Chapter 9 - TWO LITTLE GIRLS
Dominic did not sleep that night.
By dawn, his security team had reviewed every camera around the estate. The second girl appeared in only one frame, reflected in the garden window.
No vehicle had been recorded entering the property.
No gate had opened.
No child had been seen crossing the grounds.
It was as if she'd appeared out of nowhere.
Dominic placed the photograph beside Elena's letter and studied them until his eyes burned.
The child in the reflection had the same brown curls and blue eyes described in the old recording. The same small dimple. The same shape of chin.
He called Sister Catherine.
“Tell me everything you know about the baby Elena brought to St. Mercy's.”
The woman was silent for a moment.
Then she said, “There were two children, Mr. Moretti.”
Dominic stopped breathing.
“What?”
“Your wife brought one child to us. But she was not the only person who came that week.”
“Who brought the second child?”
“I don't know. A woman left a note. She said the baby had to remain hidden until the family was safe.”
Dominic gripped the phone.
“Did the children have the same mother?”
“I can't tell you that. I never saw the second child's mother.”
“Where are they now?”
“The first child was collected by a nurse under Elena's legal guardianship papers. The second child was transferred to another shelter.”
“Which one?”
Sister Catherine gave him the name of a small children's home in Wisconsin.
Dominic immediately sent Daniel to investigate.
Then he went upstairs to Sophie's room.
She was sitting on the floor, arranging colored pencils beside Mr. Buttons.
“Daddy!”
He sat beside her.
“Sweetheart, can I ask you something?”
She nodded.
“Have you ever seen another little girl who looks like you?”
Sophie frowned.
“Like me?”
“Brown hair. Blue eyes.”
She thought for a moment.
Then she nodded.
“I saw her in my dream.”
Dominic's heart pounded.
“What happened in the dream?”
“She was standing outside the garden. She had a yellow blanket.”
He went still.
“Did she say anything?”
Sophie nodded.
“She said her name was Grace.”
Dominic felt the room tilt.
Sophie looked up at him.
“Daddy, why are you sad?”
He pulled her into his arms.
“Because I think there are things about our family I should have known.”
Sophie rested her head against his chest.
“Can we find the little girl?”
Dominic closed his eyes.
“Yes, sweetheart. We're going to try.”
At the children's home in Wisconsin, Daniel found records of a girl placed there under the name Grace Bell. The paperwork was incomplete, and the child's original guardian had disappeared.
But a nurse remembered the girl.
“She was quiet,” the nurse said. “She used to ask for a woman named Elena. She said Elena had promised to come back.”
“Where did she go?”
“She was adopted by a family from Michigan three years ago. The adoption was handled privately.”
“Names?”
The nurse hesitated.
“I'm not sure I'm allowed to share that.”
Daniel placed his card on the desk.
“This is a missing-child investigation involving possible fraud and threats. Please preserve every record you have. Our attorney will contact you.”
The nurse studied him.
Then she lowered her voice.
“The adoptive family returned her last year. They said she had nightmares and kept talking about a man who wanted to take her away.”
Daniel's face hardened.
“Where is she now?”
“She was transferred to a temporary foster placement. But the records were sealed after someone filed a protection order.”
“Who filed it?”
The nurse checked the file.
Then looked up.
“Richard Sterling.”
Daniel immediately called Dominic.
“Sir, we found the second child.”
Dominic closed his eyes.
“Where is she?”
“Her name is Grace Bell. Richard Sterling had her records sealed.”
Dominic's voice dropped.
“Find her before he does.”
Meanwhile, Vanessa sat in a private room at the airfield, staring at her phone.
She had not boarded the flight.
Her father had told her to wait.
Now she watched the news on a muted television as reporters discussed an investigation into suspicious financial transactions connected to the Sterling law firm.
Her phone rang.
Richard.
She answered.
“Where are you?”
“At the airfield.”
“Stay there.”
“Dad, Dominic knows about Elena's recordings.”
Silence.
Then Richard said, “What else does he know?”
“He found the blue box. He knows Michael was involved.”
Richard's voice sharpened.
“Did you tell him about the second child?”
Vanessa froze.
“No.”
“Good. Keep it that way.”
She swallowed.
“Dad, I can't do this anymore.”
“You will do exactly what I tell you.”
“You said the children were only leverage. You said nobody would get hurt.”
Richard's voice turned cold.
“Do you want to lose everything?”
Vanessa began crying.
“I don't want Sophie taken away from him.”
“Then stop making this personal.”
“It is personal! Elena was my friend.”
Richard went silent.
Vanessa covered her mouth.
She had never admitted that to anyone.
Then she whispered, “You told me she would leave quietly.”
Richard's reply was merciless.
“She should have.”
Vanessa ended the call.
For the first time, she understood that her father had never intended to protect her. He had used her access to the mansion, her engagement to Dominic, and her jealousy of Elena to keep the family under control.
She looked at her phone.
Then opened a message to Dominic.
I know where the second child is. I can help you find her. But you have to promise me one thing.
She stared at the screen before sending another message.
Don't let my father get to her first.
Dominic read the message moments later.
He called Vanessa immediately.
“Where is she?”
Vanessa's voice shook.
“I'll tell you, but I need protection.”
“You'll get protection if you tell the truth.”
“Dominic, my father is more dangerous than you think.”
“I know.”
“No. You don't.” She began crying. “He didn't just hide the children. He used them to keep people silent. Elena found out that one of the girls had a legal claim to money in your father's trust.”
Dominic froze.
“Which girl?”
Vanessa whispered:
“The second one.”
Dominic stared at the photograph on his desk.
Two little girls.
One raised in his mansion.
One hidden from him.
Both connected to a fortune that had been stolen.
“Where is she, Vanessa?”
She gave him an address.
Then added one last warning.
“Dominic, you need to understand something. My father didn't arrange Elena's death because she found the money.”
Dominic's voice turned cold.
“Then why?”
Vanessa took a shaky breath.
“Because Elena found out who the money really belonged to.”
The call ended.
Dominic looked toward the stairs, where Sophie was sleeping.
Then he looked at the photograph of the second girl.
For years, he had believed his greatest failure was not being home when Elena died.
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Now he was beginning to understand that the tragedy had started long before that night.
And the two little girls at the center of it had been paying the price ever since.
