Chapter 3 - A CHILD CONCEIVED IN SECRET
Alexander denied it immediately.
He had not seen Elena since the night she disappeared.
He had mourned her for more than a year.
He had identified her coat and jewelry after rescuers found them near the river.
He had eventually married Vanessa because she claimed Elena had asked her to help him move forward.
Yet Vanessa insisted the unborn baby belonged to him.
Marcus asked the detectives to examine the locked phone.
Technicians bypassed the password within minutes.
The device contained medical schedules, medication reminders, and video clips.
One recording showed Elena sitting in a small white room.
Her hair was longer than before.
Her face looked pale.
One hand rested on her pregnant stomach.
A voice behind the camera asked her to state the father’s name.
Elena stared toward the lens.
“Alexander Whitmore.”
The video ended.
Alexander nearly dropped the phone.
“This could have been forced,” Marcus said.
Vanessa laughed bitterly.
“Everything was forced.”
She explained that Dr. Bell had preserved frozen embryos created during Alexander and Elena’s fertility treatments.
Alexander believed the embryos had been destroyed after the second miscarriage.
They had not.
Cynthia discovered their existence after Elena’s disappearance.
When the inheritance trust required a biological Whitmore child, Cynthia arranged for one embryo to be implanted in Elena.
Alexander stared at Vanessa in disbelief.
“You kidnapped my wife and used her as a surrogate?”
“I did not kidnap her.”
“Then who did?”
Vanessa looked toward the detectives.
“My sister.”
“Why did you help her?”
“Because Cynthia promised me Alexander.”
Her honesty shocked everyone.
Vanessa had always envied Elena.
She wanted Elena’s home, wealth, position, and husband.
Cynthia promised to remove Elena permanently.
In exchange, Vanessa would marry Alexander and eventually transfer control of company shares into a trust.
Cynthia would become guardian of the false baby.
Once Alexander died, the sisters would control everything.
“But Elena survived the crash,” Marcus said.
Vanessa lowered her eyes.
“There was never a crash.”
The damaged car had been pushed over the mountain road.
Elena had already been drugged and transported elsewhere.
Dr. Bell created medical records stating that she suffered memory loss and severe instability.
She spent years moving through private facilities under false names.
Six months ago, Cynthia brought her back to the city.
That was when the embryo was implanted.
A detective entered the nursery.
They had located Dr. Bell’s abandoned car near a private airport.
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Blood covered the passenger seat.
In the trunk, they found Elena’s wedding ring.
