Chapter 11 - THE BOY IN THE CAR
Nicholas stared at the boy.
The resemblance to his traitorous brother was undeniable.
“Elena,” Nicholas breathed, stepping down the stairs. “You’re alive.”
Elena didn't embrace him. She kept the boy behind her leg.
“Where is my daughter, Nicholas?”
“She’s inside. She’s safe,” Nicholas said gently. “Elena, I didn't know. Domenic told me you were dead.”
“Domenic saved me,” Elena spat.
Nicholas recoiled. “Saved you? Elena, Domenic orchestrated the crash! He tried to kill you and the baby!”
“Liar!” Elena shouted. “Domenic told me you ordered the hit because you didn't want a child ruining your empire. Domenic hid me in Europe. He took care of me. We fell in love.”
She looked down at the boy. “This is Leo. Domenic’s son.”
The twisted web of his brother’s lies finally became clear.
Domenic hadn't just tried to steal the empire. He had stolen the woman Nicholas loved, poisoned her mind, and fathered a child with her.
“Elena, you have to listen to me,” Nicholas pleaded. “Domenic is in federal prison. He confessed to everything. He partnered with Vivienne Hart to destroy me.”
Elena shook her head stubbornly, but a flicker of doubt crossed her eyes.
Maria stepped out onto the porch, holding Lucy’s hand.
Elena froze when she saw the little girl. Tears instantly flooded her eyes.
“My baby,” she whispered.
She took a step forward, but Lucy hid behind Maria’s legs, clinging to the housekeeper’s dress.
“Mommy, who is that?” Lucy asked Maria.
The word Mommy hit Elena like a physical blow.
She stopped, staring at Maria.
“I am her mother,” Maria said softly but firmly. “I have raised her since the day she was found in the wreckage.”
Elena pulled a gun from her coat pocket and aimed it at Maria.
“Give me my daughter, or I’ll kill you.”
Nicholas moved faster than thought. He stepped directly between Elena’s gun and Maria.
“You’ll have to shoot me first, Elena. Just like Domenic planned all along.”
Elena’s hand trembled. She looked at Nicholas, really looked at him for the first time in years. She didn't see a monster. She saw a father protecting his family.
“Mommy, don't!” the little boy, Leo, cried, tugging on Elena’s coat.
Elena looked down at her son. Then at Lucy, who was terrified.
She slowly lowered the gun, falling to her knees on the driveway, sobbing uncontrollably.
“What have I done?” she wept. “What has he made me do?”
Nicholas knelt beside her, gently taking the gun away.
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“It’s over, Elena. The lies end today.”
TITLE: THE TRUE FAMILY
