Chapter 4 THE SECRET OF THE LOST CHILD
"You were never supposed to survive." The words slammed into Bella like a truck. The knife pressed harder against her throat. Her breathing became uneven. Every instinct screamed at her to run. But she couldn't move. The masked intruder held her firmly.
"Who are you?" she whispered. A low chuckle escaped the stranger.
"Someone cleaning up an old mistake."
Bella's pulse thundered.
An old mistake? What mistake?
Before she could ask another question, footsteps echoed through the hallway. The intruder cursed. The knife disappeared. Then, in one swift movement, he shoved Bella forward. She crashed against Richard Brown's desk. Pain shot through her shoulder. When she looked up, the stranger was gone. He vanished as if he had never been there.
Seconds later, James stormed into the office.
"BELLA!"
She looked up.
The moment he saw her shaking on the floor, something dangerous flashed across his face. He rushed toward her.
"Are you hurt?"
Bella couldn't answer immediately. James knelt beside her. His hands gently checked her neck.
The faint red line left by the knife made his eyes darken.
"Who did this?"
Bella swallowed.
"I couldn't see his face."
James clenched his jaw. For the first time, she saw pure rage. Not arrogance, not annoyance but rage. The kind that terrified people. And whoever attacked her had just become the target of it.
The following morning, the mansion felt like a war zone. Security guards were everywhere alongside Police officers questioning staff.
Detective Mark Evans arrived before sunrise. Nobody was allowed to leave. James stood near the staircase. Watching every employee. Every guest. Every movement.
His instincts screamed that the attacker was still inside the mansion somewhere watching and waiting.
The detective approached. "We found fingerprints."
James looked up.
"And?"
"They belong to someone who shouldn't exist."
James frowned.
"What does that mean?"
The detective handed him a file. James opened it then froze.
The name staring back at him made no sense.
Mason Blake. His biggest business rival.
But according to police records, Mason had died twelve years ago.
Bella sat inside her room trying to process everything when a knock interrupted her thoughts.
Mrs. Shirley entered. This time, she looked determined.
"No more secrets."
Bella sat upright. Mrs. Shirley locked the door behind her. Then she took a deep breath.
"Twenty-five years ago, Elena worked for the Brown family."
Bella's chest tightened. "My mother?"
Mrs. Shirley nodded. "She wasn't just an employee."
"What was she?"
The older woman hesitated. Then answered.
"She was Richard Brown's first love."
Bella froze. The room spun.
"What?"
Mrs. Shirley nodded sadly. "Before he married Olivia."
Bella's heart pounded.
"No."
"Yes."
Everything suddenly felt unreal.
"Then why did she leave?"
Tears filled Mrs. Shirley's eyes. "Because she became pregnant."
Bella stared into space. Unable to breathe, think nor move.
"No."
Mrs. Shirley nodded.
"Richard wanted to acknowledge the child."
Bella's hands trembled.
"What happened?"
The older woman looked away. "The child disappeared."
Bella's stomach dropped.
"What do you mean disappeared?"
"The baby was reported dead."
“Dead?”
Bella's ears rang. Then suddenly, the intruder's words returned. You were never supposed to survive. Bella shot to her feet. Her heart nearly stopped.
"No."
Mrs. Shirley slowly nodded. Understanding dawned in her eyes.
"Yes."
Bella staggered backward.
"Oh my God." She wasn't imagining it. She wasn't crazy. The truth was finally revealing itself. The dead child, the missing baby, the secret, the photograph, everything pointed toward one terrifying possibility.
Bella whispered the words. "I'm that baby?"
Across town, Mason Blake sat inside a luxurious penthouse. The city lights glittered behind him. Lisa stood nearby pacing very nervously.
"We have a problem."
Mason remained calm.
"We've always had problems."
"This is different."
Mason looked up.
Lisa's voice trembled.
"She's figuring it out."
The calm expression vanished.
For the first time, Mason looked worried.
"How much does she know?"
"I don't know."
There was silence for a while then Mason stood. His eyes grew cold.
"Damn it."
Lisa swallowed.
"What do we do?"
Mason stared out the window for several seconds. Then he spoke.
A single sentence. "Before the truth comes out..."
His gaze darkened.
"She has to die."
That same evening, James received a call. The moment he heard the voice on the other end, his blood ran cold.
"What?"
The detective sounded shaken.
"We recovered old hospital records."
James gripped the phone tighter. "And?"
"There was no dead baby."
James froze. "What?"
The detective continued. "The records were altered." James couldn't speak. The detective's next words changed everything.
"The child wasn't dead."
Silence engraved the atmosphere. Heavy silence.
"The baby was kidnapped."
James nearly dropped the phone.
Kidnapped?
Twenty-five years ago. A baby connected to the Brown family. A baby connected to Elena. A baby connected to Bella.
Suddenly every puzzle piece clicked together. And the answer horrified him. Because if Bella truly was that child, then somebody had spent twenty-five years hiding her existence and would do anything to keep the secret buried.
