Chapter 9 - The mansion erupted into chaos.Ruiz ordered everyone to surrender.
Charles remained strangely calm.
Vanessa lowered her gun.
Mrs. Howard stood beside Charles.
Adrian looked between them.
“You lied to me for six years.”
Charles smiled.
“I protected you.”
“From what?”
“From the truth.”
Adrian shook his head.
“You let me believe you were dead.”
“Yes.”
“You watched me marry Elena.”
“Yes.”
“You watched Vanessa move into this house.”
“Yes.”
Adrian's voice cracked.
“Why?”
Charles looked at Elena.
“Because she married into the wrong branch of the family.”
Elena stepped forward.
“What does that mean?”
Charles sighed.
“Your grandfather created a private bloodline trust. It could only pass to the direct biological heir.”
“And you?”
“I was never the true heir.”
Adrian stared at him.
“Then who was?”
Charles looked at Elena.
“Your mother.”
Elena stopped.
Ruiz lowered his weapon slightly.
“Her mother?”
Charles nodded.
“Her family owned the land this mansion was built on. My father stole it using forged documents.”
Elena's heart pounded.
“What does my mother have to do with this?”
“She discovered the theft.”
“And you killed her?”
“No.”
Charles glanced toward Mrs. Howard.
“She disappeared.”
Elena turned toward her.
“You knew.”
Mrs. Howard's expression remained cold.
“She became inconvenient.”
Elena's hands trembled.
“Where is she?”
Charles answered.
“Alive.”
“Where?”
“In the old east wing.”
Elena stared.
“The wing that was sealed after the fire?”
Charles nodded.
“She has been there for seventeen years.”
Elena's knees nearly gave out.
Ruiz caught her.
“You're lying.”
Charles smiled.
“Then search.”
Officers ran toward the east wing.
Adrian stood motionless.
Vanessa suddenly whispered:
“Why did you need Elena dead?”
Charles looked at her.
“Because her child is the first uncontested heir in three generations.”
Vanessa's face collapsed.
“My baby...”
Charles looked at her.
“Your child has no claim.”
She raised her gun again.
“You promised me.”
Charles sighed.
“I promised you money.”
Vanessa fired.
The bullet missed Charles and struck the wall.
Ruiz tackled her.
The gun skidded across the floor.
Mrs. Howard screamed.
Chaos exploded again.
Adrian grabbed Elena's hand.
“Come with me.”
She pulled away.
“Where?”
“Your mother.”
They ran toward the east wing.
The corridor smelled of smoke and dust.
At the end was a locked metal door.
Ruiz arrived seconds later.
He broke the lock.
Inside was darkness.
Then came a sound.
A cough.
Elena stopped breathing.
“Mom?”
Silence.
She stepped forward.
“Mom, it's me.”
A weak female voice answered.
“Elena?”
Elena collapsed against the wall.
Her mother was alive.
Bruised.
Thin.
But alive.
Ruiz stared at Charles.
“How long?”
Charles said nothing.
Then Elena's mother looked past them.
Her eyes widened.
“Charles?”
Charles smiled.
She whispered:
“You told me my daughter died.”
Elena turned sharply.
“What?”
Her mother's face filled with horror.
“They told me you died in the hospital.”
Elena looked toward Charles.
Then Mrs. Howard.
Then Adrian.
Her entire life suddenly looked like a carefully constructed lie.
Her mother reached for her.
“There is something you must know.”
“What?”
She whispered:
“You were never supposed to marry Adrian.”
Elena froze.
“Why?”
Her mother pointed at Adrian.
“Because he isn't a Howard.”
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Adrian went still.
And somewhere behind them, Vanessa screamed.
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