Chapter 60 The Hidden Bloodline
BELLA
The quiet hum of the TV filled the room, but I wasn’t paying attention. My thoughts were louder, relentless, circling back to the same questions I’d been asking for weeks. Elowen’s father might know something about my mother my blood mother and there was even the possibility that I wasn’t an only child. Twins? Could it be true?
The shrill ring of my phone jolted me out of my reverie. Elowen.
My stomach tightened. Why was she calling me now? A trickle of unease crept through me. If she knows something about my parents, is that why she’s my friend?
I stared at the phone, my thumb hovering over the screen. Get it together, Bella. Pretend you don’t know anything. Play along until you get the truth. Taking a deep breath, I answered.
“Bels, have you seen the news?” Her voice crackled with urgency.
“What news?” I asked, sitting up straighter.
“It’s everywhere. Just turn on the TV!”
Fumbling for the remote, I pressed the power button. The screen flickered to life, and there it was: Roy’s family and Eden being dragged out by the police, cameras flashing in their faces.
“What the ” I shot up, my heart hammering. “What happened?”
“I heard they’ve been involved in smuggling, human trafficking,” Elowen said, her voice dropping to a whisper, “and Eden… Eden worked with Mr. Roy to eliminate his own father.”
My breath caught. Eden? Smuggling? Elowen kept talking, but her words blurred as my mind raced. Why didn’t David tell me any of this?
“Bels?” Elowen’s voice pulled me back. “Are you okay? Will you be coming to work tomorrow?”
I blinked. “Yeah, I will. Why do you ask?”
“I need to tell you something,” she said cautiously.
“What is it?”
“It’s about your parents. About who your real parents are.”
The phone nearly slipped from my hand. My throat tightened as her words sank in. “You know about my parents?” I whispered.
The line went quiet for a moment before she sighed. “Yes, Bella. I’ve known for a while.”
My hands clenched into fists. “How long?”
“Since the day you came to my house,” she admitted, her voice barely audible. “When my father and I… clashed.”
I froze. That day had felt off, but I never imagined… My pulse quickened, anger bubbling beneath the surface. “You’ve known all this time, and you didn’t tell me?”
“I didn’t want to hurt you,” she said, her voice trembling. “I thought it was for your own good.”
“For my own good?” My voice rose, shaking with frustration. “You were supposed to be my friend, Elos! How could you keep this from me?”
“I’m sorry, Bella. I just… I didn’t know how to tell you,” she said, her voice breaking.
“Do you have any idea what it feels like not knowing where you come from? Who you are?” Tears stung my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.
“I’ll tell you everything tomorrow,” she said, pleading. “I promise. Just… please, believe me. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
I swallowed hard, my throat burning. “I don’t know if I can forgive you, Elos. You’ve been my friend since childhood, and you hid this from me? Why?”
“I was scared,” she admitted, her voice shaking. “I didn’t want to ruin our friendship.”
I let out a shaky breath, gripping the phone tightly. “I just want the truth. Is that so hard to understand?”
“I understand, Bella,” she said softly. “I’ll tell you everything tomorrow. I just hope… I hope you can forgive me.”
Silence hung between us, heavy and suffocating. Finally, I whispered, “I need to be alone.”
Before she could respond, I ended the call.
As I ended the call, my heart pounded in my chest. What could be so devastating that Elowen was afraid to tell me? And why did I suddenly feel like my entire life had been a carefully constructed lie?