Chapter 5 - THE MAN DAMIAN CALLED UNCLE
Vincent Vale arrived at eight the next morning.
He walked into Damian’s house like he owned it.
Maybe, in a way, he thought he did.
He was in his sixties. Gray hair. Expensive suit. Warm smile.
The kind of man who looked like he donated to hospitals instead of stole babies from them.
“Damian.”
He opened his arms.
Damian didn’t move.
Vincent’s smile faded.
Then he saw me.
“Who’s this?”
I watched his eyes.
For one tiny second, he knew me.
Then he hid it.
“Emma Carter,” Damian said.
Silence.
Vincent looked at Leah.
Then at me.
“Oh.”
That one word told me everything.
“You know my name,” I said.
“No.”
“You didn’t ask who I was.”
Vincent smiled.
“I assumed Damian had a reason for introducing you.”
Damian stepped forward.
“Did you steal Leah?”
Vincent laughed.
Not nervously.
Offended.
“What kind of question is that?”
“The kind you answer.”
“Damian, you’re upset.”
“Elena left a letter.”
Vincent’s face didn’t change.
But his right hand slowly closed.
“She named you.”
“That poor woman was sick.”
“She said Leah was stolen.”
Vincent sighed.
“Grief made Elena paranoid.”
“Emma’s baby was declared dead the same night Leah was transferred.”
Vincent glanced at me.
“I’m sorry for your loss.”
“My daughter is standing ten feet from you.”
His eyes turned cold.
For just a second.
Then the smile came back.
“You don’t know that.”
“We will.”
Damian moved closer.
“You arranged Elena’s doctors.”
“Yes.”
“You handled the hospital.”
“Yes.”
“You brought Leah home.”
Vincent’s smile disappeared.
“I helped your wife when you weren’t there.”
“You forged my daughter’s birth.”
“I protected your family.”
The room went silent.
Damian stared at him.
“So you did it.”
Vincent realized his mistake.
Too late.
He straightened his jacket.
“Be careful what conclusions you reach.”
I wanted to hit him.
“You told people my baby was dead.”
“I never met you.”
“Liar.”
“Emma.”
Damian put one arm in front of me.
Vincent looked almost amused.
“Do you know what Elena was like then?” he asked Damian. “Do you remember?”
“Don’t.”
“She was breaking apart.”
“Don’t talk about my wife.”
“She wanted a child so badly she was destroying herself.”
Damian’s jaw clenched.
Vincent continued.
“I solved a problem.”
“You stole a human being.”
“I gave a child a life.”
“You stole my daughter!” I screamed.
Leah flinched.
I stopped immediately.
Vincent looked at her.
“See? This is exactly why biology shouldn’t decide everything.”
I lunged at him.
Damian caught me.
Vincent backed toward the door.
“You think you’re a hero?” I shouted. “You let me bury an empty coffin!”
That stopped him.
He turned around.
There was no warmth left in his face.
“You should be grateful.”
My stomach twisted.
“For what?”
“Your child grew up in this house instead of that apartment you were living in.”
Damian moved so fast I barely saw him.
He slammed Vincent against the wall.
“Say another word about her.”
Vincent didn’t look scared.
That was the worst part.
He looked disappointed.
“I made you, Damian.”
“No.”
“I protected you.”
“You murdered Elena.”
For the first time, Vincent’s face cracked.
Only slightly.
But I saw it.
Damian saw it too.
Then Vincent smiled.
“If I murdered Elena…”
His eyes moved to Leah.
“…why would I leave the only witness alive?”
The room froze.
Damian slowly released him.
“What did you say?”
Vincent adjusted his collar.
“You never wondered why Leah stopped speaking after the accident?”
My heart started pounding.
Damian whispered, “She was in the car.”
Vincent smiled again.
Then Leah screamed.
She pointed at him.
Her whole body trembled.
“BAD MAN!”
Everyone turned.
Leah backed into me.
May you like
Then she said the sentence that changed the investigation completely.
“Bad man hurt Mommy.”
