The Hidden heir’s revenge

Chapter 53 — The Boy Eleanor Brought Home

Varek stared at his phone.

Eleanor’s final words kept repeating in his mind.

Don’t let him take the—

Then the scream.

He called her back immediately.

No answer.

He tried again.

Still nothing.

“Naomi!” he shouted.

“I’m here.”

“Trace Eleanor’s phone. Now.”

“I’m trying, but the call was too short. Give me a minute.”

Varek turned toward Victor.

“Do you know where Eleanor lives?”

Victor nodded.

“Her old house is outside the city. But she hasn’t stayed there for years.”

“Then we’re going there.”

Adrian stepped forward.

“We can’t just rush into another trap.”

“Eleanor is in danger.”

“And Daniel is still recovering. We need to get him somewhere safe first.”

Varek looked at the sleeping boy in Adrian’s arms.

He knew Adrian was right.

“Naomi, arrange a secure location for Adrian, Daniel, Samuel, and Evelyn. Nobody leaves until I return.”

Evelyn immediately protested.

“I’m coming with you.”

“No.”

“Varek—”

“Someone just threatened Eleanor. I don’t know who is behind it, and I won’t put you in danger.”

Evelyn folded her arms.

“You don’t get to decide everything for everyone.”

Varek looked at her.

“Then help me by keeping Daniel safe.”

She glanced at Adrian.

Finally, she nodded.

Grace moved toward the vehicle.

“I’m coming too.”

Varek stopped her.

“Why?”

“Because I know what happened at Mara’s house.”

Victor looked at her sharply.

“You said you didn’t know where Mara was.”

“I said I didn’t know where she is now. I didn’t say I knew nothing about her past.”

Varek opened the vehicle door.

“Get in.”

⸻

The journey to Eleanor’s old house took almost an hour.

Grace sat quietly in the back seat while Victor directed them through a narrow road surrounded by trees.

Varek kept checking his phone.

No new call.

No message.

Finally, Grace spoke.

“You should know something before we get there.”

Varek kept his eyes on the road.

“Go ahead.”

“Eleanor didn’t simply bring you home.”

“What does that mean?”

“She was instructed to collect one child from Mara Mercer’s house. She was supposed to bring that child to Helena.”

Victor turned toward her.

“But she brought Varek instead.”

Grace nodded.

“Yes.”

Varek glanced at her through the mirror.

“Why?”

“Because the child she was supposed to collect had already disappeared.”

“Which child?”

Grace looked at Victor.

“One of the boys.”

Victor frowned.

“You keep saying there were three children. Who were they?”

“Mara raised two boys and one girl. The girl was called Isabella. One boy was called Victor. The other boy had no official name.”

Varek’s hands tightened around the steering wheel.

“What about me?”

“You were brought to Mara after Isabel disappeared. You were supposed to remain there until the family decided what to do with you.”

“So I was the unnamed boy?”

Grace nodded.

Victor shook his head.

“That doesn’t make sense. I was raised by Mara. She told me I was her son.”

“She raised you, but she wasn’t your biological mother.”

Victor stared at her.

“And Varek?”

Grace didn’t answer.

Varek looked at her again.

“Who was my biological mother?”

Grace’s voice dropped.

“That’s what Eleanor was trying to protect you from.”

Before he could ask another question, Victor pointed ahead.

“That’s the house.”

⸻

The building stood behind a rusted gate.

The windows were dark.

A black vehicle was parked near the entrance.

Varek immediately recognized it.

It belonged to Richard Thorne.

He reached for his weapon.

“Stay behind me.”

Victor opened the gate carefully.

They entered the compound.

The front door was slightly open.

Varek pushed it.

“Eleanor?”

No answer.

He moved through the living room.

A broken cup lay on the floor. A chair had been overturned, and one of the curtains was hanging from its rail.

Grace crouched beside the cup.

“Someone was here recently.”

Varek noticed a small trail of blood near the staircase.

His heart tightened.

“Eleanor!”

He ran upstairs.

The first bedroom was empty.

The second had been searched.

In the third room, he found a photograph on the floor.

It showed Eleanor holding a baby.

Beside her stood a young woman.

Varek recognized her immediately.

Isabel.

But something was strange.

The woman in the photograph was much younger than the one who had called him.

