Chapter 3: The Secret in Elena's Name
I didn't move.
Neither did Claire.
Mark stood on the other side of the brick wall.
"Daniel," he called again, almost playfully.
"You can't hide forever.""
I looked at Claire.
She pointed toward the tracks.
There was an opening between two abandoned maintenance sheds.
We ran.
I heard Mark shout behind us.
"Hey!""
We sprinted across the gravel.
My shoes slipped.
Claire grabbed my arm and pulled me forward.
We ducked behind the second shed just as Robert appeared around the corner.
"Where did they go?"" he shouted.
Mark stopped beside him.
"Search the building.""
We crouched in silence.
My heart pounded so hard I could hear it.
After several minutes, the SUV engine started.
The vehicle disappeared down the road.
Claire finally exhaled.
"We need to leave.""
I nodded.
We drove to a small diner twenty miles outside town.
I sat in the corner booth while Claire spread the documents across the table.
"Start from the beginning," I said.
She nodded.
"Three months ago, Robert approached Mark.""
"Why?""
"Because Mark needed money.""
"How much?""
"More than he could ever repay.""
"And Robert had it?""
"No.""
She pushed a document toward me.
"Robert had access to something better.""
I looked down.
Elena's name.
I read the document twice.
It was a trust.
My hands went numb.
"What's this?""
"Your wife created it twenty years ago.""
"Miriam?""
"Yes.""
I kept reading.
The trust had been established when Elena was six.
The beneficiary was Elena.
The amount was enormous.
"Where did this come from?""
"Her biological grandparents.""
I stared at Claire.
"What grandparents?""
"Robert's parents.""
I remembered Elena once telling me that her paternal grandparents had died before she was old enough to remember them.
Apparently, there had been money.
A lot of money.
But Miriam had never touched it.
"Why didn't Elena know?""
"Because the trust doesn't mature until she turns twenty-seven.""
I looked at the date.
"She turns twenty-seven next month.""
Claire nodded.
"Which means Mark is marrying her twenty-four hours before the money becomes available.""
I felt sick.
"He's not marrying her for love.""
"No.""
"He's marrying the trust.""
Claire folded her hands.
"There's more.""
I looked at her.
She took out another document.
"Your name appears here.""
I read the page.
My name was listed as Elena's legal guardian.
"That's normal.""
"Look closer.""
I did.
The document stated that if Elena married before her twenty-seventh birthday, her guardian would have certain responsibilities regarding the trust.
"Why would that matter?""
"Because the guardian has to approve the transfer.""
I frowned.
"So they need me.""
"Exactly.""
I leaned back.
"Then why are they trying to kill me?""
Claire's eyes hardened.
"Because they found a loophole.""
She pointed to another paragraph.
"If the guardian becomes incapacitated or dies, the court appoints a temporary trustee.""
"And who would become trustee?""
She slid another page toward me.
I read the name.
Robert Hale.
My stomach dropped.
"So if I die...""
"Robert gets control.""
I stared at the document.
"And Elena?""
"She gets whatever is left.""
I clenched my fists.
"How much would Robert control?""
"Everything.""
The diner suddenly felt too small.
I thought about Elena.
Her wedding.
Her dress.
Her smile when she'd shown me the invitations.
The way she'd said she was nervous.
The way Mark had held her hand.
How could I have missed it?
Then something occurred to me.
"Elena doesn't know.""
Claire nodded.
"I don't think she does.""
"Then I have to tell her.""
"You can't just walk into the wedding and accuse her fiancé.""
"Why not?""
"Because Mark will deny everything.""
"I have documents.""
"He'll say they're fabricated.""
"Then I'll show her the trust.""
"Robert will say you're trying to control her.""
I stopped.
That was exactly what Elena had accused me of.
Suddenly, the argument at the dining room table made sense.
The words.
The anger.
The accusation that I was trying to control her.
Someone had been feeding her a story.
