Chapter 7 - THE WOMAN WHO RAISED A VALE
They reached the surface through an old maintenance hatch hidden beneath a fallen tree.
The forest was dark.
Rain had begun to fall.
Evelyn was breathing hard.
The boys were crying.
Dominic looked at Marcus.
“How many?”
“Everyone with us is alive.”
“And Caleb?”
“Gone.”
Dominic's expression hardened.
“Of course he is.”
Adrian leaned against a tree.
He looked exhausted.
Dominic turned toward him.
“What did Caleb mean?”
Adrian didn't answer.
“Adrian.”
“I don't know.”
Dominic rolled closer.
“You do.”
Adrian looked at him.
“Your father thought the third child had a condition.”
“What condition?”
“We never found out.”
“You were a medical professional.”
“I was a nurse.”
“You were his medical assistant for twenty-two years.”
“I didn't have access to everything.”
Dominic stared at him.
“Then what did you know?”
Adrian looked at the twins.
“Your father believed the baby had a rare heart condition.”
Evelyn went still.
“Lucas?”
Adrian nodded.
“He had an irregular heartbeat.”
Dominic's expression changed.
“How serious?”
“We didn't know.”
“Why?”
“Because he was taken before proper testing could be completed.”
Dominic stared at him.
“Taken by whom?”
“Clara.”
“Your sister-in-law.”
“Yes.”
“And she ran?”
“She tried.”
“Where did she take him?”
Adrian looked away.
“Sarah Bell.”
Dominic turned to Marcus.
“Get the cars.”
The journey to Portland took several hours.
They stopped at a safe house outside the city.
The boys slept.
Evelyn sat beside Dominic.
Neither spoke for a long time.
Finally, she said, “You believe him.”
“About Lucas?”
“Yes.”
Dominic looked toward the sleeping boys.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I saw the photograph.”
“That doesn't prove anything.”
“No.”
He looked at her.
“But I know.”
Evelyn stared at him.
“You know?”
Dominic's eyes softened.
“I'm his father.”
The words broke something inside her.
She looked away.
“I thought you were dead.”
“I know.”
“I searched for you.”
“I know.”
“No, you don't.”
Her voice cracked.
“I searched for you for months.”
Dominic said nothing.
“I went to your apartment.”
“I didn't live there.”
“I went to your office.”
“It had been closed.”
“I went to the hospital.”
“I was transferred.”
“I thought you hated me.”
Dominic looked at her.
“I thought you abandoned me.”
They stared at each other.
Three years of pain stood between them.
Not because they had stopped loving each other.
But because they had believed the wrong people.
Evelyn whispered, “I never stopped.”
Dominic looked away.
“Don't.”
“Why?”
“Because I don't know what to do with that.”
She looked at him.
“You don't have to do anything.”
“I do.”
“Why?”
“Because I still love you.”
The words came out before he could stop them.
Evelyn froze.
Dominic stared at the floor.
He had not planned to say it.
He had spent three years trying to bury the feeling.
But it had never died.
Not once.
Evelyn reached for his hand.
This time, he didn't stop her.
Her fingers closed around his.
Warm.
Familiar.
He looked at her.
“I hated you.”
“I know.”
“I hated you every day.”
“I know.”
“I waited for you every day.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“So did I.”
Dominic closed his eyes.
For one moment, the years disappeared.
Then the sound of a child crying came from the bedroom.
Evelyn immediately stood.
Dominic watched her go.
He looked down at their joined hands.
Then he whispered, “Come back to me.”
She stopped.
She looked over her shoulder.
Dominic didn't repeat it.
But she understood.
The next morning, they drove to the home of Sarah Bell.
She lived in a small white house surrounded by trees.
An elderly woman opened the door.
The moment she saw Adrian, her face changed.
“You.”
Adrian lowered his head.
“Sarah.”
She looked past him.
Her eyes landed on the twins.
Then on Dominic.
Her face became pale.
“You're Victor's son.”
“Yes.”
Sarah stepped backward.
“You shouldn't be here.”
Dominic rolled forward.
“I'm looking for Lucas.”
Sarah's eyes filled with tears.
“No.”
“Where is he?”
“You don't understand.”
“Then explain.”
Sarah looked at Evelyn.
“You should never have come.”
Evelyn stepped forward.
“Where is my son?”
Sarah's face collapsed.
For a moment, she said nothing.
Then she opened the door.
“Come in.”
The house smelled of coffee and old books.
There were photographs everywhere.
Dominic saw one immediately.
A little boy.
About three years old.
Dark hair.
Silver-gray eyes.
A crescent birthmark beneath his left eye.
Dominic stopped.
Evelyn covered her mouth.
“That is him.”
Sarah looked at them.
“Yes.”
“Where is he?”
Sarah looked down.
“He was here.”
