The room in the shadows went quiet.
Aria stood in the dim light, still holding the phone to her ear long after the call had ended.
Damien looked at her.
Noah glanced up at the open doorway over their heads.
Then there was another noise.
A slow step.
Someone was coming down the hallway.
Aria gripped the phone tighter.
“Here she is.”
Damien stepped in front of her right away.
“Stay back.”
Aria glanced at his back.
I’m not hiding behind you.
“Aria–”
“You’ve spent years trying to protect me without telling me why.”
She went to his side.
This time we face it together.”
Damien looked at her.
For a moment, neither said anything.
Then there was another footfall above.
Noah raised his hand.
“Someone’s coming down.
The three waited.
A shadow appeared at the foot of the stairs.
A woman came into the room.
She was dressed in a dark coat, her face veiled by the hood.
Damien’s entire body tensed.
Aria felt the air leave her lungs.
The woman slowly pulled the hood down.
She looked older than the woman in the pics.
Her black hair was streaked with silver.
But her eyes were different.
“Steel gray.
The same eyes Damien had gotten.
Damien whispered the only word he could.
“Mother.
Elena Laurent was looking at him.
Her eyes brimming with tears.
“Damien.”
He didn’t stir.
He had dreamed of this moment for years.
He’d seen anger.
Questions.
Allegations.
He had imagined himself asking her why she had left him.
But instead he was speechless.
Elena looked over his head.
Her gaze settled on Aria.
Sorry.
Aria’s chest tightened.
“For what?”
“For all the things you had to carry on.
Aria stepped ahead.
You know who I am.”
Elena nodded her head.
“I have always known.
“And you knew about the marriage?
“Yes.
Aria clenched her jaw.
Then you were in it.”
Elena shut her eyes.
I was.”
Damien’s voice suddenly broke through the room.
“Why?”
Elena gazed at her son.
“Because I thought it was the only way to keep you both safe.”
Damien’s face grew hard.
“You vanished.”
I was kidnaped.
“They thought you were dead.”
“I know that.”
Father told us you desert us.
“He was lying.”
The word echoed in the room.
Damien looked at her.
“Why?”
Elena glanced at the files.
Because Victor knew what I discovered.”
“What have you discovered?
“The real story of the Valmont inheritance.
Aria’s heart clenched.
“First owner.
Elena nodded in agreement.
“Yeah.”
“Who?”
Elena watched her.
“That’s not the first question you should be asking.”
Aria knitted her brows.
Then what should I ask?”
“Why did Project Eclipse come about.”
Damien edged closer.
“You know about Eclipse.”
Elena’s expression changed.
I know more than you think I do.
Noah looked at the folders.
“Then tell us what Subjects One and Two are.”
Elena crossed to the table.
She took up the file.
“Project Eclipse began long before either of you knew it existed.
“How long?”
“Before you were married.”
Damien narrowed his eyes.
“How long?”
“Before you was born.”
Silence.
Aria looked at her.
“So this was planned for decades?
“Yes.
“By Victor?”
Elena stopped.
“Victor was in on it.
‘Did?’
Elena looked at her with care.
“He wasn’t the only one.”
Aria felt her stomach drop.
Who else is there?
Elena didn’t answer.
Instead she opened another file.
Inside was an old photo.
Aria knew it straight away.
It showed Richard Vale, and Elena, and Victor, and another figure standing with them.
But the fourth figure’s face had been deliberately scratched out.
Aria gawked.
“Who’s that?”
“The person who started it all.”
Damien’s voice was acidic.
“Cover the face?
“Because that guy’s still alive.
Noah’s face hardened.
“Where?”
Elena stared at him.
Closer than you think.
A shiver ran through Aria.
She was looking toward the door.
“Is Richard alive?”
Elena nodded her head.
“Yes.”
Damien blinked.
“You know where he is?”
“I know where they took him.”
“By whom?”
“Victor.
Aria’s jaw clenched.
“Why?”
“Because Richard knew where the original Valmont records were.”
“The deeds that show ownership?”
“Yes.”
“And the trust?”
This is only a part of the inheritance.
Aria glanced at the Project Eclipse file.
“Then what’s the other part?
Elena’s face became serious.
“The Valmont family didn’t build its power just on money.”
Aria scowled.
“What does that mean?”
“There was a deal.
“With who?
“People who originally owned the assets.”
“Who?”
Elena glanced at her.
“Your forefathers.”
Aria looked at her.
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
“It does.”
Elena put the photograph down.
Inheritance is more than property.”
She gestured to the old files.
It is the power.”
Damien frowned.
“Authority over what?
“Anything to do with the original Valmont trust.
Aria narrowed her eyes.
“Businesses?
Businesses.
“Boy, accounts?
“The accounts.”
“Deals?
“Yes,” she said.
“Why is everyone scared I will have it then?”
Elena’s face became darker.
“Because whoever has the trust can tell what happened twenty years ago.”
Aria froze.
“The theft.”
“Yes,”
“The lost fortune.
“Uh-huh.
The manipulation within Laurent Holdings.
“Yes.
“And your disappearance?”
Elena glanced at Damien.
“That’s connected as well.”
Damien lowered his voice.
“Tell me,”
Elena paused.
Then she said, “I found out that Victor was taking assets out of the Valmont trust.
Damien’s eyes narrowed.
HOW?
“He didn’t work alone.”
Who helped him?
Aria glanced at Elena.
“Someone from the Valmont family.”
Aria froze.
My family?
“Yeah.
“Who?”
“I can’t tell you.”
“Why?” he asked.
“Because the person assumes you still don’t remember.
Aria’s eyes narrowed.
“Remember what?” “
Elena stared at the door.
“Your youth.”
Aria felt a sudden tightness in her chest.
