Chapter 26
A baby wrapped in a blanket.
A last moment no one had ever told me existed.
“What did he say?”
Sofia’s mouth trembled.
“He asked Elena to keep you away from every family involved. Including mine.”
I looked at Victor.
He did not look offended.
Only wounded.
“Daniel knew my father would search for the records,” he said.
“Yes.”
“And he thought Elena had them.”
“Yes.”
“Did she?”
“Not then.”
Victor stopped moving.
“What do you mean?”
“I had them.”
Sofia placed both hands over the top of her cane.
“I returned to the mansion because Father had already taken Annie. I believed the only way to get her back was to offer him the records.”
Victor went pale.
“Father had your daughter?”
“He arranged her birth certificate. He controlled the doctor, the lawyer, the hospital record. When I tried to leave, he took her.”
“Why?”
“He said Moretti children belonged to the family.”
The words were not spoken dramatically.
That made them worse.
Victor sat heavily on the bottom stair.
“For years, I believed you ran away because of Daniel.”
“I ran because of Annie.”
“Where was she?”
“I didn’t know.”
Victor covered his mouth with one hand.
Sofia’s gaze drifted toward Lily.
“I brought Hannah here because I needed Elena’s help. She had already changed Hannah’s name and moved twice. She refused to risk bringing her back, but I begged her.”
May you like
“The blue room,” I whispered.
Sofia nodded.
