Chapter 10 - The Child Nobody KnewThe boardroom became silent.
I turned toward my father.
“Another child?”
He said nothing.
“Dad.”
Victor laughed.
“You finally have to tell her.”
My father closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
The word broke something inside me.
I sat down.
“Who?”
My father looked at me.
“Your mother had twins.”
I stared.
“You're lying.”
“She gave birth to two children.”
“Where is the other one?”
He swallowed.
“I don't know.”
Victor interrupted.
“I know.”
I looked at him.
“Who?”
Victor smiled.
“Vanessa.”
I stopped breathing.
“No.”
Victor nodded.
“The other child was raised under another name.”
My mind raced.
“No. Vanessa is Jonathan Vale's daughter.”
“That's what she believes.”
Victor looked pleased.
“Jonathan found the child before Richard Mercer could.”
My father stared at him.
“You're insane.”
Victor turned toward me.
“Your mother knew she was being watched.”
He explained that after Jonathan's death, the infant girl disappeared.
Records were sealed.
Names were changed.
The child grew up believing she was Vanessa Vale.
I looked at Victor.
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because blood matters.”
He pointed toward me.
“Ellison.”
Then toward the photograph.
“And her.”
My stomach turned.
“You want us to fight each other.”
“I want you to understand why I built the conflict.”
I finally understood.
Vanessa had not merely wanted Adrian.
She had been manipulated into competing with me.
Victor had spent years feeding her information about the Ellison family.
He told her Marcus destroyed her father.
He told her Claire inherited what should have belonged to her.
He created two sisters without letting either know the other existed.
My father stared at Victor.
“How did you know?”
Victor smiled.
“Because I helped arrange the adoption.”
I stood.
“You separated us.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because together, you would have been dangerous.”
The room spun.
Then the doors opened.
Vanessa walked in.
Two guards followed her.
She looked at me.
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Claire.”
I couldn't speak.
She approached slowly.
“My whole life, I thought my father died because of your family.”
I stared at her.
“And I thought you tried to destroy me because you loved Adrian.”
She shook her head.
“I never loved him.”
Adrian's voice came from behind her.
“Then what was I?”
Vanessa turned.
“A tool.”
He looked devastated.
I almost felt sorry for him.
Almost.
Victor saw the shift.
“No.”
He stepped toward Vanessa.
“You don't get to rewrite history.”
She looked at him.
“You lied to me.”
“I gave you purpose.”
“You gave me hatred.”
Victor's face hardened.
A security officer entered.
“Mr. Hale, you're being detained pending investigation.”
Victor laughed.
“You think this ends with me?”
Nobody answered.
He looked at me.
“There is one document you haven't seen.”
“What document?”
He smiled.
“The original Ellison succession agreement.”
My father went pale.
Victor continued.
“It names the rightful heir.”
He looked directly at Vanessa.
“Not Claire.”
Vanessa whispered:
“What?”
Victor smiled.
“Not even me.”
Then he was escorted away.
The room remained silent.
I turned toward my father.
“What does the succession agreement say?”
He looked at Vanessa.
Then at me.
May you like
Then finally said:
“It says neither of you can inherit alone.”
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