Chapter 5 - The Hamptons Estate
Eleanor and Emily left the hotel before dawn, driving a rented sedan to avoid being tracked by the Bentley's GPS.
The drive to the Hamptons was tense, filled with a suffocating silence as the sun slowly rose over the highway.
They arrived at a massive, gated estate overlooking the crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean.
Eleanor did not bother ringing the intercom bell at the front gate.
She waited until a catering van exited the property, then slipped her car through the closing iron gates.
They marched up the cobblestone driveway and pounded heavily on the solid oak front door.
A frail, elderly man in a silk bathrobe answered the door, holding a mug of expensive coffee.
It was Dr. Harrison, the man who had delivered Emily twenty-three years ago.
When he saw Eleanor standing on his porch, the coffee mug slipped from his hands and shattered across the stone tiles.
"Eleanor," he gasped, his face turning completely pale as if he had seen a ghost.
"Invite us in, Doctor," Eleanor demanded, pushing past him into the lavish foyer.
Emily followed closely behind, staring at the luxury paid for with her stolen childhood.
Dr. Harrison collapsed into a velvet armchair in his living room, visibly shaking.
"I can ruin your life in five minutes, or you can tell me exactly how much my husband paid you to fake the fire," Eleanor threatened.
The old doctor looked up at her, tears pooling in his faded eyes.
"Richard didn't pay me a single dime, Eleanor," the doctor sobbed.
Eleanor froze, completely confused by his denial.
"Then who orchestrated the kidnapping?" Eleanor demanded, stepping closer to him.
Dr. Harrison took a ragged breath and looked down at his trembling hands.
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"It was your own father, Eleanor."
"He hated Richard, and he refused to let any child with Richard's blood inherit the family empire."
