Chapter 11 - The Person Inside the HospitalThe hospital investigation revealed one employee had accessed my prenatal records without authorization.
A neonatal nurse.
She disappeared two days after Elena's birth.
Her name was Nora Ellis.
We found her apartment empty.
But the landlord had surveillance footage.
A black sedan had picked her up.
The driver was a familiar face.
Ethan.
Except Ethan was supposedly in Zurich.
Khloe stared at the footage.
“That's impossible.”
“Unless he came back.”
He had.
The next twelve hours became a hunt.
We traced the sedan.
It led to a warehouse in Brooklyn.
Inside, we found Nora.
Alive.
Terrified.
She surrendered immediately.
“I didn't hurt the baby.”
“Who paid you?”
“I don't know.”
“You took a sample.”
She cried.
“They told me it was for a medical study.”
“Who?”
“Ethan.”
“Who ordered it?”
She hesitated.
“Vivienne.”
The truth finally had a face.
Vivienne had orchestrated the entire operation.
But Nora revealed something else.
“She had another person helping her.”
“Who?”
Nora shook her head.
“I never saw her face.”
“Her?”
“Yes.”
“What did she do?”
“She handled the legal documents.”
Rebecca.
No.
Rebecca had already turned against Vivienne.
Then who?
Nora described the woman.
Tall.
Blonde.
Green eyes.
I knew exactly one person who fit that description.
Mia.
I stared at her.
“You were involved.”
Mia's face collapsed.
“I didn't know what it was.”
“Don't lie.”
“I swear.”
She started crying.
“I knew Vivienne wanted the baby's DNA.”
“Why?”
“She said she needed proof that you were not a legitimate Vance heir.”
I froze.
My daughter.
My blood.
My father's blood.
Everything suddenly connected.
Mia had not been recruited merely because she was pregnant.
She had been recruited because she was useful.
Because her pregnancy created the perfect distraction.
A fake male heir.
A secret child.
A scandal.
A trustee removed.
An empire transferred.
And if Elena were discredited, the entire plan would work.
Khloe looked at Mia.
“How much does Julian know?”
Mia shook her head.
“Less than you think.”
I looked at Julian.
“Is that true?”
He nodded.
“I knew about the trust.”
“You knew about Mia.”
“Yes.”
“You knew she was pregnant.”
“Yes.”
“You knew your mother wanted a son.”
“Yes.”
“But you didn't know about Elena's DNA?”
“No.”
I studied his face.
For once, I believed him.
Then the warehouse lights went out.
Gunfire shattered the windows.
Everyone dropped.
Security returned fire.
I grabbed Elena.
Khloe pulled me behind concrete cover.
“Stay down!”
More shots.
Then footsteps.
Someone rushed through the back exit.
We found one fallen man.
He was wearing a Vance security uniform.
In his pocket was a keycard.
Not to the warehouse.
To the Vance family office.
Khloe picked it up.
Her expression changed.
“He has level-seven clearance.”
“Who?”
She turned the card.
The name was printed on it.
I read it.
And almost stopped breathing.
Julian Vance.
I looked at my husband.
He was standing across the room.
“That's not mine.”
I said nothing.
“Clare.”
“You gave someone access.”
“No.”
“The card has your name.”
“I don't know how.”
Khloe interrupted.
“Everyone stop.”
She held up a second keycard.
Same level.
Same name.
Two cards.
One legitimate.
One cloned.
Someone had been impersonating Julian.
Then the dead man's phone rang.
Khloe answered.
A distorted voice said:
“Tell Clare to stop looking.”
Khloe asked:
“Who are you?”
The voice laughed.
Then said:
“Ask her husband who he was meeting last night.”
The call ended.
I turned toward Julian.
“What meeting?”
He looked at me.
“I didn't meet anyone.”
Khloe checked his phone.
One encrypted calendar entry appeared.
A location.
A time.
And a woman's name.
Clare Vance.
Except I had never agreed to meet him.
Someone had scheduled a meeting using both our identities.
Tomorrow.
At midnight.
At a warehouse I had never heard of.
May you like
And the invitation ended with one sentence:
Bring the original trust.
