CHAPTER 13 — TWO MEN, ONE BLOODLINE
The darkness lasted only three seconds.
But three seconds was enough.
A hand closed around my wrist.
I twisted instinctively.
"Let me go!"
"Clare."
Jonathan's voice.
Low.
Urgent.
"It's me."
I couldn't see him.
I could barely breathe.
Then emergency lights flickered on.
Red light washed across the hallway.
And there he stood.
The man from the photograph.
Jonathan Vale.
My biological father.
He looked older than the photographs.
Thinner.
A scar ran from beneath his left ear to the edge of his jaw.
But his eyes—
I knew those eyes.
Because I'd seen them every morning in my own mirror.
He released my wrist.
"I've waited twenty-six years to see you."
I couldn't speak.
My father stepped between us.
"Don't come any closer."
Jonathan looked at Edward.
"You've had twenty-six years."
Edward's voice was cold.
"She was a child."
"She was my daughter."
"She was hunted."
"Because you made her disappear."
Edward's jaw tightened.
"I saved her."
Jonathan laughed bitterly.
"You erased me."
I looked between them.
"Stop."
Both men went silent.
I stepped forward.
"I don't care who thinks they saved me."
My voice shook.
"I want the truth."
Jonathan looked at me.
"You deserve it."
Edward closed his eyes.
"Clare..."
"No."
I turned toward him.
"You've had twenty-six years to tell me."
I looked at Jonathan.
"And you've had twenty-six years to come back."
Neither man answered.
I swallowed.
"So both of you failed me."
The words hung in the hallway.
Then a gunshot exploded from the far end.
Everyone dropped.
Glass shattered.
Security guards shouted.
Jonathan grabbed me and pulled me behind the stone wall.
Edward returned fire.
"Get her out!" he shouted.
Jonathan looked at him.
"For once, we agree."
7:48 P.M.
We ran through the underground corridor.
Jonathan stayed beside me.
Edward followed.
Daniel brought up the rear.
I could hear footsteps behind us.
Fast.
Controlled.
Whoever was chasing us knew the house.
That frightened me more than the gunfire.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
Jonathan pointed ahead.
"Tunnel."
"To where?"
"Greenwich."
I stopped.
"That's impossible."
He looked at me.
"Your father's estate has an underground passage."
My father corrected him.
"Had."
Jonathan smiled.
"You never found it."
"I knew about it."
"Then why didn't you use it?"
"Because I didn't need to."
Jonathan looked at me.
"Until tonight."
We reached a steel door.
Jonathan entered a code.
Nothing happened.
He tried again.
Still nothing.
Edward stepped forward.
"Move."
He entered six numbers.
The door unlocked.
Jonathan stared at him.
"You remembered."
Edward looked at him.
"I remember everything."
The door opened.
Beyond it was darkness.
I stepped inside.
On the wall, someone had painted one sentence.
THE TRUTH ALWAYS COMES HOME.
I stared at it.
"Who wrote that?"
Jonathan answered.
"Your mother."
8:03 P.M.
The tunnel led beneath the property.
Old pipes ran along the ceiling.
Water dripped from the stone walls.
We walked in silence.
Then I finally asked:
"Why did you disappear?"
Jonathan stopped.
"I didn't."
I frowned.
"Then where were you?"
"Prison."
My father looked away.
I stared at Jonathan.
"For twenty-six years?"
"No."
His expression hardened.
"For eleven."
My breath caught.
"Why?"
"I was framed."
"By Alexander?"
"Yes."
"What were you accused of?"
"Murder."
"Whose murder?"
Jonathan looked at me.
"Your mother's."
I stopped walking.
"What?"
He shook his head.
"I didn't kill Elena."
"Then who did?"
"I never found out."
Edward spoke.
"I know."
Jonathan turned sharply.
"You knew?"
Edward's expression remained grim.
"I found evidence."
"What evidence?"
"Elena wasn't killed."
Silence.
I stared at both men.
"What?"
Edward looked at me.
"Your mother survived the attack."
My heart stopped.
"What are you saying?"
"Elena escaped."
Jonathan's face changed.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because by the time I found her..."
Edward paused.
"She was gone."
"Where?"
"We don't know."
I felt dizzy.
"My mother might be alive?"
Jonathan looked at me.
"Yes."
My entire body went cold.
Twenty-six years of mourning.
Twenty-six years of believing she was dead.
And now—
she might still be alive.
8:17 P.M.
We reached an underground chamber.
A metal table stood in the center.
On it were dozens of files.
Jonathan walked toward them.
"I found this place six months ago."
Edward stared at him.
"You've been back."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because someone contacted me."
"Who?"
Jonathan picked up a photograph.
"Elena."
