Chapter 6 - The Woman Living Under Another Name
They found Evelyn Miller three days later.
She was living under the name Eleanor Hayes in a small coastal town in Maine.
Grace almost laughed when she saw her.
Not because it was funny.
Because she didn't know what else to do.
Her grandmother opened the door.
For a moment, neither moved.
Then Evelyn cried.
"My baby."
Grace ran into her arms.
She was nine again.
For the first time in fifteen years, she smelled the perfume that had once filled Grace's childhood home.
"I'm sorry."
Grace held her tighter.
"I thought you were dead."
"I wanted to come back."
"Then why didn't you?"
"Because I was protecting you."
Grace pulled away.
"Everyone says that."
Evelyn looked at Dominic.
"And he came."
Dominic nodded.
"Ma'am."
"You have your mother's eyes."
Grace looked between them.
"You knew each other?"
"Yes."
"How?"
Evelyn sat down.
"Your mother was my daughter."
Grace's breath caught.
"My mother?"
"She was young when all this started."
Evelyn explained.
Her mother had discovered the network.
Thomas had gone undercover.
Roberto had ordered the disappearance of anyone who knew too much.
But there was more.
"Dominic's mother knew."
Rose.
Grace thought of the birthday party.
"That's why she invited me."
"Yes."
"She knew I was connected."
"She hoped you and Dominic would trust each other."
Grace glanced at him.
"Why?"
"Because Roberto intended to use Dominic."
"How?"
"He wanted Dominic to inherit everything."
Dominic spoke quietly.
"But I refused."
"You refused at twenty-one."
"Yes."
Evelyn looked at him with pride.
"That's when Roberto decided to destroy you."
Grace stared.
"Your father hated you?"
"He loved control more than he loved me."
Evelyn handed Grace another envelope.
Inside was the second ledger.
Thomas had told them about it.
Grace opened it.
The pages contained names.
Payments.
Codes.
And one final page.
A list of children.
Grace's eyes widened.
"These children."
"Some were rescued."
"And the others?"
Evelyn shook her head.
"They disappeared."
Grace's voice broke.
"This is horrible."
"It was."
"Why is my name here?"
Evelyn turned pale.
"What?"
Grace pointed.
A child's name.
Grace Miller.
Age: 4.
Status: Reserved.
Dominic took the ledger.
"This is impossible."
Evelyn looked at the page.
"Your father prevented them from taking you."
"Reserved for whom?"
She read the next column.
"Roberto."
Dominic stared.
"He intended to use Grace as leverage."
"Yes."
Grace's hands trembled.
"Why?"
"Because Thomas was the only person who could expose him."
Dominic turned to his father-in-law.
"Then why didn't Roberto kill him?"
Thomas answered.
"Because he needed the ledger."
Suddenly, the puzzle fit.
Thomas had hidden it.
Evelyn had hidden the key.
Grace had unknowingly inherited the evidence.
Roberto had spent decades searching for it.
And Dominic had become the one person standing between him and the truth.
Grace looked at Dominic.
"We have to end this."
He nodded.
But that night, Rose called.
"Dominic."
He answered.
"What happened?"
"Your brother has been taken."
Dominic froze.
"What brother?"
Silence.
Then Rose said:
"The one you never knew existed."
Dominic's face changed.
Grace stared.
"Who?"
Rose gave a name.
"Anthony Romano."
Dominic sat down.
His father had another son.
A son who could inherit everything.
And a son Roberto had hidden.
The next morning, Anthony appeared.
Thirty-one.
Calm.
Sharp.
He looked exactly like Dominic.
The resemblance was disturbing.
Grace instinctively stepped back.
Anthony smiled.
"Hello, brother."
Dominic stared.
"Why didn't I know you existed?"
"Because Father wanted it that way."
"What do you want?"
"Nothing."
Dominic laughed bitterly.
"Nobody arrives after thirty years saying they want nothing."
Anthony's smile vanished.
"I want him stopped."
"Why?"
"Because he killed my mother."
Grace froze.
Anthony looked at her.
"And because he plans to kill you."
Dominic stepped forward.
"Where is Roberto?"
Anthony answered:
"Chicago."
"Doing what?"
"Preparing for the final move."
"What move?"
Anthony looked at Grace.
"He's going to make you his heir."
Grace stared.
"That doesn't make sense."
"It does if he dies."
"What?"
Anthony explained.
Roberto had created a legal structure that transferred everything to Grace if he died under suspicious circumstances.
Then the crimes could be blamed on Dominic.
Grace would inherit the empire.
Dominic would become the apparent murderer.
And the family would tear itself apart.
Grace felt sick.
"We need the documents."
Anthony nodded.
"They're at Romano Holdings."
"We go tonight."
Anthony looked at Dominic.
"For once, trust your brother."
Dominic stared at him.
"I have two brothers now."
Anthony almost smiled.
"You're going to hate having siblings."
Grace laughed.
For the first time in days, it felt like hope.
But when they returned to the city, they found the Romano estate surrounded by police.
Someone had reported that Dominic had killed Roberto.
And the evidence was already waiting.
His fingerprints.
His weapon.
His blood.
His motive.
Everything.
Dominic looked at Grace.
"I didn't do this."
"I know."
He shook his head.
"No."
He pointed at the police.
"They don't."
The handcuffs came out.
Grace watched as Dominic was arrested.
May you like
And from across the street, a dark figure smiled.
Roberto.
