CHAPTER 8 — DAMON’S LAST LIE
Damon sat alone in his office.
The curtains were closed.
The lights were off.
His phone had been ringing for twenty minutes.
He refused to answer.
Then the door opened.
Lacey walked in.
“You need to leave.”
Damon didn't look at her.
“Where?”
“Anywhere.”
“I can't.”
“You can.”
“Victor knows.”
Lacey froze.
“What?”
“He knows Raina survived.”
“She was never supposed to die.”
“I know.”
“Then what's the problem?”
Damon finally looked at her.
“She found Clara.”
Lacey's face changed.
“How?”
“I don't know.”
“You're lying.”
Damon stood.
“Watch yourself.”
Lacey stepped closer.
“You promised me protection.”
“I protected you.”
“You used me.”
Damon laughed bitterly.
“You knew exactly what this was.”
“No.”
“You knew.”
“I thought Raina was only an obstacle.”
“She was.”
“Then why did Victor want her dead?”
Damon looked away.
Lacey's voice became quieter.
“What did he find?”
Damon didn't answer.
“What did Victor find?”
Damon finally said,
“The DNA records.”
Lacey froze.
“What DNA records?”
“Raina's.”
“What about them?”
Damon's face hardened.
“She's not a Voss.”
Lacey stared.
“What?”
“She's not.”
“Then who is she?”
“I don't know.”
Lacey shook her head.
“You're telling me you spent five years married to her and don't know?”
“I thought I knew.”
“What changed?”
Damon looked at her.
“Her blood.”
Lacey stared.
“The baby?”
Damon nodded.
“There's something strange about the pregnancy.”
“What?”
“The baby's DNA doesn't match Raina's expected family profile.”
Lacey frowned.
“What does that mean?”
“It means Raina isn't who everyone thinks she is.”
“Then whose child is she?”
Damon looked at her.
“That is what Victor wants to know.”
Lacey stepped backward.
“Why?”
“Because if Raina is the biological daughter of Elena Voss…”
“But she isn't.”
“No.”
“Then who is?”
Damon didn't answer.
Lacey's expression changed.
“Clara?”
Damon nodded.
“Clara is the real Voss heir.”
“Then Raina is…”
“Something else.”
Lacey stared at him.
“And the baby?”
Damon's voice became quiet.
“The baby is the key.”
Lacey's face went pale.
“To what?”
Damon didn't answer.
Before she could ask again, the office door opened.
A man entered.
Victor Black.
Damon immediately straightened.
“Sir.”
Victor looked at Lacey.
“Leave.”
Lacey didn't move.
Victor stared at her.
“I said leave.”
She walked out.
The door closed.
Victor approached Damon.
“You failed.”
Damon swallowed.
“Raina knows about Clara.”
“I know.”
“She has the notebook.”
Victor stopped.
“What notebook?”
“Elena's.”
Victor's expression changed.
“Where?”
“The cemetery.”
Victor turned toward him.
“You let them find it?”
“I didn't know.”
Victor grabbed Damon's collar.
“You were supposed to control Raina.”
“I did.”
“You locked her in a kennel.”
Damon froze.
“How do you know?”
Victor smiled.
“I know everything.”
He released him.
“You humiliated her.”
“I needed to frighten her.”
“You made her father angry.”
“That wasn't my intention.”
“You made Orson your enemy.”
Damon looked down.
Victor leaned closer.
“That man has spent twenty-seven years protecting secrets.”
“Then why hasn't he exposed you?”
“Because he has his own secrets.”
Damon frowned.
“What secrets?”
Victor smiled.
“You'll learn soon enough.”
Damon's phone vibrated.
A message.
He opened it.
His face went pale.
Victor noticed.
“What?”
Damon showed him the screen.
A photograph.
Raina.
Clara.
Orson.
At the cemetery.
Victor's expression changed.
“They found each other.”
“Yes.”
“Then we change the plan.”
“What plan?”
Victor looked at him.
“The baby.”
Damon swallowed.
“When?”
“Before the birth.”
“That could be dangerous.”
Victor smiled.
“Not if Dr. Hart cooperates.”
“She won't.”
“She will.”
“How?”
Victor walked toward the door.
“Because we have her daughter.”
Damon froze.
“Dr. Hart has a daughter?”
Victor looked back.
“She did.”
Then he left.
Damon stood alone.
For the first time, fear appeared in his eyes.
He had believed he was manipulating everyone.
He had believed Lacey was his ally.
He had believed Victor was merely a business partner.
But now he understood.
He had never been a player.
He had been a pawn.
And pawns were disposable.
Across town, Raina sat in Orson's study.
Clara sat opposite her.
The two sisters had spent the last three hours going through Elena's notebook.
Raina turned another page.
A list of names.
One name was circled.
DAMON MERCER.
Raina stared.
“Why?”
Clara answered,
“He was recruited six years ago.”
“To do what?”
“To marry you.”
Raina closed her eyes.
“So our entire marriage was planned.”
“Yes.”
“Did he ever love me?”
Clara hesitated.
“No.”
The answer hurt.
But Raina appreciated the honesty.
“What about Lacey?”
“She was supposed to replace you publicly.”
“Why?”
“To make your disappearance look voluntary.”
Raina's face tightened.
“Then why did she help lock me in the kennel?”
“Because Damon changed the plan.”
“What plan?”
“He was supposed to convince you to leave.”
Raina laughed bitterly.
“And when I refused?”
“He became desperate.”
Raina looked down at her stomach.
“Because of the baby.”
Clara nodded.
“Yes.”
Raina's eyes hardened.
“What exactly does my baby unlock?”
Clara shook her head.
“I don't know.”
“You said the baby was the key.”
“I said Victor believes the baby is the key.”
“What's the difference?”
“Victor may be wrong.”
Raina looked at her.
“How?”
Clara reached for the notebook.
She opened a hidden compartment in the back cover.
Inside was a small strip of paper.
She handed it to Raina.
It contained a sequence of letters.
Raina stared.
“What is this?”
Clara whispered,
“DNA.”
Raina looked at her.
“Whose?”
Clara's eyes filled with tears.
“Yours.”
Raina froze.
“That's impossible.”
“No.”
Clara pointed at the sequence.
“This was tested twenty-seven years ago.”
Raina's hands trembled.
“Against whom?”
Clara didn't answer.
Raina's eyes widened.
“Mom?”
Clara shook her head.
“Against me.”
Raina stared.
“And?”
Clara swallowed.
“We aren't sisters.”
The words destroyed the room.
Raina looked at the paper.
Then at Clara.
“You said we were twins.”
“I believed we were.”
“What does the test say?”
Clara whispered,
“Zero biological relationship.”
Raina couldn't breathe.
“Then who am I?”
May you like
Clara looked at her.
“That is what Elena spent her entire life trying to discover.”
