Chapter 4 - CAMILA’S REAL NAME
Julian called Camila again.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
He called her driver.
The driver answered.
“Mr. Rossi?”
“Where is Ms. De Santis?”
“I dropped her at the train station.”
“Which station?”
“Central.”
“When?”
“Twenty minutes ago.”
Julian checked the time.
“Where was she going?”
“She didn’t say.”
Julian hung up.
Elena watched him.
“You need to stop.”
He looked at her.
“What?”
“Chasing them.”
“Why?”
“Because that’s what they want.”
Julian frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“They spent eight months making sure you didn’t find me.”
“And tonight they put me directly in front of you.”
Elena’s face tightened.
“That means something changed.”
Julian knew she was right.
The question was what.
His phone rang.
Matteo.
“I found another problem.”
“Go.”
“Camila De Santis doesn’t exist.”
Julian went still.
“What?”
“Not legally.”
“She has a passport.”
“A very good one.”
“She has banking records.”
“Created eighteen months ago.”
“She has a company.”
“A shell corporation.”
Julian stared at the floor.
Four months.
He had slept beside this woman.
Taken her to family dinners.
Allowed her into his home.
“What is her real name?”
“I’m working on it.”
“Work faster.”
“I found one photograph.”
“Send it.”
Julian’s phone buzzed.
He opened the image.
Camila.
Younger.
Blonde hair instead of brunette.
Standing beside a man outside a courthouse.
Julian zoomed in.
The man looked vaguely familiar.
Elena gasped.
Julian looked at her.
“You know him?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
Elena took the phone.
“That’s Dr. Moreau.”
“Who?”
“The doctor from the clinic.”
Julian felt the final piece click into place.
Camila had ties to the clinic.
The clinic had imprisoned Elena.
And Isabella had introduced Camila to Julian.
“This was planned.”
Elena whispered,
“From the beginning.”
Julian called Matteo.
“The man in the photo is Dr. Moreau.”
“I know.”
“You know?”
“I just identified him.”
“Who is Camila?”
Matteo hesitated.
“Her real name is Camille Moreau.”
Julian looked at Elena.
“His daughter.”
“Yes.”
The betrayal was almost elegant in its design.
A doctor falsified Elena’s records.
His daughter entered Julian’s life months later.
And Isabella had facilitated the introduction.
“Why?”
Julian whispered.
Matteo answered,
“I think I know.”
Julian waited.
“I found the original Rossi Holdings succession documents.”
“What do they have to do with this?”
“Everything.”
Matteo’s voice lowered.
“Your father changed the company trust eighteen months ago.”
Julian frowned.
“I know.”
“No.”
“You know the version filed with the board.”
“There’s another.”
Julian went still.
“What does it say?”
“If you have a biological child while still legally married to Elena, controlling voting rights eventually pass through your branch of the family.”
Julian looked at Elena’s stomach.
“And if I don’t?”
“Luca becomes successor.”
Silence.
There it was.
Not pride.
Not dislike.
Not family interference.
Money.
Control.
Billions.
Julian whispered,
“My child removes Luca.”
“Yes.”
“And my mother knew.”
“I don’t know.”
Julian almost laughed.
He knew.
Of course she knew.
Elena suddenly grabbed her stomach.
Julian immediately moved toward her.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Elena.”
She breathed slowly.
“Just pressure.”
“Sit down.”
“I am sitting.”
“Lie down.”
“Julian.”
“Please.”
Something in his voice made her stop arguing.
She lay back.
He called the hotel doctor.
While they waited, Julian stood beside the bed.
Elena watched him.
“You don’t have to stay.”
He looked at her as if she had said something absurd.
“Yes.”
“I do.”
The doctor arrived.
After examining Elena, he reassured them.
Stress.
Dehydration.
No active labor.
But Elena needed rest.
When he left, Julian sat near the window.
Neither spoke for several minutes.
Finally Elena whispered,
“Her name is Sofia.”
Julian looked up.
“What?”
“The baby.”
His expression changed.
“You know it’s a girl?”
Elena nodded.
“I found out at twenty weeks.”
Julian looked at her stomach.
“Sofia.”
“Yes.”
“Why Sofia?”
Elena smiled faintly.
“Your grandmother.”
Julian looked away.
His grandmother Sofia had raised him for much of his childhood.
Elena knew how much she meant to him.
Even while believing Julian had rejected her, Elena had named their daughter after someone he loved.
His eyes burned.
“Thank you.”
Elena said nothing.
Julian moved closer.
“Can I…”
He stopped.
Elena understood.
For a moment, she hesitated.
Then she took his hand.
She placed it gently against her stomach.
Nothing happened.
Julian waited.
Then a small movement pressed against his palm.
He froze.
Another.
His face broke.
“That’s her?”
Elena nodded.
Julian lowered his head.
For eight months, he had believed Elena had destroyed their marriage.
Meanwhile his daughter had been growing without him.
Because people he trusted had stolen those months.
He whispered,
“I’m sorry.”
Elena looked away.
“I’m going to fix this.”
“You can’t fix eight months.”
“No.”
Julian lifted his head.
“But I can make sure they never steal another day.”
His phone rang.
Unknown number.
Julian answered.
“Hello?”
Camila’s voice came through.
“You found out.”
Julian stood.
“Where are you?”
“That doesn’t matter.”
“You’re Moreau’s daughter.”
“Yes.”
Elena watched him.
“Why?”
Camila laughed softly.
“You still think this is about Elena.”
“It is.”
“No.”
“It’s about you.”
Julian’s eyes narrowed.
“Explain.”
“Ask your father what happened in Monaco eighteen months ago.”
“What happened?”
“Ask him.”
“Camila.”
“My name is Camille.”
“Fine.”
“Camille, why did you bring me here?”
Silence.
Then she said,
“Because Elena was running out of time.”
Julian’s expression changed.
“What does that mean?”
“She was never supposed to give birth.”
Elena heard.
Her face went white.
Julian’s voice became dangerously quiet.
“What did you say?”
“My father was ordered to bring her back to the clinic before thirty-six weeks.”
“By whom?”
Camille breathed into the phone.
“I brought you to her because I couldn’t be part of it anymore.”
“Who gave the order?”
“You already know.”
“My mother?”
Camille didn’t answer.
“Luca?”
Still nothing.
“Camille.”
Her voice came back as a whisper.
“Neither of them is the person you should fear most.”
The call ended.
Julian stared at the phone.
Elena whispered,
“Who else is there?”
Julian had no answer.
Then his phone buzzed.
A photograph arrived from Camille.
It showed Elena unconscious in the clinic eight months earlier.
Standing beside her bed were Isabella.
Luca.
Dr. Moreau.
And one more person.
Julian enlarged the photograph.
His heart stopped.
May you like
The fourth person was his father.
Vittorio Rossi.
