Chapter 6 - THE SECRET IN THE LOCKET|
The room fell into an eerie silence, save for the sound of Sophia’s soft sniffling.
Damon let out a heavy breath, smoothing down his white cuffs. He knelt on the dusty floorboards, completely unbothered by his trousers, and picked up the platinum pocket watch.
He turned toward Sophia, his sharp features softening into a gentle expression.
"I am sorry," Damon said quietly to the child. "Nobody will ever scare you in this house again."
Sophia wiped her red eyes with her sleeve. "It's a pretty watch."
"It belonged to my wife, Elena," Damon said, pressing a tiny silver latch on the side.
The front casing popped open with a soft click. Inside was an intricate clockwork mechanism on one side, and a small, oval miniature portrait on the other.
Rosa looked over her daughter's shoulder to look at the picture—and her heart stopped.
The woman in the portrait had warm hazel eyes, soft wavy hair, and a distinct, small birthmark right at the base of her throat.
It was a face Rosa had looked at in old photographs her entire childhood.
"Elena?" Rosa whispered, her voice trembling so violently it barely made a sound. "Elena Vance?"
Damon snapped his head up, his gray eyes locking onto Rosa with sudden, terrifying intensity.
"How do you know that name?" Damon demanded, his voice dropping an octave.
"She... she was my half-sister," Rosa gasped, tears welling in her eyes as she fell to her knees beside her daughter. "My father was married to Clara Vance before she passed! Elena went to school in France when I was little... we lost touch after the fire at the harbor!"
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Damon stood up abruptly, staring at Rosa as if he were seeing a ghost.
"Elena's sister..." Damon breathed, his hands shaking slightly as he held the watch. "She spoke of a little sister named Rosa... I searched for you for three years after Elena died, but all the records were destroyed in the dock fire."