I asked, "Who convinced her to replace me?""
Claire looked at me.
"Robert.""
I felt something crack inside my chest.
"Of course.""
Claire hesitated.
"There's one thing I haven't told you.""
"What?""
"Robert didn't just tell Elena you weren't her real father.""
"What else did he tell her?""
Claire opened her phone.
"I found this recording.""
She pressed play.
Elena's voice came through the speaker.
"I just want him to finally admit what he did.""
A man's voice followed.
Robert.
"You don't owe Daniel anything.""
Elena said, "He paid for everything.""
"Because he wanted control.""
"That's not true.""
"Then why does he have access to your trust?""
Elena didn't answer.
Robert continued.
"He has been waiting twenty years to take what belongs to you.""
My jaw tightened.
The recording ended.
I stared at Claire.
"He lied to her.""
"Yes.""
"But she believed him.""
"She wanted to.""
That hurt because it was true.
I looked out the diner window.
Morning traffic moved along the highway.
People were going to work.
Buying coffee.
Dropping children at school.
Living ordinary lives.
Tomorrow, my daughter would walk down an aisle beside a man planning my death.
I reached for my phone.
"I need to see Miriam.""
Claire immediately shook her head.
"Why?""
"Because she knows something.""
"How do you know?""
"Because Miriam would never hide a trust worth millions from Elena.""
Claire frowned.
"Unless she was protecting her.""
I thought about the look on Miriam's face the night before.
Not surprise.
Fear.
I stood.
"We're going back.""
When we reached my house, the front door was unlocked.
I pushed it open.
"Miriam?""
No answer.
The house was silent.
The wedding decorations were still everywhere.
White roses.
Silver ribbons.
The cake.
Elena's framed engagement photograph.
I walked toward the kitchen.
A glass lay shattered on the floor.
"Miriam?""
Claire grabbed my sleeve.
"Daniel.""
She pointed.
There was blood on the counter.
My stomach dropped.
We searched every room.
No Miriam.
No Elena.
No Robert.
No Mark.
Then I saw an envelope sitting on the dining room table.
My name was written across it.
I opened it.
Inside was a single handwritten note.
*Daniel, if you're reading this, I've failed to protect you.*
My hands trembled.
I read the next line.
*There is something I should have told you twenty years ago.*
Claire stepped closer.
"What does it say?""
I kept reading.
*Robert isn't Elena's biological father.*
I stopped breathing.
Claire stared at me.
"What?""
I read it again.
The words hadn't changed.
*Robert isn't Elena's biological father.*
My knees nearly gave way.
The man I'd spent twenty years believing had abandoned Elena...
The man who had suddenly returned claiming her as his daughter...
Wasn't her father at all.
Then the front door slammed shut.
A voice came from the hallway.
"Daniel?""
Elena.
I rushed toward the sound.
She stood there alone.
Her face was streaked with tears.
Her ivory robe was gone.
She was wearing jeans and a sweater.
She looked terrified.
"Dad?""
I froze.
She had called me Dad.
Not stepfather.
Not Daniel.
Dad.
I took one step toward her.
"What happened?""
She shook her head.
"I found something.""
"What?""
She looked over her shoulder.
"Mark lied to me.""
Claire came up behind me.
Elena saw her.
Her eyes widened.
"You're Claire.""
Claire nodded.
Elena whispered, "Robert told me you were dead.""
Silence.
Then Elena reached into her pocket and pulled out a small key.
"I found this in Mark's office.""
She placed it in my palm.
"It's for a safe deposit box.""
"Where?""
"At the bank.""
I looked at the key.
"What did you find in his office?""
Elena's lips trembled.
"A photograph.""
"Of what?""
She looked straight at me.
"Of my mother.""
Miriam.
"She was standing beside another man.""
My heart stopped.
Elena swallowed.
"And that man wasn't Robert.""
May you like
She lowered her voice.
"Daniel... I think that man might be you.""
