Chapter 10: The Child Nobody Knew About
The room went silent.
Not the quiet kind.
The kind that comes before something breaks.
Victoria’s words hung in the air.
*“Ask your dead husband why he stole my child.””*
I stared at her.
Because I knew Victoria.
Or at least I thought I did.
I knew her favorite wine.
I knew the song she played whenever she was sad.
I knew how she cried when her mother passed away.
But I did not know this.
I did not know she had a child.
“Victoria,” I said slowly.
“What are you talking about?””
Her expression hardened.
“Don’t pretend you don’t know.””
“I don’t.””
She laughed.
A bitter, broken sound.
“Of course you don’t.””
Claire stepped beside me.
“Who was your child?””
Victoria looked at her.
And for the first time, something in her face softened.
“You.””
The word hit the room like an explosion.
Claire froze.
“No.””
Victoria took a step forward.
“Yes.””
My daughter shook her head.
“That’s impossible.””
“I wish it was.””
I looked between them.
“Victoria, explain.””
She looked at me.
“You really never knew.””
I felt anger rising.
“Stop speaking in riddles.””
Victoria looked toward the documents scattered across the table.
“Thirty years ago, I had a baby.””
I said nothing.
“My husband left me before she was born. I was alone. I had no money.
No family. No one.””
Her voice became quieter.
“Then my baby disappeared.””
Claire looked pale.
“Disappeared?””
Victoria nodded.
“The hospital told me there was a mistake.””
My heart tightened.
“What kind of mistake?””
“The kind rich people can make disappear.””
I stared at her.
“Are you saying Richard took Claire?””
Victoria looked at me.
“Yes.””
The room felt like it stopped moving.
I turned toward Claire.
My daughter looked terrified.
“Mom…”
I shook my head.
“No.””
I needed to hear it from someone else.
I needed the impossible to become impossible again.
“Richard would never.””
Victoria’s eyes filled with anger.
“You loved him too much to see who he really was.””
The accusation hurt because it carried a small piece of truth.
I had loved Richard.
Completely.
Maybe too completely.
But I knew him.
Or I thought I did.
“Why would he take your child?””
Victoria looked down.
“Because he believed he was saving her.””
Nobody spoke.
She continued.
“Claire was sick when she was born. The doctors said she needed immediate treatment. I couldn’t afford it.””
Her hands shook.
“Richard was involved with the hospital foundation. He paid for everything.””
I looked at Claire.
“Your father saved your life.””
Victoria nodded.
“But then he made a choice.””
“What choice?””
“He told me he would give my daughter a better life.””
Her voice cracked.
“He said he and Eleanor could provide everything I couldn’t.””
I swallowed.
“That’s not stealing.””
“No.””
Victoria looked directly at me.
“Not at first.””
She walked toward the window.
“Richard promised he would let me see her.””
A tear moved down her cheek.
“He promised.””
Claire whispered:
“Did you?””
Victoria looked at her.
“Every year.””
The pain in her voice was undeniable.
“I wrote letters. I sent gifts. I asked about you.””
She looked at me.
“And every time, Richard made sure they disappeared.””
My stomach turned.
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
Victoria laughed sadly.
“Because he told me you knew.””
I stepped back.
“He lied to both of us.””
“Yes.””
For the first time, Victoria looked less like an enemy.
And more like someone who had been destroyed.
But then I remembered the files.
The money.
The surveillance.
The betrayal.
“You still worked with Daniel.””
Her expression changed.
“I wanted answers.””
“You wanted revenge.””
“Yes.””
She didn’t deny it.
“And after ten years, revenge became the only thing I had left.””
Claire looked at her.
“If you were my mother, why didn’t you come to me?””
Victoria closed her eyes.
“Because I was afraid.””
“Afraid of what?””
“That you would hate me.””
The honesty was painful.
Claire looked away.
Nobody knew what to say.
Then I noticed something.
A name on one of the documents.
Not Victoria.
Not Daniel.
Another person.
A signature.
My eyes narrowed.
“Wait.””
Everyone looked at me.
I picked up the paper.
“This transaction was approved after Richard died.””
Charles stepped closer.
“That’s impossible.””
I pointed to the signature.
“It was signed six months ago.””
Victoria looked confused.
“That doesn’t make sense.””
I looked at her.
“You said Daniel returned.””
“Yes.””
“But these documents prove he never left.””
The room went cold.
Charles took the paper.
His face changed.
“Eleanor.””
“What?””
He looked at the signature.
“That isn’t Daniel’s.””
I frowned.
“What?””
He turned the page.
“This is someone copying his name.””
Claire looked at the documents.
“Then who is actually behind all of this?””
Nobody answered.
Then the front door slammed shut.
We all turned.
A voice came from the hallway.
“You finally figured it out.””
My blood froze.
Because I knew that voice.
It belonged to someone I trusted.
May you like
Someone I had defended.
Someone who had been hiding in plain sight.
