Chapter 14 - RICHARD’S SECRET
Richard was waiting when they returned to the estate.
He saw Julian’s bandaged arm.
Then he saw Victoria.
His relief disappeared when Victoria said four words.
“Tell them about Isabel.”
Richard went pale.
Elena held up the second key.
“You know what this opens.”
Richard looked at it.
“Yes.”
Julian’s voice became dangerously quiet.
“You lied to us.”
Richard sat in the library.
“Not about everything.”
“That sentence never makes anything better.”
Elena placed the key on the table.
“Take us to the box.”
Richard obeyed.
Behind a painting in his bedroom was a wall safe.
Inside sat a small wooden case.
The key opened it.
Elena expected financial records.
Instead, she found letters.
Dozens of them.
All written by Isabel.
All addressed to Richard.
Some had been opened.
Some had not.
Elena stared at him.
“My mother wrote to you.”
“Yes.”
“You told me you lost contact.”
“I did.”
“You had her letters.”
Richard’s eyes filled.
“Victoria intercepted most of them.”
Victoria laughed bitterly.
“Don’t make me responsible for all of this.”
Richard looked at her.
“You hid them.”
“And you found them twelve years ago.”
Elena froze.
Richard said nothing.
Victoria continued.
“You knew Isabel had been trying to reach you.”
“You knew she was frightened.”
“And you still stayed silent.”
Elena looked at Richard.
“Is that true?”
He lowered his head.
“Yes.”
The word hurt more than she expected.
“Why?”
“Because by then Julian was young.”
“The company was unstable.”
“Thomas was supposedly dead.”
“And Victoria told me Isabel was trying to blackmail us.”
Elena stared at him.
“You believed Victoria?”
“I wanted to.”
That answer was worse.
Elena opened one of the letters.
Isabel had written that Samuel discovered evidence connecting Thomas and Victoria to the thefts.
She begged Richard to help.
Another letter said Marcus Vale was following her.
Another mentioned Elena.
Elena reached the final unopened envelope.
The date was three months before Isabel died.
She opened it.
Richard leaned forward.
Elena read silently.
Then she stopped.
Julian watched her.
“What?”
Elena handed him the letter.
Isabel had written one sentence twice.
ELENA’S FATHER IS ALIVE.
HE DOESN’T KNOW SHE EXISTS.
Richard looked stunned.
Victoria looked away.
Julian read the next paragraph.
Isabel had included a name.
Dr. Gabriel Bennett.
Richard whispered, “Gabriel?”
Elena looked at him.
“You know him.”
Richard nodded.
“He was our company physician.”
Victoria abruptly stood.
“We’re done.”
Elena blocked her path.
“No.”
Victoria’s expression broke.
For the first time, she looked truly terrified.
Elena understood.
Thomas wasn’t the secret Victoria feared most.
May you like
Gabriel Bennett was.
And Victoria had spent twenty-eight years making sure Elena never learned why.
