Chapter 13 - The Children They Switched"No."
Cora's voice barely existed.
Elena forced herself upright.
"Your father knew."
"My father was my father."
"Biologically?"
Cora stared.
Elena shook her head.
"No."
Dante looked at Elena.
"Explain."
"Twenty-four years ago, Lucien Moretti believed his wife had given birth to a daughter."
Dante's face tightened.
"She didn't."
"She gave birth to a boy."
Silence.
Cora looked at Dante.
Elena continued.
"Your mother died during childbirth."
Dante's breathing stopped.
"The hospital records were changed."
"Why?"
"Because Lucien wanted an heir."
Victor had lied.
Elena had lied.
Everyone had lied.
"But why switch me?"
Elena looked at Cora.
"Because your mother wasn't the only woman giving birth that night."
Cora's mind flashed with the photograph.
Two babies.
Two families.
One secret.
"Your mother gave birth to you."
Elena nodded.
"Lucien arranged the switch."
Dante stared.
"So Cora..."
"Is not his daughter."
"Then who am I?"
Elena looked at her.
"The daughter of Marcus Davis."
Cora's eyes widened.
"My father?"
"Yes."
Relief lasted one second.
Then Dante asked:
"Why would Lucien switch the babies?"
Elena swallowed.
"Because he wanted to control both bloodlines."
She pointed toward Dante.
"He raised his biological son as a Moretti."
Then toward Cora.
"And he placed his enemy's daughter in the enemy's family."
Cora shook her head.
"What enemy?"
Elena answered:
"Marcus Davis."
"Why was my father an enemy?"
"Because Marcus had evidence that could destroy Lucien."
Dante stepped closer.
"What evidence?"
Elena looked at Cora.
"The ledger."
Cora understood.
"That's why he hid it."
"Yes."
"And my memories?"
"Your father saw what Lucien was doing."
"He made me forget."
"Because you saw too much."
Dante crouched beside Elena.
"Who is the second man?"
Elena closed her eyes.
"Adrian."
Victor's brother.
"He's not Victor's twin."
Dante stiffened.
"What?"
"Victor was born first."
"Then who is Adrian?"
Elena whispered.
"Lucien's second son."
Cora felt the room spin.
"So both of them..."
"Are Morettis."
"And Victor?"
"The official heir."
"Adrian was hidden?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because Adrian was the one child Lucien couldn't control."
Elena coughed.
"He loved his mother."
Dante looked at Cora.
"You were never supposed to meet."
"Yet we did."
Elena smiled faintly.
"That's the problem."
A gunshot came from the hallway.
Elena jerked.
Cora screamed.
Dante pulled her behind the bed.
Victor entered.
His gun was smoking.
"You should have listened to me."
Dante raised his weapon.
"Drop it."
Victor smiled.
"You still think I'm the traitor."
Cora stepped forward.
"Then who is?"
Victor's eyes moved toward her.
"Lucien."
Dante's face changed.
"My father is dead."
Victor shook his head.
"No."
He removed his phone.
Played a video.
Lucien Moretti sat in a dark room.
Older.
Alive.
Cora's blood turned cold.
He looked into the camera.
"Dante."
Dante stopped breathing.
"My son."
Lucien smiled.
"Your little waitress is finally beginning to remember."
Cora stepped backward.
Lucien continued.
"Bring her to me."
Dante stared at the screen.
"You've been alive."
Victor nodded.
"For years."
"Why?"
"Because he built everything."
Dante's voice cracked.
"Why didn't you kill him?"
Victor answered quietly.
"Because he controls the one thing we never found."
"The ledger?"
"No."
Victor looked at Cora.
"The original."
Cora whispered.
"Original what?"
"The birth records."
Suddenly, Elena laughed weakly.
"You still don't understand."
Everyone looked at her.
She said:
"The original record doesn't prove who Cora is."
She looked at Dante.
"It proves who you are."
Dante's face went white.
Then the building doors slammed shut.
Locks engaged.
May you like
Lucien's voice echoed through the speakers.
"Welcome home, son."
