Chapter 14 - Daniel’s Missing MemorySecurity footage showed Daniel leaving through a service corridor.
He had not attacked the guard.
Someone disguised as hotel maintenance had.
Daniel had followed willingly.
That worried Adrian more.
“He knew the person,” Mara said.
“Or believed he did.”
Elena looked at the still image.
The maintenance worker wore a cap and mask.
Only part of the face was visible.
Vivian stared at it.
“That’s a woman.”
Mara enlarged the image.
“Could be.”
Vivian leaned closer.
“It’s Victoria.”
Adrian looked at her.
“You can identify half a face from a grainy image?”
“I spent twenty years pretending she didn’t exist.”
Vivian’s voice became bitter.
“I know how she walks.”
Police began searching.
Adrian wanted to join.
Elena stopped him.
“You have two children upstairs.”
“I know.”
“Then act like it.”
He looked at her.
The words landed.
“You’re right.”
It frustrated him.
But he stayed.
Several hours passed.
Then Daniel’s phone turned on.
One location ping appeared.
A disused railway warehouse outside Denver.
Police moved immediately.
Adrian watched every update from the hotel.
Elena sat beside him.
At 6:42 p.m., Mara received a call.
“They found him.”
“Alive?”
“Yes.”
Adrian exhaled.
“Victoria?”
“No.”
Daniel returned to the hotel under police protection.
He had a cut above one eyebrow and looked exhausted.
But he was conscious.
Adrian faced him.
“What happened?”
Daniel drank water.
“Victoria wanted to talk.”
“You went willingly?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because she said she would tell me what happened to Ava.”
Vivian scoffed.
“And you believed her?”
“I believed she knew.”
Daniel looked toward Adrian.
“She did.”
Adrian’s posture changed.
“What did she say?”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“The night Ava got sick, I saw someone leaving her apartment.”
“Who?”
“I had forgotten.”
Vivian frowned.
“You forgot a person leaving the apartment of a woman who was hospitalized hours later?”
Daniel looked ashamed.
“I had been drinking.”
“I was terrified.”
“And I convinced myself it didn’t matter.”
Adrian slammed his palm onto the table.
“Who?”
Daniel looked at Vivian.
She turned pale before he spoke.
“Julian.”
Vivian sat down.
“No.”
Daniel nodded.
“I saw him.”
“When?”
“Around eleven.”
“What was he doing there?”
“I don’t know.”
Adrian’s voice shook.
“Did he hurt her?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did Victoria say he did?”
“No.”
Daniel leaned forward.
“She said Julian went there to retrieve evidence.”
“Ava had copied trust files.”
“She threatened to expose him.”
“So he went to scare her?”
“According to Victoria.”
Adrian’s face hardened.
“That is not an answer.”
Daniel nodded.
“I know.”
Mara spoke.
“We cannot turn suspicion into accusation.”
“We need medical evidence.”
Vivian whispered.
“Ava was cremated.”
Adrian closed his eyes.
His sister had insisted on cremation.
At the time, no one questioned it.
Now every detail felt contaminated by doubt.
Daniel continued.
“Victoria claims Julian never intended to harm Ava.”
“Claims?”
“She said Ava became sick while he was there.”
“He panicked and left.”
Elena frowned.
“That could still mean anything.”
“Yes.”
“Why would Victoria tell you?”
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“Because she wants Adrian to destroy Julian.”
Everyone stared.
Daniel continued.
“She’s done with him.”
Vivian looked unsettled.
“Why?”
“Because Julian isn’t following orders anymore.”
Mara asked, “What orders?”
“Victoria wanted Adrian removed from Mercer Holdings.”
“Julian wanted something else.”
“What?”
Daniel looked toward Elena.
“He wants the twins legally declared ineligible heirs.”
Adrian’s expression became cold.
“He can’t.”
“He believes he can.”
“How?”
Daniel reached into his pocket.
Security immediately moved.
He slowly removed a folded photocopy.
“I took this from Victoria.”
Mara opened it.
A petition had already been drafted.
It alleged Elena deliberately concealed the children’s parentage for financial manipulation.
It further claimed Adrian’s paternity acknowledgment was coerced during emotional instability.
The goal was to freeze the children’s trust rights while litigation continued.
Elena stared.
“He’s going after me.”
Adrian shook his head.
“No.”
“He already is.”
“He won’t win.”
“He doesn’t need to win.”
Mara looked at her.
Elena continued.
“He needs to keep us fighting for years.”
Mara nodded slowly.
“She’s right.”
Vivian looked toward the window.
“There’s another way.”
Everyone turned.
“What?”
Vivian hesitated.
“Richard created a recognition provision.”
Mara frowned.
“What recognition provision?”
“If a descendant is presented before the trustees at the family Christmas assembly and acknowledged by the primary heir, beneficiary status becomes immediate pending final verification.”
Adrian stared.
“You never mentioned this.”
“I forgot.”
Mara laughed in disbelief.
“Your family trust has a Christmas ceremony?”
Vivian looked annoyed.
“It’s older than I am.”
Elena almost smiled.
“Of course it does.”
Mara searched the documents.
“She’s right.”
Adrian looked at the date.
“Christmas Eve is tomorrow.”
Vivian nodded.
“If you present Oliver and Lucy at the estate tomorrow night, Julian cannot freeze their status beforehand.”
Elena immediately shook her head.
“No.”
Adrian turned.
“We don’t have to.”
Vivian continued.
“If Victoria plans to expose them anyway, the ceremony may be the only way to give them legal protection before she does.”
Elena looked toward the children.
The estate was the last place she wanted them.
But for four years she had survived by running.
Every escape had only given the Mercer family more power over her choices.
Adrian watched her.
“You decide.”
She looked surprised.
He meant it.
No pressure.
No demand.
No Mercer arrogance.
Elena breathed slowly.
“If we go, the children stay away from Julian and Victoria.”
“Agreed.”
“Security everywhere.”
“Yes.”
“And if I say we leave, we leave.”
“Immediately.”
Elena looked at Vivian.
“One more condition.”
Vivian waited.
“You tell everyone the truth.”
Vivian’s face tightened.
“All of it.”
“About what you did.”
Vivian looked at Adrian.
Then at Elena.
“Yes.”
Daniel’s phone buzzed.
A message appeared from Victoria.
He handed it to Adrian.
One sentence filled the screen.
BRING THEM HOME TOMORROW.
Adrian looked at Elena.
She met his eyes.
For the first time, she did not feel like running.
“Fine.”
May you like
Her voice was steady.
“Let’s go home for Christmas.”
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