Bella's Phone

'Hypothetically, enmeshment between siblings that mimics marriage is the hardest bond to break.'

Elena walked out of Dr. Thorne’s office into the grey slush of the afternoon, the cold air doing nothing to clear the fog in her head. A mythology. She wasn't just fighting a man and his sister; she was fighting a shared delusion reinforced by decades of secrecy and millions of dollars.

She needed to know how deep the mythology went.

She drove to the estate, timing her arrival for the chaotic window between school pickup and dinner. The house was usually bustling then, the "nieces" arguing over homework or outfits. Today, it was quiet.

Elena found Bella in the sunroom, sprawled on a chaise lounge with her legs draped over the armrest. She was scrolling through her phone, her expression bored and distant.

"Hey," Elena said, leaning against the doorframe. "Where's Chloe?"

"Playdate," Bella mumbled without looking up. "Grandma took her."

"Ah. And you're... holding down the fort?"

Bella shrugged. "Whatever."

Elena walked into the room, her eyes scanning the space. It was filled with Seraphina’s touches—orchids that cost a fortune, silk throws, art books left open to specific pages. It was a shrine to a woman who was supposedly absent.

"I got a new phone plan," Elena said casually, pulling out her own device. "Unlimited data. Thinking about upgrading the family plan. You want the new iPhone?"

Bella’s head snapped up. For the first time in months, she looked at Elena with genuine interest. "The 16 Pro?"

"Pro Max. Titanium."

Bella sat up, her boredom vanishing. "Seriously? Dad said I have to wait until my birthday."

"Dad's stressed," Elena said, sitting down on the opposite sofa. "I handle the bills, remember? I can authorize the upgrade today. I just need to transfer your data to the cloud so we don't lose anything."

It was a gamble. A transparent bribe. But Bella was nineteen, materialistic, and accustomed to getting what she wanted.

"Okay," Bella said, extending her hand. "But I need it now. My battery is trash."

Elena took the phone. It was warm from Bella’s constant use. "Unlock it for me?"

Bella punched in the code—*1212*. Seraphina's birthday. Of course.

"Give me ten minutes," Elena said, standing up. "I'll initiate the backup in my office where the wifi is stronger."

"Don't read my texts," Bella warned, but her eyes were already drifting back to the magazine on the table.

"I have no interest in your dating life, Bella," Elena lied.

She walked to her office, closing the door and locking it. She plugged Bella’s phone into her laptop and launched the backup software. But she didn't wait for it to finish.

She opened the messages app.

Bella texted constantly. Thousands of threads. But Elena scrolled past the friends, the boys, the group chats. She searched for "Mom."

The contact appeared. *Mom.*

The profile picture was Seraphina, laughing on a boat, the wind in her hair.

Elena clicked on the thread.

*Bella (Yesterday 4:30 PM): Did you get the bracelet? Dad said he bought it.*
*Mom: Yes, my love. It's perfect. He's wearing the matching watch.*
*Bella: Ugh, gross. You guys are so extra.*
*Mom: We're not extra. We're soulmates. Don't be jealous.*

Elena’s stomach turned. Soulmates. To her daughter.

She scrolled back.

*Bella (Dec 12): Elena is asking about the pottery charges. I told her you're really into clay.*
*Mom: Good girl. Keep her distracted. We need the wire for the boat repairs next week.*
*Bella: She's so annoying. She keeps trying to 'bond' with me. It's pathetic.*
*Mom: Be nice. She's the golden goose. We need her until the trust vests.*

The trust vests.

Elena froze. She knew the trust terms. The principal was locked until the youngest beneficiary turned twenty-five. Or...

Or until the death of the primary trustee.

She scrolled back further. November. October. September.

It was a catalogue of manipulation. Seraphina coaching Bella on how to play Elena. How to feign affection when a check was due. How to create crises to distract Marcus when he wavered.

And then, a message from two weeks ago.

*Mom: Has she started the injections?*
*Bella: Yeah. She looks like a pincushion.*
*Mom: Good. Once the embryos are viable, we have leverage. She won't leave if we have her genetic material.*
*Bella: What if she finds out?*
*Mom: She won't. She's not smart enough. She's just a wallet with legs.*

Elena stared at the screen. A wallet with legs.

She was about to close the app when a new notification popped up at the top of the screen.

*Mom: Just sent you the itinerary for Easter. Villa looks amazing. Dad says we can probably get rid of the Goose by then.*

Elena’s hand shook. Get rid of the Goose.

She clicked on the contact info for *Mom*. She needed the number. She needed to trace it.

But the number wasn't a standard US code. It was a satellite number. Untraceable.

She went back to the contact list. She scrolled down.

There was another contact. Saved simply as *The Lawyer.*

She tapped it.

The number was local.

She put Bella’s phone down and picked up her own. She typed the number into a reverse lookup service.

*Silas Vane, Esq.*
*Family Law and Estate Planning.*

Silas Vane. The "Enforcer" in the family power map. The man who had drawn up her prenup. The man who had assured her that her assets were protected.

She looked back at Bella’s phone. At the contact card for *Mom*.

It wasn't just a phone number. There was an email address linked to the Apple ID.

*[email protected]*

The shell company.

Elena disconnected the phone. She walked back to the sunroom, her face a mask of calm.

"All done," she said, handing the device back to Bella. "Your new phone will be here tomorrow."

"Thanks," Bella said, not looking up. "You're actually useful sometimes, Elena."

"I try," Elena said.

She walked out of the room. She had the proof. She had the intent.

But she needed one more thing.

She needed to know who *The Lawyer* was really working for.

Seraphina was saved as 'Mom'. Not 'Aunt Phina'. Mom.