Chapter 3 - Their Mother Had Known Before She Died

Damian opened the envelope.

The handwriting was familiar.

He had seen it on birthday cards.

School notes.

Christmas gifts.

Elena Romano.

His mother.

She had died seven years earlier.

Damian sat down.

Claire remained standing.

Marco whispered:

“She wrote it two weeks before she died.”

Damian looked up sharply.

“She knew Claire was alive?”

“Yes.”

His face hardened.

“For how long?”

Marco hesitated.

“Five years.”

Damian stood.

“You spoke to her?”

“Once.”

“When?”

“Nine years ago.”

“You came back?”

“Yes.”

“And you didn’t come to me?”

Marco looked at him.

“I watched you leave a restaurant.”

Damian stared.

“You watched me?”

“You were twenty-five.”

“That is supposed to help?”

“No.”

Marco looked at Claire.

“I had proof by then that Vincent was alive.”

Charles interrupted.

“You had a photograph.”

Marco turned.

“And you had thirty-four years to tell the truth.”

Claire pointed at the letter.

“Read it.”

Damian unfolded the pages.

Elena’s first line stopped him.

My son and my daughter,

Claire sat down.

Damian continued.

If you are reading this together, then something I prayed for has finally happened.

Claire began crying.

Damian’s voice became quieter.

For most of my life, I believed I had buried a daughter I never saw again.

Dr. Lang looked away.

Then Marco came to me.

Damian stopped.

He looked at his father.

Marco said nothing.

Damian kept reading.

He showed me a photograph of Claire at twenty-nine.

I knew immediately.

Same eyes.

Same left eyebrow.

Same way of standing with one shoulder slightly higher.

Claire touched her left eyebrow.

Bianca started crying too.

Damian read:

I wanted to go to her that night.

But Marco told me Charles still had men watching Damian.

Damian looked up.

“Watching me?”

Marco nodded.

“For years.”

Charles said:

“For protection.”

Damian laughed.

“No one believes that anymore.”

The letter continued.

Charles had threatened that if I contacted Claire, he would give police evidence linking Damian to crimes committed by his uncle.

Damian stopped.

His uncle Roberto had run the Romano organization before Damian.

Damian had spent years cleaning up what Roberto left behind.

Elena wrote:

The evidence was false.

But it was convincing enough to destroy my son before he could defend himself.

Damian’s jaw tightened.

Claire looked at Charles.

“You used him against her.”

Charles answered:

“I protected my daughter.”

“You mean me?”

“Yes.”

“From my own mother?”

Charles’s voice broke for the first time.

“From losing you.”

Claire stared.

That answer hurt more.

Damian continued reading.

I agreed to wait until Marco could prove Vincent was alive.

I hated myself for waiting.

But I was already sick.

Damian stopped.

He knew what came next.

Cancer.

Fast.

Cruel.

Six months from diagnosis to funeral.

He read:

If I die before this is finished, do not let either child believe the other was unwanted.

Claire covered her face.

Damian’s voice cracked.

You were both wanted.

You were both loved.

One of you was stolen.

The other was lied to.

Neither of you was abandoned by me.

Damian lowered the letter.

Nobody spoke.

Claire reached for it.

He gave it to her.

She read the final lines silently.

Then looked at Marco.

“My mother knew my name?”

Marco nodded.

“She said it every time we spoke.”

Claire’s lips trembled.

“How many times?”

“Four phone calls.”

“Only four?”

“She was afraid Charles was recording her.”

Claire looked at the man who had raised her.

Charles did not deny it.

Bianca whispered:

“Dad.”

Charles looked at her.

“You were children.”

“I was twenty-eight when Mom died.”

“You were still my child.”

Bianca shook her head.

“No. You were protecting yourself.”

Damian turned to Marco.

“Why did Vincent agree to disappear?”

Marco’s face changed.

“He didn’t.”

“What does that mean?”

“Charles didn’t frame me because Vincent disappeared.”

Charles stepped forward.

“Enough.”

Marco ignored him.

“Vincent disappeared because he discovered how Claire was obtained.”

Claire froze.

Marco continued.

“He threatened to report Charles.”

Bianca stared at her father.

“What did you do?”

Charles said nothing.

Marco placed another document on the table.

A Swiss bank transfer.

Two hundred thousand dollars.

Sent by Charles Morel.

Received by Vincent Morel.

Six months after Claire was born.

Damian looked at it.

“You paid him.”

Marco nodded.

“To leave.”

Charles finally shouted:

“He blackmailed me.”

Dr. Lang looked at him.

“After you stole a baby.”

Charles turned.

“I saved her.”

Claire stood.

“No.”

Her voice was quiet.

“You loved me.”

Charles stopped.

Claire’s eyes filled.

“I believe that.”

He stared at her.

“But you still stole me.”

Charles had no answer.

Damian looked at Marco.

“So Vincent can clear you.”

“Yes.”

“Where is he?”

Marco looked at the Prague photograph.

“On his way here.”

Bianca frowned.

“When?”

Marco checked his watch.

“He landed forty minutes ago.”

Damian looked toward the hotel door.

“Then why isn’t he here?”

Marco’s phone rang.

Unknown number.

He answered.

Nobody spoke.

Marco listened.

His face changed.

“What?”

Damian stepped closer.

Marco ended the call.

“What happened?” Damian asked.

Marco looked at Charles.

Then at Claire.

“Vincent’s car was found outside the airport.”

Claire whispered:

“And Vincent?”

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Marco’s answer was quiet.

“Gone.”