Chapter 14: The Shadow of the Orphanage
Chapter 14: The Shadow of the Orphanage
The tension in the house reached a boiling point. While Ethan spent his days at the corporate office fighting off the board of directors, Clara began her silent investigation.
One afternoon, while Eleanor was out meeting with her lawyers, Clara took Maya out to the garden. She purposely set up their picnic blanket near the East Wing windows. Within minutes, a small face pressed against the glass. It was Leo.
Clara smiled warmly and waved him down. Hesitantly, the little boy snuck out the side door and joined them. Maya, with the innocent grace of a six-year-old, immediately offered him a strawberry.
"Do you like to draw, Leo?" Clara asked gently, handing him a sketchbook and crayons.
Leo nodded silently. He began to draw with furious, fast strokes. Clara watched closely. He didn't draw the Montgomery estate. He drew a tall, grey, brick building with high fences. At the top, he carefully wrote the letters: S-T-J-U-D-E-S.
"St. Jude's?" Clara asked softly.
May you like
Leo looked up, terrified, and quickly scribbled over the letters. "That's where I lived before she bought me," he whispered, tears welling in his eyes. "She told me I have to pretend Arthur is my daddy, or I go back."
Clara’s blood ran cold. Bought him. Eleanor hadn't just forged a document; she had trafficked an orphan to play the part of a billionaire's son. The depravity of the scheme was beyond anything Clara had imagined.
