Chapter 3 - At 2:17 a.m., Daniel entered the hospital.He expected Elena to be unconscious.
Instead, she was awake.
Her eyes followed him from the doorway.
“Daniel.”
He forced a smile.
“Elena.”
He walked toward the bed.
“How are you feeling?”
“Tired.”
“The doctor said you were lucky.”
“So I've been told.”
Daniel touched her hand.
It was cold.
“I was terrified.”
Elena looked at him.
“Were you?”
He lowered his eyes.
“Yes.”
She waited.
He didn't say anything else.
Elena's gaze moved toward the window.
“You weren't there when I fell.”
Daniel stiffened.
“No.”
“Where were you?”
“At home.”
“That isn't what I asked.”
He swallowed.
“I was in the study.”
Elena nodded.
A small smile appeared.
“Of course.”
Daniel stared at her.
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing.”
A knock interrupted them.
Detective Ruiz entered.
Daniel's jaw tightened.
“You again.”
Ruiz ignored him.
“Mrs. Howard, can I speak to you privately?”
Daniel stepped back.
“I'll wait outside.”
Once he left, Elena whispered:
“Did you find it?”
Ruiz placed a file on the table.
“Three cameras.”
Elena nodded.
“Locations?”
“Staircase. Library. Study.”
“Good.”
“There's more.”
Ruiz opened the file.
“Your husband wasn't alone in this.”
Elena remained silent.
“We tracked the second phone.”
“Who owns it?”
“A shell company.”
Elena's eyes narrowed.
“Whose?”
Ruiz leaned forward.
“Your father-in-law's former business partner.”
Elena frowned.
“He died six years ago.”
“Officially.”
Elena looked at him.
Ruiz continued.
“His company didn't disappear. It changed names.”
He pushed another photograph toward her.
A warehouse.
A black SUV.
And a woman standing beside it.
Elena stared.
She recognized her immediately.
“Mrs. Howard?”
Elena's face went pale.
“I know that woman.”
“Who is she?”
“My husband's aunt.”
Ruiz nodded.
“Margaret Howard.”
Elena whispered:
“She died before Daniel was born.”
Ruiz leaned back.
“No.”
Elena looked at him.
“She didn't.”
At the mansion, Vanessa was searching Daniel's study.
She opened drawers.
Nothing.
She checked the safe.
Empty.
Then she noticed a loose floorboard.
She pulled it up.
Underneath was a black envelope.
Inside was a photograph.
Vanessa stared at it.
Daniel.
Margaret.
And a third person.
Her own mother.
Vanessa dropped the photograph.
“No.”
Footsteps sounded outside.
She quickly hid the picture.
The door opened.
Daniel entered.
“What are you doing?”
“Looking for your insurance documents.”
“In the middle of the night?”
“I was worried about Elena.”
Daniel walked closer.
“You found something.”
Vanessa stepped back.
“What?”
He grabbed her wrist.
“The envelope.”
She stared at him.
“You knew it was there.”
His expression hardened.
“Give it to me.”
She slowly reached inside her pocket.
Then stopped.
“No.”
Daniel's eyes narrowed.
“What did you say?”
Vanessa pulled the photograph out.
“Why is my mother standing with your family?”
Daniel stared at the image.
His face drained of color.
“That isn't your mother.”
“Don't lie to me.”
“Vanessa...”
“Who is the third person?”
Daniel said nothing.
She stepped closer.
“Who?”
Finally, he whispered:
“Your mother wasn't your mother.”
Vanessa froze.
“What?”
Daniel looked toward the door.
Then lowered his voice.
“Your birth certificate is fake.”
The room went silent.
Vanessa's entire world shifted.
Before she could speak, her phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
One message.
STOP ASKING QUESTIONS OR ELENA WON'T BE THE ONLY WOMAN WHO FALLS.
Vanessa stared at the screen.
Daniel read it over her shoulder.
Neither spoke.
Then, from somewhere inside the wall, a tiny red light blinked.
A hidden camera.
May you like
Recording everything.
And neither of them knew Elena was watching.
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