I Noticed My Maid’s Son Had the Same Birthmark as Me—Then His Hospital Papers Listed Me as His Father.

Victor descended the stairs of the estate like a force of nature. Every guard stood at attention, terrified to make a sound.

"Mateo, bring Celeste up from the cellar. Not to a chair. To the center of the courtyard."

"Victor, what are you doing?" Claire asked, running behind him, her hands clenched into fists. "We need to find the black SUV! Every second we waste here, they're getting further away!"

"The SUV didn't head for the highway," Victor said, his eyes burning with lethal certainty. "Whoever took Eli knew the blind spots in our camera grid. Only three people knew that the south gate barrier had a mechanical delay during a power failure: me, Arthur, and Marco."

"You think Marco is alive?" Claire asked, breathless. "You think your dead brother took my son?"

"I think someone has been using my brother's ghost to tear this family apart from the inside," Victor said, stepping out into the cold courtyard gravel.

Celeste was dragged out into the spotlight of the courtyard lamps by two armed men. She had lost her shoes, her hair was a tangled mess, and she looked genuinely terrified.

"Victor, please, I didn't know Arthur was going to cut the power!" she cried out. "I swear on my mother's grave!"

Victor walked up to her, holding up the silver compass. "Your father's summer estate in Rhode Island. The one near the bay. Who stays there during the winter?"

Celeste blinked, her lips trembling. "Nobody! It's been boarded up for two years!"

"Liar," Victor said, gesturing to Mateo. Mateo pulled back the slide on his weapon.

"Wait! Wait!" Celeste screamed, falling to her knees on the sharp gravel. "A man stays there! My father told me never to go near the guest cottage! He said it was an old business partner who needed to stay off the radar after the dock explosion!"

Victor grabbed Celeste by the hair, forcing her face up. "What did your father call him?"

"The Soldier," Celeste wept. "He just called him The Soldier! He said if the Bellandis ever found out he survived the fire, both families would be wiped out!"

Victor let go of her, letting her collapse onto the stones. He turned toward his fleet of black armored sedans idling in the driveway.