Chapter 8: The Mother Who Buried the Truth
The phone screen kept glowing.
One name.
One impossible name.
*MOTHER.*
For several seconds, nobody breathed.
Because everyone in that room knew what that meant.
My mother.
The woman who raised me.
The woman who held my hand when I learned I was pregnant.
The woman who cried with me when Daniel was declared dead.
The woman who told me I would survive.
The woman who said, “You and Mia are all that matter now.””
My mother.
I stared at the phone.
“No.””
The word came out quietly.
Then louder.
“No.””
Alessandro looked at me.
“Elena.””
I shook my head.
“That’s not possible.””
The phone continued ringing.
Nobody touched it.
Not even Alessandro.
Because somehow, all of us understood.
The moment someone answered, there was no going back.
Victor stepped closer.
“You need to answer.””
I looked at him.
“Why?””
“Because whoever sent this wants you to know something.””
“And what if I don’t?””
His expression softened.
“Then they’ll find another way.””
The truth of that terrified me.
Because they always had.
They had found ways to hide Mia.
To rewrite records.
To fake deaths.
To turn my entire life into a carefully constructed lie.
My fingers moved toward the phone.
But before I touched it, Alessandro placed his hand over mine.
I looked at him.
“Don’t.””
The word surprised me.
Not because he said it.
Because he sounded afraid.
“What?””
He looked at the screen.
Then at me.
“If your mother is involved…”
He stopped.
“What?””
He swallowed.
“Then this is bigger than Mia.””
I pulled my hand away.
“My mother would never hurt me.””
Nobody answered.
And that silence hurt more than any accusation.
Because they were all thinking the same thing.
What if she did?
I pressed the button.
“Hello?””
At first, there was nothing.
Only breathing.
Then a voice.
An older voice.
A familiar voice.
“Elena.””
My knees almost gave out.
“Mom?””
Everyone watched me.
The room became painfully quiet.
“Mom, where are you?””
A long pause.
Then:
“You found him.””
I frowned.
“Who?””
“The man who was supposed to find Mia.””
My eyes moved toward Alessandro.
“You mean Alessandro?””
Silence.
Then my mother whispered:
“Yes.””
A chill went through me.
“Why are you calling?””
“Elena, listen carefully.””
Her voice trembled.
“Do not trust anyone in that room.””
My heart stopped.
I looked at Alessandro.
At Isabella.
At Victor.
“Why?””
“Because you don’t know what they’re capable of.””
My mother sounded terrified.
And I had never heard fear in her voice before.
Not once.
“Mom, tell me the truth.””
“I tried to protect you.””
“From what?””
A pause.
Then:
“From the Duca family.””
Alessandro’s expression changed.
My mother continued.
“You were never supposed to meet Alessandro.””
I stared at him.
“What?””
“Elena…”
“No.””
My voice cracked.
“You knew about him?””
Silence.
“You knew who he was?””
Another pause.
And that was enough.
My entire body went cold.
“How?””
My mother whispered:
“Because I was there.””
My heart stopped.
“Where?””
“The night Mia was born.””
The room disappeared.
I heard nothing.
Not the city.
Not the voices.
Nothing.
“You were there?””
“Yes.””
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
“Because I was trying to keep you alive.””
I laughed softly.
A broken sound.
“Alive?””
“Yes.””
“Mom, my whole life is a lie.””
“I know.””
The words cut deeper than anything.
She knew.
Everyone knew.
Except me.
“I spent months thinking I had no one.””
“I know.””
“I thought Daniel died.””
“I know.””
“I thought I was protecting my daughter from the world.””
My voice shook.
“But I was protecting her from people who knew the truth.””
My mother cried quietly.
“Yes.””
I closed my eyes.
The pain was overwhelming.
“Tell me.””
“Elena…”
“Tell me everything.””
A long silence followed.
Then she said:
“When you gave birth to Mia, Daniel was not the only person waiting.””
My fingers tightened.
“I know.””
“No.””
Her voice became urgent.
“You don’t.””
I looked at Alessandro.
Then Isabella.
“Then explain.””
My mother took a breath.
“The baby they were waiting for wasn’t just Isabella’s daughter.””
Nobody moved.
My heart pounded.
“What does that mean?””
“It means Mia was valuable before she was even born.””
“Why?””
“Because of her father.””
My eyes moved toward Alessandro.
My mother continued:
“Eight years ago, Alessandro Duca was about to expose someone powerful.””
