CHAPTER 6: THE SON THEY STOLE FROM HIM
Dominic Vale remained completely still after the call ended.
The phone was still pressed against his ear.
But the voice was gone.
The connection had disappeared.
Only silence remained.
A silence that felt heavier than any threat he had ever faced.
Because Dominic had spent his entire life fighting people who wanted his money.
His power.
His territory.
But this was different.
Someone was not trying to take something from him.
Someone was revealing something that had already been stolen.
His family.
His history.
His son.
Daniel watched him carefully.
“Boss.”
Dominic did not respond.
“Are you okay?”
That question almost sounded strange.
Nobody asked Dominic Vale if he was okay.
People asked him what needed to be done.
They asked for orders.
They asked for decisions.
They asked him to solve impossible problems.
But nobody asked about the man behind the reputation.
Dominic slowly placed the phone on the desk.
“No.”
Daniel remained silent.
Because Dominic rarely admitted weakness.
Even when he was bleeding.
Even when everything around him collapsed.
He always stood.
But tonight was different.
“Find everything.”
Dominic finally said.
Daniel nodded.
“About who?”
Dominic looked at the photograph on the desk.
The photograph of Elena.
Holding a baby.
A baby everyone told him had died.
“My son.”
The words left his mouth quietly.
But they carried the weight of a lifetime.
Daniel’s expression changed.
“Boss…”
“I want every record.”
“Birth records.”
“Medical files.”
“Hospital information.”
“Anything connected to Elena.”
Daniel hesitated.
“Dominic.”
“What?”
“If this is true…”
“I know.”
Dominic cut him off.
He looked toward the window.
The dark valley outside reflected back at him.
“If this is true, then twelve years of my life were built on a lie.”
A knock interrupted them.
Marcus entered.
“Claire is waiting.”
Dominic looked back.
“Where?”
“The library.”
Dominic walked out.
But before leaving the office, he stopped.
He looked at Daniel.
“Do not tell anyone.”
Daniel nodded.
“Not even Marcus?”
“Not yet.”
Daniel understood.
Because there was one lesson everyone in Dominic’s world knew.
Secrets were dangerous.
But unfinished secrets were deadly.
The library was one of the oldest rooms in the Vale mansion.
Dark wooden shelves covered every wall.
Thousands of books surrounded the fireplace.
Generations of Vale family history sat inside those walls.
But tonight, Dominic felt like he knew nothing about his own family.
Claire stood near the window.
She was no longer wearing the expression of a perfect fiancée.
The mask had disappeared.
For the first time, Dominic saw exhaustion on her face.
Fear.
Not for herself.
For something else.
“You knew about my son.”
Dominic said.
Claire did not turn around.
“Yes.”
“How long?”
“A long time.”
His jaw tightened.
“And you said nothing.”
Claire slowly faced him.
“Would you have believed me?”
Dominic said nothing.
Because the answer was complicated.
Twelve years ago, he had been destroyed.
Elena died.
His child died.
His world collapsed.
Nobody could have convinced him otherwise.
“You should have told me.”
Claire looked down.
“I tried.”
“When?”
“Before we became engaged.”
Dominic stared.
“What?”
Claire took a breath.
“Six months after we met.”
“You were going to tell me?”
“Yes.”
“Then why didn’t you?”
Her eyes moved toward the fireplace.
“Because Nathan found out.”
The room became colder.
Again.
Nathan.
Every road led back to Nathan.
“What did he do?”
Claire swallowed.
“He threatened me.”
Dominic’s expression hardened.
“Explain.”
“He told me if I spoke about Elena or the child…”
“He would destroy my family.”
Dominic stepped closer.
“Your family?”
Claire nodded.
“My brother.”
“Julian?”
“Yes.”
Dominic remembered the name.
The man Daniel was investigating.
Claire’s brother.
The person connected to the missing information.
“What did Nathan know about Julian?”
Claire looked at him.
“That Julian was the only person who knew where your son was.”
Dominic froze.
“Julian?”
“Yes.”
“Where is he now?”
Claire looked away.
“He disappeared.”
“When?”
“Three years ago.”
Dominic’s eyes narrowed.
“Convenient.”
Claire nodded.
“That is what I thought too.”
The room became silent.
Then Dominic asked the question he had avoided.
“Why?”
Claire looked confused.
“Why what?”
“Why help me now?”
The question hung between them.
Because Dominic knew something important.
People did not reveal secrets without a reason.
Especially people like Claire.
She looked at him for a long moment.
Then answered honestly.
“Because I realized I was protecting the wrong person.”
Dominic studied her.
“You loved him?”
Claire’s expression changed.
“No.”
A pause.
“I feared him.”
That answer surprised Dominic.
Claire continued.
“Nathan was not always like this.”
“He changed.”
“After your father died.”
“What happened?”
Claire looked toward the old bookshelves.
“Your father left a final instruction.”
“For Nathan?”
“No.”
“For Elena.”
Dominic frowned.
“What instruction?”
Claire whispered:
“If anything happened to him, Elena had to disappear.”
Dominic felt a chill.
“Why?”
“Because your father knew someone would come after her.”
“Who?”
Claire looked directly at him.
“That is what we need to find out.”
Before Dominic could answer, the library door suddenly opened.
Marcus entered.
His expression was serious.
“Boss.”
Dominic turned.
“What?”
“We found something in the archive.”
“What?”
Marcus held a small envelope.
“It was hidden behind the family portrait.”
Dominic took it.
The envelope had no name.
No mark.
Only a date.
Twelve years ago.
The night Elena disappeared.
Dominic opened it.
Inside was a handwritten note.
Not from his father.
Not from Elena.
From Nathan.
Dominic read the first line.
And his entire body went cold.
I HAVE TAKEN CARE OF THE CHILD.
He continued.
NO ONE WILL EVER KNOW HE SURVIVED.
Dominic’s breathing changed.
The room became silent.
Claire covered her mouth.
Marcus stared.
Because they all understood.
This was not suspicion anymore.
This was proof.
Nathan had known.
Nathan had hidden Dominic’s son.
But there was one more sentence.
One sentence written underneath.
One sentence that changed everything.
THE BOY IS SAFE BECAUSE I AM HIS FATHER NOW.
Dominic stared at the words.
His hands tightened around the paper.
No anger.
No shouting.
Only a terrifying calm.
Because Nathan Cross had not just stolen a secret.
He had stolen a child.
Dominic’s child.
Then Marcus’s radio suddenly activated.
A guard’s voice came through.
“Security breach.”
Everyone turned.
“Where?”
A pause.
Then:
“The east gate.”
“Someone is leaving.”
Dominic immediately moved toward the door.
“Who?”
The guard answered.
“Dr. Elena Vale.”
The entire room froze.
Dominic stopped.
Because Elena was supposed to be dead.
And yet…
May you like
She was walking out of his home.
Alive.