“I’ve told Damien what I could remember.”
“Not all of it.”
“Who’s missing me?”
Elena came closer.
“You were holding something the nite I found you.
“What?”
“A key.
Aria frowned.
“Don’t remember.”
You were shitting scared.”
“Whereabouts?”
I stole it from you.
“Why is that?”
“Because Victor was looking for it.
Damien’s face hardened.
What key is it?
Elena put her hand in her coat.
She took out a small metal key.
Aria looked at it.
The symbol engraved on it was the same symbol as the photograph.
Her breath hitched.
“That.”
Elena nodded.
“Here’s the key you had.”
Aria reached for it.
Her fingers touched the metal and a memory flashed in her mind.
A door locked.
Rain.
Elena in tears.
A younger Damien at the end of a corridor.
Victor: shouting.
And then another image.
A box of wood.
The voice of her father.
Never give this to Victor if anything happens to me.
Aria pulled her hand back.
The key dropped on the table.
Damien grabbed her arm.
“Are you alright?”
She nodded.
But she was not.
She remembered.
Not all of them.
But enough.
“The key was given to me by my father.
Elena nodded.
“Yeah.”
“Why’d it?”
The original records.
Aria glanced at Damien.
“Where?”
Elena’s face grew grave.
“Where your families first came to an agreement.
“Where?”
“On the estate of Laurent.”
Damien’s eyes shot open.
“Our house?”
“Uh-huh.”
Noah moved forward.
But we searched the house.
“You looked for what you knew was there.”
Elena looked at him.
“The room is concealed.
Aria glanced down at the key.
“Why was it in my hand, then?”
“Because your father believed in you.
“Why Richard?
“He was under surveillance.”
“And you?”
I was being hunted.
Damien looked at his maman.
“By Father?
“Yeah.
The answer came straight away.
Damien’s face went rigid.
“You knew he was to blame.”
I could tell he was into it.
“Then why did you allow me to think you were dead?”
“Because Victor would have killed you if he knew you were looking for me.”
Damien drew away.
The pain on his face was obvious.
Aria was silently watching him.
For the first time she knew that Damien hadn’t been raised by a cold father.
He was brought up on a carefully constructed lie.
But that didn’t undo what he’d done.
He had lied to her, after all.
He had been hiding things still.
But he’d still turned their marriage into a prison.
Elena glanced from one to the other.
“You two have got to understand something.
Aria glanced at her.
“What?”
“Your marriage was not to destroy either of you.
“Why then?”
To put the trust in the hands of its rightful heir.
Aria frowned.
“Me?”
Elena nodded.
“Yes.”
Damien’s face shifted.
But the file said the objective was to see which subject would take charge.
Elena’s expression hardened.
“That’s what they would have you believe.”
Aria narrowed her eyes.
“Who?”
“Victor.
“So Project Eclipse was a fake?”
“No.”
Elena shook her head.
“It was a real project.”
“So what was the real purpose?”
Elena looked straight at Damien.
To find out if you would betray Aria.”
Damien came to a halt.
Aria’s heart sank.
“What if he does?
Elena’s face was sad.
The trust then passes to the person who has been waiting to claim it.
“Who?
Elena opened her mouth.
Before she could answer the room shook.
There was a loud roar of an explosion overhead.
Dust rained from the ceiling.
Noah grabbed the table
‘Someone’s attacking the house.
Elena looked toward the stairs.
“They found me.”
Damien came toward her.
“Who?”
“Victor’s friends.”
Aria glanced at the files.
“Then we go.
Elena shook her head.
“No.”
“Naw.”
“What?
“I didn’t come here to run away.”
She turned toward Aria.
“I’m here because there’s something you need to know.
There was another blast on the estate.
The lights blinked.
Elena took Aria’s hand.
“Your mother had one last secret to entrust to me.”
Aria glanced at her.
“My mother?”
Elena nodded.
“She knew what Victor was up to.”
“Why didn’t she stop him then?”
She tried to.
“What happened?
Elena’s eyes were full of pain.
“She made a bargain.”
“With Victor?”
“Nope.
Elena glanced at Damien.
“With the person behind Project Eclipse.”
Damien’s face hardened.
What deal?
Elena’s voice lowered.
“She agreed to disappear so you could live.
Aria’s heart stopped.
“Mom’s alive?
Elena said nothing.
Instead she reached into her coat again.
This time she spread out a photograph.
She passed it to Aria.
Aria spelled it out.
Her hands started to tremble.
It was a modern photograph.
Not an old one.
He was not yet twenty.
Latest.
There was a woman at a window.
Her dark brown hair was touched with silver.
Her green eyes stared straight into the camera.
Aria knew those eyes.
She saw them every time she looked in a mirror.
Her mother’s eyes.
One sentence was on the back of the picture.
I NEVER LEFT YOU ARIA.
Aria couldn’t breathe.
Damien looked at her shoulder.
His expression changed.
“Valmont, Ellen.”
His mother wept.
“Yeah.”
Aria looked at the photograph.
“My mother lives.”
There was a sudden crash at the entrance to the passage.
Someone had discovered the secret room.
Elena turned to Aria.
“You only have one chance.
“To do what?”
“Find your mother before Victor does.
The door at the head of the stairs opened.
Thundered footsteps down.
Damien stepped in front of Aria.
Noah moved to stand beside him.
Elena looked at the key lying on the table.
Then she looked at Aria.
“Get the key.”
Aria snatched it.
“What does it open onto?”
Elena’s expression became serious.
The room your mother has been hiding in.
A shadow appeared at the bottom of the stairwell.
Then a voice sounded in the darkness.
It was familiar.
“Aria, pass me the key.”
Aria came to a dead stop.
She knew that voice.
Victor.
And he was already in.