Chapter 5 - Elena returned to the mansion three days later.The house looked exactly the same.
But it felt different.
Every chandelier.
Every painting.
Every locked door.
Now seemed to hide a secret.
Mrs. Howard embraced her.
“My poor girl.”
Elena smiled weakly.
“I'm alive.”
Vanessa stood behind her.
She looked nervous.
“Elena.”
Elena turned.
“Vanessa.”
Their eyes met.
Neither woman spoke.
Then Vanessa whispered:
“I'm sorry.”
Elena tilted her head.
“For the fall?”
Vanessa swallowed.
“Yes.”
Elena smiled.
“I believe you.”
Vanessa looked confused.
“You do?”
“Of course.”
Elena walked away.
Vanessa stared after her.
Something about Elena frightened her.
Not anger.
Not hatred.
Calmness.
That was worse.
That evening, Daniel entered Elena's bedroom.
“You should rest.”
“I will.”
He sat beside her.
“We need to talk.”
“We do.”
Daniel took her hand.
“Elena, what Margaret said...”
“Was she lying?”
He hesitated.
“Yes.”
Elena studied his face.
“You're a terrible liar.”
His eyes tightened.
She smiled.
“I didn't say I believed her.”
Daniel stood.
“What are you trying to do?”
“Nothing.”
“You're acting differently.”
“Maybe falling down the stairs changed me.”
He stared at her.
Then his phone vibrated.
He checked it.
A message.
THE SAFE. MIDNIGHT. BRING THE ORIGINAL FILE.
Elena saw his face change.
“What happened?”
“Nothing.”
He left.
At 11:50 p.m., Elena followed him.
Daniel entered the library.
He opened a hidden panel behind a painting.
Inside was a steel safe.
He entered a code.
Elena watched from the hallway.
But someone else was already inside the library.
Vanessa.
Daniel saw her.
“What are you doing here?”
“I received the message too.”
Daniel froze.
“What message?”
She showed him.
MIDNIGHT. BRING THE ORIGINAL FILE.
Daniel opened the safe.
Inside was an old medical file.
A birth record.
A DNA report.
And a photograph.
Vanessa picked it up.
It showed Elena's father.
And Margaret.
Together.
Years ago.
The report contained one line:
PATERNITY CONFIRMED.
Vanessa looked at Daniel.
“What is this?”
Daniel whispered:
“Your father.”
“That's Elena's father.”
“Yes.”
“Then why does my DNA match his?”
Daniel's eyes lowered.
“Because you're his daughter.”
Vanessa stared at him.
“And Elena?”
Daniel said nothing.
Vanessa's voice cracked.
“Then what are we?”
Before Daniel could answer, the lights went out.
The library plunged into darkness.
A woman's voice came from the doorway.
“You're sisters.”
Vanessa froze.
Elena stepped into the moonlight.
Daniel's face collapsed.
“You.”
Elena held up her phone.
“I've been listening.”
Vanessa backed away.
“No.”
Elena looked at her.
“Yes.”
Then she smiled.
“But there's something neither of you knows.”
She held up the DNA report.
“This test is fake.”
Daniel stared.
Elena's smile disappeared.
“And I know who forged it.”
May you like
Behind them, the library door slowly closed.
Someone was standing on the other side.
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