Chapter 3 - The Shadow in the Mansion
The revelation sent shockwaves through Dominic’s mind.
If Ellie was Julian's daughter, it meant Julian had hidden her. Why? And why was she living on the streets, eating out of trash cans, while his family’s legacy lay in the hands of Evans Global?
Dominic walked back into the penthouse living room. Ellie was sitting on the plush velvet sofa, wearing a clean, oversized white t-shirt Helen had provided. She was eating a bowl of warm chicken soup, her movements hurried and desperate, as if she feared someone would snatch the food away at any second.
Dominic sat down next to her, his heart aching. He looked at her features—the slight curve of her nose, the intensity in her eyes. It was Julian. How had he been so blind?
"Ellie," Dominic said gently. "Do you remember your father? Your real dad?"
Ellie paused, her spoon hovering near her mouth. She looked down, her eyes clouding with memory. "I don't remember his face. Only his voice. He used to sing to me. But then... bad men came to our house. Daddy told me to hide in the secret closet. He said, 'No matter what happens, Ellie, don't come out. Find the red bike. The red bike will take you to safety.' Then there was a loud noise, like thunder. I never saw him again."
"And the bike?" Dominic pressed, his voice tight.
"A nice man from the shelter had it," Ellie explained. "He said my daddy left it for me. But then the nice man disappeared too. And some mean people threw the bike in the big trash bin behind the restaurant. I stayed near the bin for three days until they threw it away, and then I pulled it out."
Dominic's blood ran cold. This wasn't a random series of events. Julian had engineered this. He had hidden a vital secret inside that bicycle and ensured it would find its way to Ellie. But Julian had underestimated how brutal their enemies were.
Suddenly, the penthouse doors chimed.
Dominic’s security detail on the monitor showed a woman standing at the private elevator lobby. It was Victoria Evans—Dominic's stepmother, the cold, ambitious matriarch who had married his father shortly before his death. Victoria had always hated Julian and Dominic, viewing them as obstacles to her own control over the Evans fortune.
"What is she doing here?" Dominic muttered.
"She claimed she had urgent paperwork regarding the shipping merger, sir," Marcus said over the comms. "I tried to delay her, but she has executive clearance to the residential elevator."
"Hide Ellie," Dominic ordered Helen. "Now."
Helen quickly led Ellie into the master bedroom just as the double doors of the penthouse slid open.
Victoria Evans walked in, radiating cold elegance. She wore a tailored black dress, her diamond necklace catching the light. Her sharp eyes immediately scanned the room, lingering for a second on the half-empty bowl of soup on the coffee table.
"Dominic, darling," Victoria purred, her voice dripping with artificial warmth. "You aren't answering your office phone. The board is in chaos over the shipping merger. And I heard a rumor... a rather disturbing rumor."
"I’m busy, Victoria," Dominic said, standing tall, blocking her view of the hallway. "State your business."
"I heard there was a shooting in the park this morning. And that my dear stepson was seen fleeing the scene with a... dirty little street rat," Victoria said, her lips curling into a cruel smile. "Really, Dominic. If you wanted to do charity work, you could have just written a check. Why bring trash into your home?"
Dominic stepped closer to her, his aura radiating pure malice. "The only trash in this room, Victoria, is the person who enters my home uninvited. Leave. Now."
Victoria’s smile vanished. She leaned in close, her voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "You think you're untouchable, Dominic. But you're just like your brother. Weak. Vulnerable to your emotions. If you are harboring something—or someone—that doesn't belong to you, it will end badly. For both of you."
She turned on her heel and walked back to the elevator.
As soon as the doors closed, Dominic turned to Marcus. "Tap her phone. Now. I want to know exactly who she calls the moment she leaves this building."
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Two minutes later, Marcus played the intercepted audio.
Victoria's voice came through the speaker, tight and panicked: "He has the girl. And he has the bike. Eliminate them both tonight. I don't care about the collateral damage. Burn the tower down if you have to."
