at her.
“And everyone assumed he died.”
“Yes.”
“Convenient.”
“I wanted to believe it.”
Damian looked toward Marco.
“Find everything on Adrian Vale.”
“Already working.”
Elena stood.
“If he's alive, he has my mother.”
“We'll find her.”
“How?”
“People always leave tracks.”
“Men like Adrian don't.”
Damian's expression became cold.
“So far, you've never met men like me.”
Elena should have been frightened.
Instead, she felt something unexpected.
Relief.
That afternoon, Damian took her to St. Agnes.
The hospital had closed six months earlier after bankruptcy. Construction fencing surrounded the abandoned building.
Julian had obtained permission from the property's receiver to inspect the archived records department.
The basement smelled of dust and mildew.
Rows of boxed files filled metal shelves.
Marco found Samuel Keene's employment records.
Elena searched Teresa's.
Damian examined Victoria's admission papers.
Then Elena found a handwritten note.
Patient E.M. transferred to OR 4 at 00:58. Infant female delivered 01:31.
Below it:
Neonatal transfer authorized T. Moretti.
Elena's hands shook.
“My mother signed it.”
Damian took the document.
There was another signature.
A. Vale.
Elena stumbled backward.
“He was here.”
“Yes.”
“He knew.”
Damian looked through the box.
More documents.
Financial transfers.
Three weeks before Sofia's birth, Teresa Moretti deposited $250,000.
Elena stared.
“My mother never had money like that.”
Damian's voice became controlled.
“Who paid her?”
Marco held up another page.
A shell corporation.
Valestone Holdings.
Adrian Vale.
Elena sat down.
“My mother sold her.”
“We don't know that.”
“She took money.”
“There may be another explanation.”
Elena laughed bitterly.
“You're defending my mother now?”
“I don't assume motives without evidence.”
“Says the mafia boss.”
Damian's eyes narrowed.
“Don't believe everything you've read.”
“Should I believe none of it?”
“Probably not.”
Before she could respond, Sofia's nanny called.
Damian answered.
“What?”
His expression changed instantly.
“When?”
He walked toward the stairs.
Elena followed.
“What happened?”
Damian didn't answer until they reached daylight.
Then he faced her.
“Sofia's missing.”
Elena stopped breathing.
“What?”
“The nanny took her into the courtyard. Security lost camera coverage for ninety seconds.”
“No.”
Damian was already calling men.
“Seal every exit from the neighborhood.”
Elena grabbed his arm.
“You promised you'd protect her!”
He turned.
The fury in his eyes silenced her.
“Nobody touches my daughter.”
They reached the penthouse twelve minutes later.
The nanny was crying hysterically.
“I turned around for one second.”
Damian ignored her and walked directly to the security room.
“Footage.”
A technician rewound.
Courtyard.
Sofia playing with sidewalk chalk.
Nanny sitting nearby.
A maintenance worker approached.
Then camera interference.
Static.
Ninety-two seconds later, the image returned.
Sofia gone.
Maintenance worker gone.
Elena pressed her hand against her mouth.
Then the elevator opened.
Everyone reached for weapons.
A woman stumbled out.
Teresa Moretti.
Bruised.
Blood on her blouse.
Holding Sofia.
“Elena?”
“Mom!”
Elena ran.
Teresa nearly collapsed.
Damian took Sofia while Elena caught her mother.
Sofia clung to Damian.
“Mama!”
Elena touched her face.
“I'm here.”
Teresa looked at both of them.
“He sent me back.”
“Adrian?” Elena asked.
Teresa nodded.
“Why?”
“He wants you to understand.”
“Understand what?”
Teresa looked toward Damian.
“That Sofia was only the beginning.”
Damian's expression hardened.
“What does that mean?”
Teresa began crying.
“I didn't sell your baby.”
Elena stared at her.
“Then what did you do?”
“I tried to save her.”
“By giving her to Victoria?”
Teresa nodded.
“Adrian was coming.”
The room went quiet.
“He knew you were pregnant, Elena. He knew everything.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because he threatened you.”
Teresa looked at Sofia.
“He said the moment she was born, he would take her.”
“So you gave her to a stranger?”
“Victoria wasn't a stranger.”
Damian stepped closer.
“How did you know my wife?”
Teresa wiped her tears.
“We worked together years ago.”
“Victoria wasn't a nurse.”
“No.”
Teresa shook her head.
“She was an FBI informant.”
Damian froze.
Elena stared.
Teresa continued.
“And she wasn't investigating Adrian.”
Her eyes settled on Damian.
“She was investigating the Caruso family.”
Nobody spoke.
Damian's voice dropped dangerously.
“You'd better explain everything.”
“I will.”
Teresa looked toward Sofia.
“But first you need to know why Adrian wanted her.”
Elena whispered, “She's his daughter.”
Teresa shook her head.
“No.”
Elena stared.
“What?”
“Adrian could never be Sofia's father.”
“Why?”
May you like
Teresa swallowed.
“Because Adrian Vale is your brother.”
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