CHAPTER 9 — THE WOMAN WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD
Alexander forgot how to breathe.
The woman standing beyond the shattered ballroom window looked exactly like Elena.
Same dark hair.
Same eyes.
Same delicate face.
Same small scar beneath her left eyebrow.
For twelve years, Alexander had dreamed of seeing that face again.
But this wasn't a dream.
“Mommy…”
Sofia's voice broke the silence.
The woman outside looked toward her.
Her lips trembled.
“Sofia.”
Alexander's knees nearly gave out.
He stared at her.
“Elena?”
The woman took one step forward.
“Yes.”
Alexander couldn't move.
“You died.”
Elena's eyes filled with tears.
“I know.”
“You were buried.”
“I know.”
“I held your hand at your funeral.”
“I know.”
Alexander's voice cracked.
“Then who did I bury?”
Elena looked away.
“The woman they wanted you to believe was me.”
The room fell silent.
Evelyn slowly stepped toward Elena.
“You survived.”
Elena looked at her.
“Barely.”
Alexander turned toward Evelyn.
“You knew?”
Evelyn didn't answer.
Alexander's voice became furious.
“You knew my wife was alive?”
Evelyn finally spoke.
“I suspected.”
“You suspected?”
“You were safer believing she was dead.”
Alexander laughed bitterly.
“My daughter spent twelve years believing her mother abandoned her.”
Elena stepped inside.
“I never abandoned her.”
Sofia ran toward her.
Alexander instinctively tried to stop her.
Then Elena dropped to her knees.
Sofia threw herself into her arms.
For several seconds, mother and daughter simply held each other.
Sofia was crying.
“Mommy…”
Elena buried her face in Sofia's hair.
“My baby.”
Alexander watched them.
His heart was breaking.
He had spent twelve years grieving a woman who had been alive all along.
He stepped closer.
“Why didn't you come home?”
Elena looked at him.
“Because they threatened Sofia.”
“Who?”
“Richard.”
Alexander's eyes hardened.
“Veronica?”
Elena shook her head.
“Not just Veronica.”
She looked toward Evelyn.
“And not just Richard.”
Alexander turned.
“What are you saying?”
Elena stood.
“I discovered the trust before Sofia was born.”
“The trust?”
“The fortune your grandfather hid.”
Alexander nodded.
“And that's why they wanted Sofia.”
Elena shook her head.
“No.”
She looked directly at Alexander.
“They wanted Sofia because she was the only person who could legally expose them.”
Alexander frowned.
“Expose who?”
Elena opened the leather folder.
She pulled out a document.
“This.”
Alexander took it.
His face went pale.
It was a list of secret accounts.
At the top was Evelyn's name.
Below it were several other names.
Richard.
Veronica.
And—
Alexander.
He stared.
“No.”
Elena whispered,
“They forged your signature.”
Alexander looked at her.
“Why?”
“To make it appear that you approved the transfers.”
His stomach dropped.
“If the government investigated…”
“You would have taken the fall.”
Alexander looked toward Evelyn.
“You knew?”
Evelyn's face remained cold.
“I suspected the signatures were forged.”
“You let them frame me?”
“I was trying to protect the family.”
Alexander stepped toward her.
“You call that protection?”
Evelyn didn't respond.
Elena interrupted.
“There's more.”
She pulled another document from the folder.
“This is the original trust.”
Alexander read it.
The beneficiary was not Sofia.
Not Alexander.
Not Evelyn.
The beneficiary was—
Elena Voss.
Alexander looked confused.
“But Veronica said the trust belonged to Sofia.”
“She lied.”
Elena took Sofia's hand.
“Your grandfather created the trust for me.”
“Why?”
“Because he knew what Evelyn was doing.”
Alexander turned toward his mother.
“Then why was Sofia listed as the beneficiary later?”
Elena answered:
“Because I changed it.”
Alexander stared.
“When?”
“The day Sofia was born.”
She showed him a second document.
This one named Sofia as the sole beneficiary.
Alexander's eyes filled with tears.
“You gave everything to her.”
Elena nodded.
“I wanted her to have a future nobody could take from her.”
Then Daniel suddenly stepped forward.
“There is one problem.”
Everyone turned.
Daniel pointed at the documents.
“The trust isn't active.”
Alexander frowned.
“What?”
Daniel explained:
“The trust requires Sofia to prove her identity before the assets can be released.”
“How?”
Daniel looked at Elena.
“With her birth record.”
Alexander remembered the birth certificate.
The one with Daniel's name.
The one that had been hidden.
“But Veronica destroyed it.”
Elena shook her head.
“She thought she did.”
She reached into her coat.
And pulled out an original birth certificate.
Alexander stared.
The father's name was not Daniel Mercer.
It was blank.
The child's name was:
Sofia Elena Voss.
Alexander looked confused.
“Why is the father blank?”
Elena looked at him.
“Because Sofia's biological father isn't Daniel.”
The room went completely silent.
Daniel's face fell.
“What?”
Elena looked at Alexander.
“I lied.”
Alexander stared at her.
“To protect Sofia.”
His voice barely came out.
“Then who is her father?”
Elena stepped closer.
She reached for Alexander's hand.
“You.”
Alexander's eyes widened.
“What?”
“You are Sofia's biological father.”
He shook his head.
“The records…”
“Were forged.”
“Daniel?”
“He agreed to help me hide the truth.”
Alexander looked at Sofia.
His daughter.
His blood.
His entire world.
Elena whispered,
“I knew Veronica was watching you. I knew Richard was watching Daniel. I knew Evelyn wanted control of the trust.”
“So you made everyone believe Daniel was the father.”
“Yes.”
Alexander's eyes filled with tears.
“All these years…”
“I had to make them believe Sofia wasn't the heir.”
Alexander pulled Elena into his arms.
For the first time in twelve years, they held each other.
But the moment lasted only seconds.
A gunshot echoed outside.
Elena pulled away.
Daniel ran toward the window.
“Everyone down!”
Another shot shattered the remaining glass.
Evelyn looked toward the trees.
Her face turned white.
“No…”
Alexander grabbed Sofia.
“What?”
Evelyn whispered:
“Richard isn't the shooter.”
Daniel looked outside.
“Then who is?”
A black figure stepped out from behind the trees.
Elena stared.
Her expression collapsed.
“That man…”
Alexander looked at her.
“Who?”
Elena's voice trembled.
“The man who helped fake my death.”
Alexander stared into the darkness.
The figure slowly raised his weapon.
Elena whispered:
“Your father.”
Alexander froze.
“My father is dead.”
Elena shook her head.
“No.”
She looked at him with tears in her eyes.
“Your father has been alive this entire time.”
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And then—
the mansion doors exploded open.
