Chapter 14 - The Child Nobody Mentioned
Eleanor’s gun did not move.
“The baby died,” she said.
Leo watched her face. “You’re lying.”
“Careful.”
“My mother wrote it down because it mattered.”
Outside, police waited for Marcus’s signal.
Inside the command van, Julian looked at Samuel.
Samuel had gone white.
“You know something,” Julian said.
Samuel stared at the audio feed.
“Anna asked me to locate a private adoption record after her death. I never understood why.”
Julian grabbed his arm. “What adoption?”
In the hangar, Eleanor laughed softly.
“The baby did not die.”
Leo’s heartbeat thudded against the transmitter.
“Where is he?”
“She.”
Leo swallowed. “Where is she?”
Eleanor’s eyes turned glassy for the first time.
“I gave birth to a daughter. Miles arranged the adoption. I could not drag an infant through what we were doing.”
“You mean stealing?”
“I mean surviving.”
“You pushed me down the stairs.”
“I needed the document.”
“You tried to steal my mother’s trust.”
“I was taking what your family stole from mine.”
Leo shook his head. “You could have gone to court.”
“And let Julian’s father’s lawyers bury me? Let Charles erase me? No.”
“Who adopted your daughter?”
Eleanor smiled sadly.
“You already know her.”
Leo stopped breathing.
Outside, Maya was watching through binoculars beside Marcus.
Her phone began to ring.
Unknown number.
She answered.
A young woman spoke.
“Maya Torres?”
“Yes.”
“My name is Claire Bennett. I was told you could explain why a lawyer called me this morning and said my biological mother is Eleanor Mercer.”
Maya stared at the hangar.
May you like
Claire continued.
“And he said Leo Mercer may be in danger because of me.”
