Chapter 9: Diane's Secret
Diane had fooled us all.
She had spent years pretending to be a bitter mother-in-law.
Cruel.
Petty.
Obsessed with status.
But the photograph told another story.
She wasn't laughing beside Victor.
She was threatening him.
I stared at the image.
“Where is she now?”
Arthur answered.
“Unknown.”
“Then find her.”
“We're trying.”
I turned toward Brendan.
“Did you know?”
He looked devastated.
“No.”
“You're her son.”
“I knew my mother was involved in my father's disappearance.”
“You didn't know she worked for my mother?”
He shook his head.
“What does that mean?”
Arthur looked at me.
“Your mother recruited Diane years ago.”
“For what?”
“To infiltrate Victor's organization.”
I closed my eyes.
My entire marriage had become a hall of mirrors.
Everyone had secrets.
Everyone had lies.
But one question remained.
Why had Diane humiliated me tonight?
Arthur answered it.
“Because she wanted you angry enough to activate Protocol Seven.”
I stared at him.
“What?”
“The water.”
I remembered the glass.
The laughter.
Diane's smile.
“It was deliberate.”
“She provoked me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Arthur looked at my mother.
She whispered:
“Because Protocol Seven had to be activated by your personal consent.”
My heart stopped.
“Diane knew that?”
“She did.”
“So the humiliation was a trigger.”
“Yes.”
I turned toward my mother.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because Evelyn had people watching us.”
I looked down.
The water on my dress had dried.
A ridiculous thought crossed my mind.
Even the humiliation had been part of the plan.
Then Brendan stepped forward.
“I need to tell you something.”
I stared at him.
“What?”
He took a breath.
“Jessica wasn't my mistress.”
I blinked.
“What?”
“She worked for Evelyn.”
Jessica looked horrified.
“That isn't true.”
Brendan turned toward her.
“You knew.”
She started crying.
“I didn't know everything.”
“What were you supposed to do?”
Jessica looked at me.
“Monitor you.”
My chest tightened.
“Since when?”
“Before the divorce.”
I stared at her.
She continued.
“Evelyn wanted to know whether you suspected anything.”
“And my pregnancy?”
“She reported it.”
I turned away.
I couldn't stand looking at either of them.
My mother touched my arm.
“Cassidy.”
I pulled away.
“I need the truth.”
“You'll have it.”
“No more secrets.”
She nodded.
“All right.”
She told me everything.
Diane had been working undercover.
Victor had been running a financial network.
Evelyn had been manipulating both sides.
Brendan had been recruited to marry me.
Jessica had been assigned to monitor me.
The divorce had been staged to pressure me into surrendering certain trust rights.
Even the house had been chosen because it was legally owned by my company.
Every detail of my life had been part of a larger battle.
Except one.
The baby.
My mother stared at me.
“Your daughter was never supposed to exist.”
I frowned.
“What?”
“They didn't know you would become pregnant.”
“And once they found out?”
“They changed their plans.”
I looked at Arthur.
He handed me a file.
Medical reports.
Financial records.
Travel records.
Then one document caught my attention.
A contract.
It listed a private medical facility.
The purpose:
Terminate pregnancy.
I felt sick.
“They wanted me to lose my baby.”
My mother nodded.
“That's why I brought you here.”
I looked at Brendan.
His face had gone pale.
“You knew?”
“I found out.”
“Why didn't you stop them?”
“I tried.”
“You could have told me.”
“I was afraid.”
“Of them?”
“Of what you would do.”
I stared at him.
Then I turned away.
I didn't know whether I still hated him.
Hate was easier when everything was simple.
This wasn't simple anymore.
Arthur's phone rang.
He answered.
Then his face changed.
“Cassidy…”
“What happened?”
“We found Diane.”
“Where?”
“She voluntarily turned herself in.”
“Why?”
Arthur swallowed.
“She brought Victor with her.”
I stared.
“Is he alive?”
“Yes.”
“What did she say?”
Arthur looked at me.
“She says the entire conspiracy started with one person.”
“Evelyn?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
Arthur hesitated.
“She gave us a name.”
“What name?”
He handed me the phone.
A video was playing.
Diane was sitting in a police interview room.
Her face was bruised.
She looked directly into the camera.
“Cassidy.”
I watched.
“I need you to believe me.”
She leaned closer.
“Evelyn isn't the mastermind.”
Silence.
“There's someone above her.”
I felt cold.
“Someone who controls the company, the trust, and every person in this story.”
Diane whispered:
“Your grandfather.”
The video ended.
I stared at the black screen.
May you like
My grandfather had died when I was five.
At least, that's what everyone had told me.
