Chapter 3: The Child They Stole
I read the note again.
Ask Elena what happened to your firstborn.
Seven words.
Seven words that made the hospital room feel smaller with every passing second.
I looked at my wife.
"Elena?""
She turned her face away.
"Please.""
"What does this mean?""
"Not now.""
"Elena, we have a daughter. Ava is our firstborn.""
She shook her head.
"No.""
My fingers tightened around the paper.
"What are you saying?""
She looked at me.
Her eyes were full of shame, grief, and something that frightened me more than either.
"We had another baby.""
I couldn't move.
"What?""
"Before Ava.""
I sat down slowly.
The hospital monitor continued its steady rhythm.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
I stared at Elena.
"We lost a pregnancy before Ava. You told me the doctors said—"
"They lied.""
My chest tightened.
"What do you mean they lied?""
Elena wiped her tears.
"I gave birth to a boy.""
The room seemed to tilt.
A boy.
We had a son?
I remembered the night.
Four years before Ava was born, Elena had gone into labor early. She had been rushed to a private hospital after experiencing severe complications.
I had waited outside the operating room for hours.
A doctor eventually came out and told me the baby hadn't survived.
Elena was sedated.
I was allowed to see her the following morning.
There had been no funeral.
No body.
No chance to hold my son.
The hospital told me the baby had been transferred for medical examination and cremation.
I had believed them.
For years.
I looked at Elena.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
She started crying harder.
"I tried.""
"When?""
"After I woke up.""
"After you woke up from what?""
"After the delivery.""
I leaned forward.
"Elena, I was there.""
"You were there when they told you our baby died. But you weren't there when I woke up.""
I remembered being taken to another room.
A nurse had told me Elena needed rest.
Another doctor had insisted I sign several forms.
I had been exhausted, terrified, and desperate to see my wife.
I signed.
God, I signed everything they put in front of me.
Elena continued.
"They told me our son had severe complications. They said he had died before I woke up. But I heard him crying.""
My throat closed.
"You heard him?""
She nodded.
"Just once. I heard a baby crying in the room next door. I asked the nurse where he was.""
"What did she say?""
"She told me it was another patient's child.""
Elena squeezed my hand.
"But I knew the sound. I knew it was my baby.""
I looked at the note.
"Did Richard know?""
"Yes.""
"Vanessa?""
"She was there.""
I felt sick.
"Vanessa was at the hospital?""
Elena nodded.
"She told me our baby had died. Then she said something I never forgot.""
"What?""
Elena stared at me.
"She said, 'Some women aren't meant to be mothers.''"
I felt rage rise through my chest.
"Why would she say that?""
"Because she wanted you.""
I stared at her.
Elena took a shaky breath.
"She had been seeing Richard long before she met you. They had a plan. Richard wanted control of the company.
Vanessa wanted you. And they both knew your father had written a provision into the trust.""
I frowned.
"What provision?""
"If you had a biological child, the voting control of the family company would eventually pass into a separate family trust. Richard would lose his authority.""
I remembered my father's lawyer explaining something about succession when I inherited the company.
I had barely listened.
I had been too busy trying to keep the business running.
"That still doesn't explain why they took our baby.""
Elena's eyes filled again.
"They wanted to make sure you had no heir.""
I stared at her.
"But Ava...""
"She was born after Richard had already lost access to some of the company accounts. By then, he knew he couldn't keep the secret forever.""
I rubbed my face.
"So they kidnapped you because you discovered the money?""
"Yes.""
"And the baby?""
She looked at me.
"They took him first.""
The words landed like a physical blow.
I stood and walked toward the window.
Outside, the hospital parking lot was filled with ordinary cars.
People were going home.
People were visiting loved ones.
Somewhere, a child was laughing.
And my son...
My son had been alive somewhere.
For years.
I turned around.
"Where is he?""
Elena began shaking.
"I don't know.""
"Did you see him?""
"Once.""
"When?""
"About six months after they took me.""
I approached the bed.
"Tell me everything.""
Elena closed her eyes.
"They brought me into a room beneath the mansion. Richard was there. Vanessa was holding a photograph.""
"What photograph?""
"Of a little boy.""
My heart began racing.
"How old?""
"Maybe three.""
Three years old.
The age my son would have been.
Elena continued.
"He had your eyes.""
I covered my mouth.
"He had a little birthmark behind his left ear. I remembered because the doctor pointed it out when he was born.""
I felt my legs weaken.
"What did they say?""
"Vanessa told me he was alive. She said he had been raised by another family.""
I couldn't speak.
"She told me they had paid someone to take him.""
"Who?""
"She wouldn't tell me.""
I stared at her.
"Did she say where he was?""
Elena nodded.
"She said he was safe.""
I laughed bitterly.
"Safe? They stole our child!""
"I know.""
"Who raised him?""
"I don't know.""
I looked toward the door.
I wanted to find Richard.
I wanted to put my hands around his collar and demand every answer.
But Elena was still lying in a hospital bed, barely strong enough to breathe.
I returned to her side.
"Listen to me. I'll find him.""