On the back, someone had written:

THE FIRST BOY BELONGS TO ISABEL. THE SECOND BELONGS TO MARA. THE GIRL BELONGS TO HELENA.

Varek stared at the message.

“Grace!”

She rushed into the room.

When she saw the photograph, her face changed.

“Where did you find this?”

“On the floor.”

Grace took it from him.

“This photograph was supposed to have been destroyed.”

Victor approached.

“Who are the children?”

Grace turned it over again.

“I don’t know.”

Varek grabbed her wrist.

“Stop lying.”

“I’m not lying!”

“You have been lying since we met. Every time we find something, you suddenly remember another story.”

Grace pulled her hand away.

“I was trying to protect you!”

“From the truth?”

“From the people who created it!”

A sound came from the hallway.

Everyone turned.

A small television had switched on by itself.

A video began playing.

Eleanor appeared on the screen.

She was sitting in a chair, her hands tied.

A man stood behind her.

His face was hidden.

“Eleanor,” Varek whispered.

The woman looked directly into the camera.

“If you’re watching this, it means they found the house before you did.”

The man behind her moved.

Eleanor continued.

“Varek, I need you to listen. You were not the child I was sent to collect.”

Varek stepped closer.

“I know.”

“No, you don’t. You were the child I was told to leave behind.”

The video flickered.

Eleanor looked frightened.

“Twenty-nine years ago, Isabel gave birth to two boys. One was registered as Jonathan Thorne Junior. The other was recorded as stillborn.”

Varek stared at the screen.

“Which one am I?”

Eleanor shook her head.

“I don’t know which child you are. I only know that the boy I brought home was not the boy I was supposed to collect.”

Victor stepped closer.

“Who was the other boy?”

Eleanor looked toward someone outside the camera.

Then she said:

“The other boy was taken by Richard.”

Varek turned toward Grace.

“Richard took my brother?”

Grace lowered her eyes.

Eleanor continued.

“Richard raised that child under another name. He made sure the family believed the boy had died. But he survived.”

A voice spoke from behind the camera.

“Tell him the rest.”

Eleanor began crying.

“The child Richard took was the original heir. And the person who brought you to my house was not Helena.”

Varek’s breathing became uneven.

“Who was it?”

Eleanor looked straight into the camera.

“Your father.”

The video stopped.

Silence filled the room.

Victor stepped backward.

“Your father?”

Varek stared at the blank screen.

“Who was my father?”

Grace looked toward the door.

“Richard.”

Varek turned slowly.

“Richard Thorne?”

She nodded.

“Yes.”

Victor shook his head.

“That’s impossible. Richard was supposed to be my father.”

Grace looked at him.

“Richard claimed many children. That doesn’t mean he fathered all of them.”

Varek took a step toward her.

“Then who is my brother?”

Grace opened her mouth, but before she could answer, a voice came from the staircase.

“You’re asking the wrong question.”

They turned.

A man stood at the bottom of the stairs.

He was holding Eleanor’s handbag.

Varek raised his weapon.

“Richard.”

Richard smiled.

“Hello, son.”

Varek’s expression hardened.

“Where is Eleanor?”

“Safe.”

“Bring her out.”

Richard placed the handbag on the table.

“You’re making the same mistake Eleanor made.”

“Which mistake?”

“Believing that blood makes someone family.”

Varek moved closer.

“Who did you take from Isabel?”

Richard looked at Victor.

Then he looked back at Varek.

“I took the child who could inherit everything.”

“Where is he?”

Richard smiled.

“He’s been standing beside you for quite some time.”

Varek turned toward Victor.

Victor’s face had gone pale.

Richard continued.

“Your brother isn’t missing, Varek.”

He pointed at Victor.

“He’s right there.”

Victor stepped backward.

“No.”

Richard nodded.

“Yes. But there’s something else you should know.”

He removed a folded document from his jacket.

“Victor isn’t his real name.”

He placed it on the table.

The document carried a photograph of Victor as a newborn.

Beneath it was a name.

JONATHAN THORNE JUNIOR.

And beneath that:

BIOLOGICAL MOTHER: ISABEL THORNE.

Varek looked at Victor.

Then Richard delivered the final blow.

“Victor is the child Eleanor was supposed to bring home. You were the child she was ordered to leave behind.”

Richard smiled.

“And now that you’ve finally found each other, there’s no reason for either of you to remain alive.”

A gunshot rang through the house.

The lights went out.