Chapter 7 - The Woman Who Stole the Bride's Face
The lake house stood at the edge of a private forest.
Luca arrived with Marco and four armed men.
Elena followed despite his objections.
“You're not going in alone,” she said.
“This is my mother.”
“And this is the family that nearly killed us both.”
Luca didn't answer.
They entered through the rear door.
The living room was empty.
A broken teacup lay beside the fireplace.
Isabella's handbag was on the floor.
Then they heard a voice.
“Luca?”
It came from upstairs.
He rushed toward the staircase.
Isabella sat on the floor of the bedroom, her wrists tied.
Luca cut the restraints.
“Where's Vanessa?”
Isabella looked toward the mirror.
“She's been here.”
Elena approached.
“What did she want?”
Isabella swallowed.
“She wanted the original hospital records.”
“Why?”
“Because the child she claimed was hers wasn't the baby she gave birth to.”
Luca frowned.
“What are you talking about?”
Isabella looked at Elena.
“Vanessa lost a baby before she met you. She never told you. After the twins were born, she paid a nurse to switch one of the hospital identification bracelets.”
Elena closed her eyes.
“Which baby?”
“The boy.”
Luca's face darkened.
“Vanessa raised my son as her own?”
“She tried to. But Antonio took him before she could complete the arrangement.”
Elena shook her head.
“Why would Antonio allow her to marry Luca?”
“Because he needed access to the trust. Vanessa was supposed to make you sign away your rights after the wedding.”
Luca remembered the marriage documents.
Vanessa had insisted on a private legal agreement.
He had refused to sign it.
That explained why she had become so desperate to stop the wedding.
Then Isabella said something that made Elena turn pale.
“There was another woman involved.”
“Who?”
Isabella looked toward the hallway.
“Vanessa's twin sister.”
Luca stared.
“Vanessa has a twin?”
“Her name is Victoria. She was the one who entered the clinic and pretended to be Elena's nurse.”
Elena's hand went to her cheek.
“The scar…”
Isabella nodded.
“Victoria has the same face as Vanessa. But she has a scar on her right cheek.”
Luca suddenly remembered the wedding.
The woman who had walked out of the coffin had a scar on her left cheek.
He turned toward Elena.
Her scar was on the left.
But the photograph from the medical facility had shown a scar on the right.
Someone had been pretending to be Elena.
A cold silence filled the room.
“Where is the real Elena?” Luca whispered.
Isabella looked at the woman standing beside him.
Then she shook her head.
“I don't know.”
Luca slowly turned.
The woman beside him lowered her eyes.
“Luca…”
He stepped backward.
“Who are you?”
She reached for him.
“Please. Listen.”
“Who are you?”
Her face crumpled.
Then she removed a small adhesive strip from behind her ear.
A thin edge of artificial skin came away with it.
Beneath it was a different scar.
A scar on the right cheek.
Victoria.
Marco immediately raised his weapon.
Luca felt sick.
“You've been standing beside me for days.”
Victoria nodded.
“I had to.”
“Where's Elena?”
“Alive.”
“Where?”
Victoria began crying.
“Antonio has her.”
Luca grabbed her arm.
“Take me to her.”
Victoria shook her head.
“You don't understand. He has both children.”
Luca went still.
“Sofia too?”
Victoria nodded.
Then she handed him a folded piece of paper.
It was a photograph of two children sitting beside an elderly man.
Daniel and Sofia.
Both were smiling.
On the back was a message.
THE FAMILY REUNION IS TOMORROW.
Luca looked at Victoria.
“Why are you helping us?”
She lowered her voice.
“Because Vanessa killed my sister.”
He frowned.
“Your sister?”
Victoria looked at the photograph.
“Vanessa isn't my twin.”
She took a breath.
“She stole my identity before your engagement.”
Then she revealed the final secret.
The woman Luca had been preparing to marry had never been Vanessa Bellini.
She had been someone else entirely.
May you like
And the real Vanessa had been dead for almost three years.
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