My hands began shaking.
"That's impossible."
He handed me the photograph.
My mother.
Older.
Alive.
Standing beside a car.
The date was printed beneath it.
2018.
I stared at the photograph.
"Where was this taken?"
"Prague."
I looked at Jonathan.
"Why didn't she come home?"
Jonathan's expression broke.
"Because she was afraid."
"Of Alexander?"
"Of everyone."
"Even you?"
"Especially me."
I didn't understand.
"Why?"
Jonathan looked at Edward.
"Because she believed one of us had betrayed her."
My father became very still.
"Who?"
Jonathan didn't answer.
Instead, he opened another file.
Inside was a handwritten note.
I recognized the handwriting immediately.
My mother's.
If Clare is alive, do not tell her the truth until she is ready.
I looked at my father.
"She knew about me."
"Yes."
"She knew I was with you."
"Yes."
"Then why didn't she come?"
My father swallowed.
"Because she believed returning would put you in greater danger."
I looked at Jonathan.
"And you?"
"I spent years trying to find her."
"Did you?"
"Once."
"When?"
"Three years ago."
My heart raced.
"What happened?"
He looked down.
"She disappeared again."
8:31 P.M.
A sound echoed through the tunnel.
Metal scraping against stone.
Everyone froze.
Daniel raised his weapon.
"Someone followed us."
Edward looked at the entrance.
"How?"
Jonathan's expression changed.
"There's another entrance."
"Where?"
Jonathan pointed toward the far wall.
"Behind the archive."
Edward swore.
"What?"
"They know the tunnels."
The lights went out.
Again.
This time, nobody moved.
Then a voice came through the darkness.
"Family reunions are always so emotional."
Alexander.
My heart slammed against my ribs.
His footsteps echoed through the chamber.
Slow.
Unhurried.
He didn't sound like a man chasing anyone.
He sounded like a man who already knew he had won.
"Alexander," Jonathan said.
"My brother."
Jonathan's voice was filled with hatred.
Alexander stepped into the emergency light.
He looked at me.
And smiled.
"There she is."
I stared at him.
"You killed my mother."
His expression didn't change.
"No."
"You're lying."
"No."
He looked at Jonathan.
"Your mother betrayed everyone."
Jonathan stepped forward.
"Don't you dare."
Alexander ignored him.
He looked at me.
"Your mother wasn't killed."
I felt my breath catch.
"Where is she?"
Alexander smiled.
"Closer than you think."
My father raised his weapon.
"Enough."
Alexander laughed.
"Still protecting her."
Then he looked at me.
"Do you know why Edward took you?"
"To protect me."
"No."
Alexander shook his head.
"To hide his mistake."
I looked at Edward.
"What mistake?"
Alexander's smile widened.
"Ask him about the night you were born."
Edward's face went pale.
Alexander continued.
"Ask him why your mother gave you to him."
I turned toward my father.
"Dad?"
He didn't answer.
Alexander took one step closer.
"Ask him who your father really is."
Jonathan's expression changed.
"What are you talking about?"
Alexander smiled.
"You still don't understand."
Then he looked directly at me.
"Jonathan Vale is your biological father."
I stared at him.
"Yes."
Alexander's voice softened.
"But he's not the man your mother chose."
Silence.
I felt my entire world collapse.
"What does that mean?"
Alexander looked at Edward.
"Tell her."
My father closed his eyes.
Alexander's smile disappeared.
"Tell your daughter who signed the birth certificate."
Edward said nothing.
Alexander whispered:
"Tell her who her legal father is."
I looked at my father.
His lips trembled.
Then he said the words that changed everything.
"I did."
Jonathan froze.
"What?"
Edward looked at him.
"I signed it."
Jonathan stepped forward.
"You had no right."
"I was protecting her."
"You stole my daughter!"
"I saved her from your war."
Jonathan raised his weapon.
"Enough!"
I screamed.
"STOP!"
Both men froze.
I looked at Edward.
"You signed my birth certificate."
He nodded.
"Why?"
His eyes filled with tears.
"Because Elena asked me to."
I couldn't breathe.
"Why would she ask you?"
He looked at me.
"Because she knew Jonathan wasn't your only father."
Silence.
Alexander smiled.
Jonathan stared at Edward.
"What are you saying?"
Edward whispered:
"Clare was born from a secret Elena kept from all of us."
I felt my knees weaken.
"Secret?"
He nodded.
Then he said:
"Your biological mother was Elena."
A pause.
"But your biological father..."
He looked at Jonathan.
Then at Alexander.
And finally—
at me.
"...was neither of them."
The chamber fell silent.
May you like
Somewhere above us, a siren began to wail.
And I realized the truth was far worse than anything I had imagined.
