Chapter 8 - THE SISTER
Rosa didn't have a sister.
At least, that's what she'd been told.
She woke to find Adrian sitting across from her.
"What's wrong?"
He placed the photograph on the bed.
Rosa stared.
Her mother.
Her father.
A baby.
She touched the image.
"I don't remember this."
"You wouldn't."
"Why?"
"You were six."
Her eyes moved to the baby.
"Who is she?"
Adrian didn't answer.
Rosa's breathing became shallow.
"Adrian."
"I don't know."
"You're lying."
He looked away.
She stood.
"You've known something."
"Not enough."
"My entire life is apparently a lie."
"Rosa—"
"My mother wasn't dead."
"She was."
"Then who is this?"
Adrian reached for her.
She stepped back.
"Don't."
The word hurt him.
She saw it.
But she couldn't stop.
She called the only person left who might know.
Her father's attorney.
He answered immediately.
"Rosa?"
"Tell me about my mother."
Silence.
"And tell me about my sister."
The attorney inhaled sharply.
"Who told you?"
"Answer me."
"I can't."
"You can."
"I made a promise to Samuel."
Rosa closed her eyes.
"He's dead."
"I know."
"Then your promise is over."
Another silence.
Finally he said:
"There was another child."
Rosa's knees weakened.
"Where is she?"
"I don't know."
"Who took her?"
"I don't know."
"Then what do you know?"
"Her name."
Rosa waited.
"Elena."
The line went dead.
Rosa stared at Adrian.
"Find her."
"I will."
"No."
She stepped closer.
"Find her before Matthew does."
That night, Rosa discovered something hidden inside her mother's old jewelry box.
A wooden key.
Tiny.
Hand-carved.
On the side was a symbol.
A black rose.
Adrian recognized it immediately.
"Where did you get this?"
"My mother."
"This isn't a key."
"What is it?"
"A marker."
"For what?"
Adrian looked at her.
"The old Caruso vault."
Rosa's heart pounded.
"You knew there was a vault?"
"Your father never told me."
"Then how do you know?"
"Because my father died trying to open it."
They traveled underground before dawn.
The vault was beneath an abandoned church.
Rosa inserted the wooden key into the lock.
Nothing happened.
Then she pressed the black rose symbol.
The wall opened.
Inside was a single wooden cradle.
Empty.
And a note.
Rosa, if you found this, Elena is alive.
May you like
Beneath it:
But she is closer than you think.