Alessandro’s face changed.
“What?””
My mother heard his voice.
“You’re there.””
It wasn’t a question.
It was fear.
Alessandro stepped toward the phone.
“Who are you?””
My mother went silent.
Then:
“The person who tried to save your daughter.””
His expression hardened.
“You knew?””
“Yes.””
“And you hid her?””
“No.””
My mother’s voice broke.
“I hid her from them.””
“Who?””
Nobody answered.
Then my mother said:
“The person who destroyed both of your families.””
The room became still.
Alessandro looked at Isabella.
Isabella looked away.
Victor’s face changed.
Like he had just remembered something.
“What?”” I asked.
Victor spoke quietly.
“There’s only one person who connects all of this.””
Alessandro turned.
“Who?””
Victor looked at the phone.
“Your father.””
The silence that followed was absolute.
Alessandro froze.
“My father died.””
My mother whispered:
“No.””
Everyone looked at the phone.
“He didn’t.””
The words felt impossible.
Alessandro’s face went blank.
“What did you say?””
“Your father disappeared.””
“No.””
“Yes.””
“I attended his funeral.””
“You attended a funeral for someone they wanted you to believe was dead.””
Alessandro stepped backward.
“No.””
His voice was barely audible.
“My father is dead.””
My mother whispered:
“He is the reason Mia was taken.””
The room exploded.
Not with noise.
With emotion.
Alessandro’s face changed from disbelief to anger.
“You’re lying.””
“I wish I was.””
“You expect me to believe my own father stole my daughter?””
“He didn’t steal her.””
“Then what did he do?””
A pause.
“He ordered someone else to.””
Nobody moved.
I looked at Mia.
My daughter.
The center of every secret.
The reason every person in this room had lied.
“Mom.””
My voice shook.
“Why did you never tell me?””
“Because I promised Daniel.””
The name hit me.
“Daniel?””
“Yes.””
My chest tightened.
“He knew?””
“He found out.””
“About what?””
“That Mia was alive.””
My heart sank.
My mother continued:
“He tried to take her away from them.””
“But he left me.””
“I know.””
“Why?””
“Because he believed staying away was the only way to keep you safe.””
I looked away.
I didn’t know what hurt more.
That Daniel betrayed me.
Or that maybe he didn’t.
My mother suddenly became quiet.
Too quiet.
“Mom?””
No answer.
“Mom?””
Then I heard something.
A sound.
Like a door opening.
My blood turned cold.
“Where are you?””
No answer.
“Mom!””
A whisper came through the phone.
“Elena…”
“Yes?””
“If they know I called you…”
The line crackled.
Then she said the words that made everyone freeze.
“Run.””
The call ended.
I stared at the phone.
Then Alessandro moved.
Fast.
“Everyone away from the windows.””
I looked at him.
“What?””
He didn’t answer.
He grabbed Mia’s diaper bag from the laundry room.
The same bag I had hidden for months.
The same bag that held everything my daughter needed.
“What are you doing?””
“Getting you out.””
“No.””
“Elena.””
“No more running.””
I looked at him.
“I ran my whole life.””
My voice broke.
“I hid my daughter.””
I held Mia tighter.
“I won’t do it again.””
Alessandro stared at me.
Then nodded.
“Okay.””
The answer surprised me.
“Okay?””
“Yes.””
He looked toward the door.
“Then we fight for the truth.””
Before I could respond, Victor’s phone rang.
He answered.
His expression changed instantly.
“What?””
Silence.
Then:
“When?””
He looked at Alessandro.
“It’s the hospital.””
Nobody moved.
“What hospital?”” I asked.
Victor slowly lowered the phone.
“The hospital where Mia was born.””
My stomach dropped.
“What about it?””
He looked at me.
“They found another file.””
“What file?””
Victor’s voice became quiet.
“A file that proves Mia was not the only baby taken that night.””
The room went cold.
Alessandro stared.
“What?””
Victor looked down at the message.
Then said:
“There were two newborn girls.””
My breath stopped.
“Two?””
He nodded.
“And one of them…”
He looked at Mia.
“…was registered under Isabella’s name.””
Nobody spoke.
Then another message appeared on Victor’s phone.
A photograph.
A newborn baby.
And beneath it, a name.
*MIA DUCA — ORIGINAL RECORD.*
But beside it was another line.
May you like
A line that made Alessandro’s face lose all color.
*SECOND CHILD: UNKNOWN.*