She grabbed my hand.
"Marcus, there's something else.""
"What?""
"The boy in the photograph wasn't alone.""
I frowned.
"What do you mean?""
"Vanessa was holding another photograph.""
She swallowed.
"Of a little girl.""
My stomach tightened.
"Who?""
"She told me that girl was the key to keeping everything under control.""
I stared at her.
"Was it Ava?""
Elena nodded.
"She said if I ever tried to escape, they'd take Ava away too.""
I felt the room go cold.
My daughter.
My six-year-old daughter had been used as leverage against her own mother.
I bent forward and kissed Elena's forehead.
"Nobody is taking Ava.""
She closed her eyes.
"Promise me.""
"I promise.""
At 2:15 a.m., Daniel Reeves arrived at the hospital.
He had been my attorney for almost twelve years.
He was also one of the few people my father had trusted completely.
I met him in the corridor.
"Daniel, I need you to tell me something.""
He looked at my face.
"What happened?""
I handed him Richard's note.
He read it twice.
Then he looked at me.
"Where did you get this?""
"Someone left it at the reception desk.""
"Did you show Elena?""
"She told me we had a son.""
Daniel didn't move.
For a moment, he looked older than I had ever seen him.
"Marcus...""
"What?""
He looked down the corridor.
"Your father made arrangements before he died.""
"What arrangements?""
"Regarding the child.""
My pulse quickened.
"You knew?""
"I knew there was a sealed file.""
"About my son?""
Daniel nodded.
I grabbed his arm.
"Where is it?""
"Your father's old study.""
Elena's warning echoed in my mind.
There's another room underneath the mansion.
I stared at him.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because your father made me promise not to open the file unless certain conditions were met.""
"What conditions?""
Daniel hesitated.
"Your son had to be found first.""
I stared at him.
"That makes no sense. How could my father know our son would disappear?""
Daniel looked at me.
"Because he suspected someone inside the family was involved.""
I stepped backward.
"Who?""
He lowered his voice.
"Your brother.""
I looked toward Elena's room.
"How long have you known?""
"Since the week your father died.""
"And you said nothing?""
"Your father believed telling you would put your family in danger.""
I laughed without humor.
"My family has been in danger for years!""
Daniel reached into his briefcase and removed a folded document.
"This is a copy of the original trust provision. I think you need to read it.""
I took the paper.
The document was dated three months before my father's death.
At the bottom was his signature.
And beneath it, a handwritten note.
If Marcus's firstborn son is ever separated from his parents, the family trust must remain frozen until the child is located and legally reunited with his father.
I read it twice.
Then I looked at Daniel.
"Why would my father write this?""
Daniel's face tightened.
"Because he knew Richard was planning something.""
I gripped the document.
"Did my father know the baby was alive?""
Daniel hesitated.
"I believe he did.""
"Then where is he?""
"I don't know.""
I stared at him.
"You're telling me my father knew someone had taken my son, and he let me spend four years believing the child was dead?""
"He may have been trying to protect the boy.""
"From whom?""
Daniel looked at me.
"Your brother.""
My phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
I answered.
"Hello?""
For several seconds, there was only breathing.
Then a child's voice spoke.
"Daddy?""
My heart stopped.
"Who's this?""
The child sniffled.
"Mommy said you would come.""
I gripped the phone.
"Where are you?""
"I don't know.""
A small sob.
"There's a man outside my door.""
I felt my blood turn cold.
"What's your name, sweetheart?""
A pause.
Then the child whispered:
"My name is Noah.""
I closed my eyes.
Noah.
The name Elena and I had chosen before he was born.
"Listen to me, Noah. I'm your daddy. I'm going to find you.""
The little boy began crying.
"Please come soon.""
"Where are you?""
"I can't tell you.""
"Why not?""
He whispered something.
Something that made my stomach drop.
"Because Uncle Richard said he'll hurt Mommy if I tell.""
I looked at Daniel.
He had gone pale.
Then the little boy continued.
"Daddy...""
"Yes, sweetheart?""
"There's another woman here.""
"Who?""
"She says she's my real mommy.""
My fingers went numb.
"What's her name?""
A door slammed somewhere on the other end of the call.
A man shouted.
The boy began screaming.
Then the phone went silent.
I stared at the screen.
The call had ended.
Daniel grabbed my shoulder.
"Marcus, we need to contact the police immediately.""
I couldn't move.
My son was alive.
My son had just called me.
And someone had told him I was his father.
Then my phone vibrated again.
A message appeared.
It contained a photograph.
A little boy stood in front of a staircase, wearing a blue sweater.
He had my eyes.
My mother's smile.
And behind his left ear was a tiny birthmark.
Underneath the photograph were eight words.
*You found your wife. Now try finding your son.*
I looked at the sender.
The number belonged to Vanessa Cole.
But the next message wasn't from her.
It came from Richard.
*If you want Noah alive, come home alone.*
And beneath that message was a photograph of Ava.
May you like
Sleeping in the hospital's family waiting room.
Someone had been watching my daughter.
