Chapter 4 - THE FIANCÉE'S SECRET
Vanessa had been raised to believe that the Sterling family never lost.
Her father, Robert, had taught her that money could silence witnesses, reputation could bury scandal, and marriage could turn an enemy into an asset.
When she was nineteen, he had shown her a confidential file about Dominic Moretti.
It contained details about the Moretti family's business, its rivals, and Victor Moretti's declining health.
Robert had explained that marrying Dominic would give the Sterlings access to an empire worth billions.
Vanessa had agreed.
She had told herself it was love.
Now she understood that the engagement had been planned long before she met Dominic.
"My father said your family needed stability," she told Dominic. "He said Victor wanted a marriage alliance. I thought the twins were a rumor."
Daniel folded his arms.
"And the woman you visited?"
Vanessa looked down.
"My father told me she was a dangerous patient who believed she had given birth to twins. He said her claims could ruin the Moretti family if she was allowed to speak publicly."
"So you went to threaten her," Dominic said.
"I went to persuade her to stay quiet."
Eleanor, who had entered the room with Hannah, looked at her coldly.
"You told me my son had become a violent criminal and would never want to see me."
Vanessa's eyes filled with tears.
"I didn't know you were really his mother."
"You didn't ask."
The words struck harder than a slap.
Dominic moved to the window.
"Did your father tell you why Daniel was kept alive?"
Vanessa shook her head.
"He said there had been a medical mistake and that the second child was placed with another family. He never said Daniel was a prisoner."
Daniel's expression hardened.
"I wasn't a prisoner. I was an orphan with a stolen identity."
"And you expect me to believe my father did all of this alone?" Dominic asked.
Vanessa said nothing.
Hannah stepped forward.
"There's something else."
She placed a small notebook on the desk.
"I found this in the pocket of Mrs. Moretti's old coat. It contains names, dates, and payments. Most of them are coded, but one name appears repeatedly."
Dominic opened the notebook.
V. MORETTI.
His father's name.
Next to it were payments to the clinic, a judge, two doctors, and a private security company.
The last entry was dated only four days earlier.
A transfer of five million dollars had been made to a company registered in Switzerland.
Daniel leaned over the page.
"That's not a payment for keeping a secret. That's a payment for finishing something."
Dominic's phone rang.
The caller ID displayed his father's name.
He answered.
"Where are you?" Victor demanded.
"At home."
"Come to my estate. Alone."
Dominic looked at Daniel and Eleanor.
"Why?"
"Because your mother has returned from the dead, and I intend to correct the mistake."
The line went silent.
Dominic lowered the phone.
His face had become frighteningly calm.
"My father knows she's here."
Daniel reached for his coat.
"Then we should go together."
"No," Dominic said. "If this is a trap, I want him to believe it worked."
Eleanor caught his hand.
"Dominic, listen to me. Your father isn't the only man who knows how to destroy a life."
She looked at Vanessa.
"Robert Sterling has spent thirty-two years protecting a secret. He will kill to keep it buried."
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Vanessa's face went white.
Because she knew her father well enough to understand that Eleanor was right.
