Chapter 11 - THE MOTHER'S CONFESSIONMy mother was waiting at the family mansion.

She didn't try to deny anything.

She simply sat in the drawing room with a glass of water in her hand.

"You finally know."

I stood across from her.

"How long?"

"How long what?"

"How long have you known about Anna?"

My mother closed her eyes.

"Since before you were born."

My entire body went cold.

"You lied to me."

"Yes."

"She is my sister."

"Yes."

"You told me she died."

"I needed you to believe that."

"Why?"

My mother stared at me.

"Because your father was afraid someone would use you to find her."

"Who?"

"Everyone."

I laughed bitterly.

"You mean Julian?"

"No."

She looked at me.

"Julian was never the greatest danger."

"Then who?"

She whispered:

"The Vale family."

I didn't understand.

My mother continued.

"Your father was part of an old network of families who controlled companies through trusts, debt and private intelligence."

"Vanguard?"

"Vanguard was supposed to be legitimate."

"Supposed to?"

"Your father tried to make it legitimate."

"Then what went wrong?"

"Power."

She placed a document on the table.

"My father, your grandfather, had agreements with three other families."

"The Castle family?"

My mother nodded.

"The Moretti family."

"The Hale family."

"And the Vales."

I looked at her.

"You married into this."

"Yes."

"You loved Dad?"

"Once."

She looked down.

"Then I learned what he was capable of."

"What did he do?"

"He created the genetic protocol."

"Why?"

"Because the old trust could only be activated by bloodline."

"And Anna?"

"She carried the marker."

"Leo and Elena's baby?"

"Potentially."

My head spun.

"How did Julian know?"

"He found your father's private records."

"Because Marcus gave them to him."

My mother looked at Marcus.

"Marcus was blackmailed."

I turned.

"By whom?"

My mother answered.

"Your father."

Silence.

Marcus looked at the floor.

"He had something on you?"

"Yes."

"What?"

Marcus lifted his eyes.

"I killed a man."

I went still.

"When?"

"Twenty years ago."

"Who?"

"Your mother's brother."

My mother's hand trembled.

"He was going to expose the family's criminal accounts."

Marcus continued.

"Your father ordered me to stop him."

I felt sick.

"And you did."

"Yes."

My mother began to cry.

"That is why Richard trusted him."

I stared at Marcus.

All this time I had thought he was my father's loyal lawyer.

He was a survivor.

A weapon.

A man carrying too many graves.

Then my mother said:

"Julian knows about all of it."

My heart tightened.

"How?"

"He has the original ledger."

"What ledger?"

"The ledger containing every illegal transaction, every bribe, every disappearance."

My mother looked at me.

"And your father's name."

"Where is it?"

"I don't know."

"Who has it?"

She whispered:

"Julian."

The room went silent.

Then the television turned on by itself.

Julian appeared on every channel.

He sat at a press conference.

Calm.

Perfect.

Beside him were two documents.

"My wife," he said, "has suffered a terrible psychological episode following a traumatic accident."

I stared.

He continued.

"She has been manipulated by corrupt associates."

My mother's face went pale.

Julian raised a folder.

"I also have evidence that her father concealed criminal assets."

The reporters shouted questions.

Julian looked into the camera.

"I loved Clara."

I nearly laughed.

Then he said:

"But I cannot allow her delusions to destroy Vanguard."

A reporter asked:

"Are you saying Mrs. Vance is mentally unstable?"

Julian paused.

Then answered carefully.

"I'm saying she needs help."

The room exploded with headlines.

My blood boiled.

He was building a second narrative.

If he couldn't kill me physically, he would kill my credibility.

My mother grabbed my arm.

"Don't fight him publicly."

"Why?"

"Because he wants you angry."

I looked at the screen.

Julian smiled.

Then he held up another photograph.

My photograph.

Taken outside the clinic.

Three days earlier.

My blood froze.

"How did he get that?"

Marcus whispered:

"He has people everywhere."

Julian looked into the camera.

Then said:

"And tomorrow, I will reveal the truth about Clara's unborn child."

The room went silent.

I stared at the screen.

He knew.

The baby.

The bloodline.

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Everything.

And tomorrow, he planned to turn my unborn child into a weapon.