Chapter 7 - THE MOTHER WHO HAD BEEN WAITING
Claire Marsh was alive.
Those four words changed Adeline’s entire world.
The medical facility sat behind iron gates outside Greenwich, surrounded by bare winter trees.
Elias’s vehicles stopped fifty yards from the entrance.
“No police,” Marco said. “Local security claims nothing happened.”
“That means Vincent bought them,” Elias replied.
Adeline opened her door.
Elias stopped her.
“You stay here.”
“That woman inside is my mother.”
“And Vincent may have armed men inside.”
“I lost twenty-four years with her.”
“Adeline.”
“No.”
She looked directly at him.
“You don’t get to protect me by deciding my life for me.”
Elias stared at her.
Then something softened.
“Stay behind me.”
“Fine.”
They entered through the rear.
Two security guards had been tied inside a maintenance room.
Alive.
Vincent was moving quickly.
They found room 312 empty.
A cup of tea was still warm.
On the bed lay a photograph of Adeline at age ten.
Another at sixteen.
Another graduating from college.
Adeline picked them up.
“She watched me.”
“She kept track of you.”
“Then why didn’t she come home?”
A whisper came from the bathroom.
“Because I was ashamed.”
Adeline froze.
The bathroom door opened.
A thin woman with silver-streaked brown hair stood there.
She was fifty-seven.
Older than Adeline remembered.
But her eyes were the same.
“Mom?”
Claire’s face crumpled.
“Oh, Addie.”
Adeline crossed the room.
Twenty-four years disappeared in three steps.
She fell into her mother’s arms.
Claire sobbed against her hair.
“I’m sorry.”
Adeline wanted to be angry.
She had rehearsed anger for years without knowing it.
But all she could do was hold her.
Elias turned away, giving them privacy.
Eventually Claire looked over Adeline’s shoulder.
Her expression changed.
“Elias.”
He faced her.
“You know me.”
“You look exactly like Roberto did at thirty-eight.”
“Where is Lorenzo?”
Claire closed her eyes.
“Safe.”
“Where?”
“I promised your father.”
“My father is dead.”
“And Vincent isn’t.”
Elias stepped closer.
“He found you.”
“Yes.”
“What did he want?”
“The location of Lorenzo.”
“Did you tell him?”
“No.”
Claire suddenly gripped the wall.
Adeline caught her.
“What’s wrong?”
“He gave me something.”
Elias’s face hardened.
“Poison?”
“Sedative.”
Marco entered with a medic.
As Claire was examined, she kept holding Adeline’s hand.
“There’s something you need to know.”
Adeline leaned closer.
“What?”
“Vincent didn’t frame you because of the stolen files.”
“Then why?”
“He needed Elias to publicly protect you.”
Everyone went silent.
Elias’s expression sharpened.
“He wanted me to kiss her?”
“Not specifically.”
Claire swallowed.
“He wanted you to declare her part of the Ferrante family.”
“Why?”
“Because the Ferrante trust has an old succession clause.”
Elias frowned.
“What clause?”
“If the recognized Ferrante heir has no living sibling, his legal spouse becomes successor.”
Adeline stared at him.
“But we aren’t married.”
“The signet ceremony counts under the original family charter.”
Elias looked down at Adeline’s ring.
Claire continued.
“By placing that ring on Adeline in front of four recognized family heads, you activated the succession clause.”
Elias’s face became cold.
“What happens if I die?”
Claire looked at her daughter.
“Adeline inherits temporary control of the Ferrante trust.”
“And if Adeline dies?”
Claire’s voice trembled.
“The trust transfers to the next blood heir.”
“Lorenzo.”
“Yes.”
Elias understood first.
“Vincent wants the trust to expose Lorenzo.”
Claire nodded.
“He never needed to find your brother.”
“He only needed to force him to appear.”
Adeline looked toward the hallway.
A distant alarm began ringing.
Claire’s face went white.
“He’s here.”
Then every light in the medical facility went out.
A speaker crackled overhead.
Vincent Aldridge’s voice filled the corridor.
“Elias.”
A pause.
May you like
“Bring Claire downstairs.”
“Or I start killing patients.”
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