Dominic's voice became cold.
“Was?”
“He left.”
“With whom?”
Sarah's eyes filled with tears.
“Me.”
Dominic stared.
“You raised him?”
“For two years.”
“Why?”
“Clara brought him to me.”
“What happened to Clara?”
Sarah looked away.
“She was killed.”
Dominic's hands tightened.
“By Caleb.”
“Yes.”
“And you took Lucas.”
“Yes.”
“Where is he now?”
Sarah hesitated.
Then she said:
“He was taken.”
Dominic felt the room become cold.
“By whom?”
Sarah looked at him.
“Your father.”
Dominic froze.
“My father was dead.”
“When Lucas was eighteen months old, Victor came for him.”
“He was dead.”
Sarah shook her head.
“Victor had people everywhere.”
Dominic stared.
“What happened?”
“Clara had left instructions. If anything happened to her, I was supposed to take Lucas and run.”
“You did.”
“Yes.”
“Then how did Victor find you?”
Sarah looked at Adrian.
Adrian closed his eyes.
Sarah whispered:
“He found us because someone betrayed us.”
Dominic turned toward Adrian.
Adrian's face collapsed.
“I didn't know.”
Sarah pointed at him.
“You told Victor where we were.”
Adrian shook his head.
“I thought he wanted to help.”
“You gave him the address!”
Adrian began crying.
Dominic stared at him.
“You betrayed them.”
“I didn't know what he planned.”
“You gave him my son.”
Adrian's voice broke.
“I thought he was going to take him to a hospital.”
Dominic moved toward him.
“You gave him my son.”
Evelyn stepped between them.
“Dominic.”
He stopped.
Sarah continued.
“Victor took Lucas.”
“When?”
“Two years ago.”
Dominic's voice dropped.
“Where?”
“I don't know.”
“You must know something.”
Sarah nodded.
“He had a place in Montana.”
Dominic looked at Marcus.
“Find it.”
Sarah suddenly grabbed his arm.
“Wait.”
Dominic looked at her.
“There is something else.”
“What?”
Sarah's eyes moved toward the twins.
“Victor didn't take Lucas because of his heart.”
Dominic's expression hardened.
“Then why?”
Sarah whispered:
“Because Lucas wasn't the child he wanted.”
Dominic stared.
“What?”
Sarah looked at Eli.
Then Noah.
“He wanted one of those two.”
Evelyn pulled the boys closer.
Sarah continued.
“Victor believed one of the twins had the genetic profile he needed.”
Dominic's eyes narrowed.
“Which one?”
Sarah shook her head.
“He didn't know.”
“Then why take Lucas?”
“Because Lucas was the only child who knew the truth.”
Dominic froze.
“What truth?”
Sarah looked at him.
“Lucas could tell the twins apart.”
Evelyn's breath caught.
“How?”
Sarah pointed to the photographs.
“Because the twins were not identical.”
Dominic stared.
“What?”
“They looked identical to adults.”
Sarah's voice trembled.
“But Lucas knew.”
“Why?”
“Because one of the boys had a different heartbeat.”
Dominic looked toward Eli and Noah.
Both boys were now staring at him.
Sarah continued.
“Lucas used to call one of them ‘little moon.’”
“Which one?”
Sarah closed her eyes.
“Eli.”
Dominic's heart stopped.
Sarah looked at him.
“Lucas always said Eli was different.”
Evelyn stared at her sons.
Dominic's mind raced.
If Eli was the child Victor wanted—
Why?
And if Lucas knew the difference—
Then the missing child was not merely a victim.
He was the only person who could identify the truth.
Sarah walked to a drawer.
She pulled out a small wooden train.
The same kind Dominic had seen in the photograph.
“He left this behind.”
Dominic took it.
There was something carved beneath it.
A small symbol.
A silver crescent.
Dominic stared.
Then Sarah whispered:
“Lucas left a message.”
“What message?”
She turned the train over.
Written beneath the wood were three words.
FIND THE BLUE HOUSE.
Dominic looked up.
“Where is the blue house?”
Sarah's face became pale.
“Montana.”
Before Dominic could speak, his phone rang.
Marcus answered.
His expression changed.
“Sir.”
Dominic looked at him.
“What?”
“We found the location.”
“Victor's property?”
Marcus nodded.
Then his face became grim.
“It's not abandoned.”
Dominic stared.
“Who is there?”
Marcus looked toward the twins.
“A child.”
Evelyn stopped breathing.
Marcus continued.
“And a man claiming to be Victor Vale.”
Dominic's blood went cold.
“My father is dead.”
Marcus lowered the phone.
“Apparently, someone wants us to believe otherwise.”
Dominic looked at Evelyn.
Then at the two boys.
May you like
Somewhere in Montana, Lucas was alive.
And someone had built an entire plan around the three children.
