THE HEIR’S SHADOW

Back at the estate, tension crackled through the air like static electricity.

While dusting the mahogany bookshelves outside Mr. Sterling’s private study, Elena heard raised voices behind the heavy double doors.

“You’re being reckless, Victoria!” Richard yelled, his voice muffled yet fierce. “Hiring a maid from the same district? What if she finds out? What if anyone looks too closely at the birth registry?”

“Nobody looks at anything unless we give them a reason to!” Victoria shot back, sharp as shattered glass. “Campbell was paid two million dollars to ensure that paperwork vanished. The Vance girl was a grieving, penniless widow. She had no family, no money, and no voice. The board needed an heir to secure our family trust, and now we have one.”

Elena pressed her back against the wallpaper, her hand covering her mouth to stifle a cry of raw anguish.

It was true.

They hadn't just adopted an orphan. They had stolen her baby from her womb, told her he was dead, and hired her as an underpaid servant to raise her own child under their roof.

“And what if Campbell talks?” Richard asked bitterly. “He called again yesterday asking for another fifty thousand.”

“Campbell won’t talk,” Victoria sneered. “Because if he goes down, he knows we will bury him under twenty high-powered attorneys. Leo is our son now. Legally, socially, and permanently.”

Footsteps approached the study doors.

Elena darted down the side corridor just as the doors flew open. She leaned against the cold tiles of the pantry, clutching her chest, tears streaming silently down her face.