Chapter 13: Identity
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Three days had passed since I'd walked out of Blackwood Tower. Three days of ignoring Alexander's calls, of fielding concerned questions from Sophie, of trying to make sense of the newspaper clipping that had upended my understanding of my own history.
After extensive research and a painful conversation with my father's oldest friend, I'd learned the truth: Edward Hamilton was my grandfather. My father, Robert, had been his only son, who'd changed his name and walked away from the family fortune after a bitter falling out decades ago.
Which meant I was Edward Hamilton's granddaughter and heir to whatever remained of the once-mighty Hamilton Enterprises.
The intercom at the gate crackled to life. "Yes?"
"Elena Winters to see Mr. Hamilton," I replied, still strange to think of the elderly man inside as my grandfather.
The gates swung open silently, and the taxi proceeded up the long driveway. I paid the driver and stood before the imposing front door, my heart hammering against my ribs.
Before I could knock, the door opened to reveal a distinguished man in his seventies, leaning heavily on a cane. His eyes—the same shade of amber as mine—widened in shock.
"My God," he whispered. "You look just like her."
"Like who?" I asked, my voice steadier than I felt.
"Catherine. My daughter." He stepped back, gesturing me inside. "Please, come in. We have much to discuss."
Edward Hamilton's study was lined with books and photographs, a lifetime of memories preserved in leather and silver frames. He moved slowly to a leather armchair, indicating I should take the seat opposite.
"I've wondered if this day would come," he said, studying me with undisguised wonder. "When Robert would finally tell you the truth."
"He didn't," I admitted. "I discovered it myself, after... recent events."
"Blackwood," Edward nodded, surprising me. "I've been following the news. Your engagement to Alexander Blackwood caused quite a stir in certain circles."
"You knew about that?"
A sad smile crossed his lined face. "I've kept tabs on you your whole life, Elena. From a distance, respecting Robert's wishes, but... a grandfather wants to know his granddaughter is well."
The revelation that this stranger had been watching over me from afar sent a confusing mix of emotions through me—anger at the secrecy, gratitude for the concern, grief for the relationship we might have had.
"Why did my father leave?" I asked, the question that had burned in me since discovering our connection. "Why change his name, cut all ties?"
Edward sighed heavily, his gaze drifting to a photograph on his desk—a younger version of himself with a beautiful woman and two children. "The official story is that we disagreed about the direction of Hamilton Enterprises. The truth is more complicated."
Over the next hour, he told me the history I'd never known—how Hamilton Enterprises had been founded by his father, grown under his leadership to rival Blackwood International. How my father had worked alongside him until discovering financial irregularities Edward had concealed during a difficult period.
"Robert was always more principled than practical," Edward said, a mixture of pride and regret in his voice. "He threatened to go public unless I made it right. I refused. He left, taking your mother with him, changing their name to distance themselves from what he saw as corruption."
"And my mother? Catherine wasn't your daughter?"
"No, Catherine was my daughter—your father's sister." His voice broke slightly. "She died in a car accident with her husband when you were just a baby. You were named for her."
The weight of this hidden history pressed on me—generations of secrets, rivalries, principles, and pride that had shaped my life without my knowledge.
"There's more," Edward continued, his expression grave. "Something you should know about the Blackwoods."
My heart stuttered. "What about them?"
"Years ago, before the accident that killed Alexander's parents, Hamilton and Blackwood were negotiating a merger. James Blackwood and I had been rivals for decades, but we both recognized the potential strength in combining our companies."
"A merger?" This was nothing like the bitter rivalry Alexander had described.
Edward nodded. "The plan was to unite the companies through marriage—Catherine's daughter to the Blackwood heir. A dynastic alliance, you might say."
"But Catherine died."
"Yes. Along with James and Elizabeth Blackwood, returning from the final merger meeting." His eyes held mine. "The same night, same stretch of highway, less than an hour apart."
A chill ran through me. "That can't be coincidence."
