Chapter 10 - The Daughter Hidden Beneath The Name
The name stayed in the air.
Alexander Voss.
Elena couldn't move.
Her entire life had been built on a story that was never real.
Thomas was not her father.
Alexander was.
The man whose empire had destroyed families.
The man whose name was feared.
The man connected to Adrian.
Her own existence was tied to the Voss family.
Adrian watched her carefully.
"Elena."
She looked at him.
"Don't."
He stopped.
"I need a moment."
Nobody spoke.
The screen showing Alexander remained frozen.
Then his voice returned.
"Elena."
Everyone looked.
Alexander was still there.
Watching.
"Your whole life, people have told you who you were."
A pause.
"But nobody asked you."
Elena stared at the screen.
"Asked me what?"
"Who you wanted to become."
The words confused her.
"You abandoned me."
Alexander's expression changed.
"I know."
"Why?"
For the first time, the powerful man looked tired.
"Because keeping you alive meant letting you hate me."
Nobody moved.
Elena laughed softly.
A painful laugh.
"That's supposed to make sense?"
"No."
Alexander looked down.
"It was supposed to keep you breathing."
Thomas stepped forward.
"You don't get to rewrite what happened."
Alexander looked at him.
"You took her away."
"I saved her."
"You hid her."
"I protected her."
The two men stared at each other.
Two fathers.
Two different versions of the same truth.
Elena looked between them.
"Stop."
Both became silent.
"I don't care who thinks they saved me."
Her voice shook.
"I care about the fact that everyone made decisions about my life without me."
Nobody answered.
Because nobody could deny it.
Elena looked at Adrian.
"And you."
He looked at her.
"I thought you were different."
Adrian's expression hurt.
"I wanted to be."
"But you still kept secrets."
"Yes."
The honesty surprised her.
"I was afraid."
"Of what?"
He looked at Alexander's image.
"Of becoming like him."
The answer changed something.
Because Adrian wasn't defending himself.
He was admitting his fear.
The alarms continued.
Marcus interrupted.
"We need to leave."
Everyone turned.
"What now?"
"The location is compromised."
Thomas looked at the screen.
"Not yet."
Marcus frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Thomas walked toward the system.
"The signal is not a warning."
He studied the code.
"It's an invitation."
Adrian looked at him.
"From who?"
Thomas answered quietly.
"From the person who created this entire plan."
Claire stepped closer.
"Daniel?"
Thomas shook his head.
"No."
Silence.
"Someone above Daniel."
Everyone looked confused.
Then Thomas opened another hidden file.
A security recording appeared.
A room.
A table.
Several people sitting around it.
Elena recognized one person immediately.
Alexander.
Another person.
Daniel.
But there was someone else.
Someone whose face was hidden.
The person spoke.
"Project Marlowe begins tonight."
Elena felt cold.
Project Marlowe.
The name.
The file.
Her birth.
Everything connected.
The hidden person continued.
"The child must survive."
Daniel asked:
"And if she doesn't?"
The person answered:
"Then we create another."
Elena's blood froze.
Thomas stopped the video.
Nobody spoke.
Adrian looked at him.
"What was that?"
Thomas didn't answer.
"Thomas."
Finally, he whispered:
"The truth about your birth."
Elena looked at him.
"What are you hiding?"
Thomas looked broken.
"When you were born..."
He paused.
"There was another child."
The room became silent.
Elena stared.
"What?"
Thomas nodded slowly.
"Your mother gave birth to twins."
Nobody moved.
Marcus looked shocked.
"Twins?"
Thomas looked at Elena.
"Yes."
Elena's voice became smaller.
"Where is she?"
Thomas looked away.
And that was the answer.
She was alive.
Or at least...
Someone wanted them to think she was.
Adrian stepped closer.
"Who is she?"
Thomas looked at the monitor.
The same location appeared.
The same signal.
The same message.
"She's the reason we were brought here."
Elena stared.
"My sister."
Thomas nodded.
"Her name is..."
The lights suddenly went out.
Again.
But this time...
Nobody panicked.
Because they heard something.
Footsteps.
Coming from the hallway.
Slow.
Calm.
Someone was walking toward them.
Marcus raised his weapon.
Adrian stood in front of Elena.
The footsteps stopped.
A shadow appeared behind the glass door.
Elena couldn't see the face.
But she saw a hand.
A small hand.
A child's hand.
The door unlocked.
Everyone froze.
The handle moved.
May you like
The door opened slowly.
And a young woman stepped inside holding the same necklace Elena wore around her neck.