"I never believed it was. But the investigations found nothing suspicious—just tragic accidents on a rainy night." He leaned forward, his expression intense. "Until recently, when certain documents came into my possession suggesting Richard Blackwood might have been involved."
"Richard?" The pieces began clicking into place—Richard's determination to gain control of Blackwood, his opposition to Alexander, the mysterious connection between our families.
"I believe he sabotaged both vehicles," Edward said grimly. "Eliminating the architects of a merger that would have left him powerless within the new company."
The implications staggered me. If true, Richard was responsible not only for the deaths of Alexander's parents but indirectly for the estrangement between my father and grandfather, the hidden history of my family.
"Does Alexander know any of this?" I asked.
"I doubt it. Vivian Blackwood has always protected him from the uglier aspects of the family business." Edward studied me carefully. "Which brings me to why I agreed to meet you today. Hamilton Enterprises still exists—diminished, but with significant holdings. As my only living heir, it all belongs to you."
I stared at him, struggling to process this new reality. "I don't understand. What are you saying?"
"I'm saying, Elena, that you're not just the woman Alexander Blackwood contracted to marry. You're the heir to his family's greatest rival. And possibly the key to finally bringing justice for both our families."
As I left the Hamilton estate hours later, my mind reeled with everything I'd learned—about my heritage, about the intertwined fates of the Hamiltons and Blackwoods, about the fortune that was apparently now mine.
I was so distracted that I didn't notice the black SUV parked near the gates until a familiar figure emerged.
Alexander.
He looked haggard, as if he hadn't slept since I'd left—his usual impeccable appearance slightly rumpled, dark shadows beneath his eyes.
"Elena," he said, his voice rough. "I need to speak with you."
"How did you find me?" I asked, keeping my distance.
"Victoria doctored those security logs," he said, ignoring my question. "The financial transfers were fabricated. Michael Bennett doesn't even work for Archer Global—that was a lie too."
"I know," I replied coldly. "I told you that three days ago, but you chose not to believe me."
He flinched at the reminder. "I was wrong. I should have trusted you."
"Yes, you should have." I moved to walk past him, but he caught my arm gently.
"Please," he said, the word clearly unfamiliar on his lips. "Give me a chance to explain."
"Explain what? That your company will always come first? That despite everything between us, you'll always see me as a potential threat rather than a partner?" I pulled my arm free. "I already understand that perfectly."
"That's not—" He broke off, frustration evident in his expression. "My investigation into Richard has uncovered something. About your family. About the Hamiltons."
"I already know," I said, watching surprise flash across his face. "Edward Hamilton is my grandfather. My father changed our name after they had a falling out."
Alexander absorbed this, his expression shifting. "Then you know about the planned merger? The connection between our families?"
"I know Richard likely murdered both our parents to prevent it," I replied, watching him pale at the bluntness of my words. "I know everything, Alexander. What I don't know is why you're here."
"Because I made a mistake," he admitted, the words clearly costing him. "I let old suspicions and Richard's manipulations cloud my judgment. I should have believed in you."
"Why didn't you?" I asked, the question that had haunted me since that day in his office.
Alexander's eyes met mine, vulnerability replacing his usual control. "Because trusting you meant admitting how much you've come to matter to me. And that terrified me more than any corporate takeover."
The confession hung between us, raw and honest in a way Alexander Blackwood rarely allowed himself to be.
"I was falling in love with you," I said quietly, the admission both liberating and painful. "But you saw me as a transaction. A contract with terms to be enforced or broken at your convenience."
"Elena—"
"I won't be coming back," I cut him off, needing to say the words before my resolve weakened. "Whatever was between us is over."
As I walked away, I felt his eyes on me but didn't turn back. The woman who had entered into a contract marriage with Alexander Blackwood no longer existed. In her place stood Elena Hamilton, heir to a fortune and a history I was only beginning to understand.
And I had decisions to make about what that meant for my future—a future that could no longer include the man who had both awakened my heart and broken it.
