Chapter 5 - THE FIRST LIEThe room felt too small.
I stared at Marcus.
“You killed my mother?”
He didn't answer.
“Tell me.”
His eyes dropped.
“No.”
I turned toward Adrian.
“Did you know about this?”
Adrian shook his head.
“For once, I swear I didn't.”
Marcus pulled up a chair.
“You deserve the truth.”
I remained standing.
“Then tell me everything.”
He took a breath.
“Your mother wasn't murdered.”
I froze.
“What?”
“She disappeared.”
“My father said she died.”
“He lied.”
“Why?”
“Because she was alive.”
I felt my knees weaken.
“That isn't possible.”
Marcus looked at the screen.
“Blackwell took her.”
“For what?”
“She had the Ledger.”
I shook my head.
“My mother was a schoolteacher.”
“That was the identity she showed the world.”
“She was what?”
“A financial analyst.”
I stared.
“The most brilliant one your father ever knew.”
Marcus continued.
“She discovered that Blackwell wasn't just a criminal network.”
“It had infiltrated governments.”
“Financial institutions.”
“Private intelligence companies.”
“Even law enforcement.”
“And she found something inside their records that terrified them.”
I whispered:
“What?”
“The identity of Blackwell's founder.”
“Who?”
Marcus looked at me.
“Your mother.”
Silence.
I stopped breathing.
“No.”
“She created the network.”
Then he added:
“She later tried to destroy it.”
I backed away.
“You're lying.”
Marcus didn't move.
“Your mother created Blackwell with six partners.”
“Then why turn against them?”
“Because they began murdering people.”
“Your father discovered the truth.”
“And?”
“He tried to save her.”
“What happened?”
“Blackwell found them.”
Marcus looked down.
“I helped them escape.”
“Then why did my father think you killed her?”
“Because someone wanted him to.”
I stared at him.
“Who?”
Marcus didn't answer.
Instead, he looked at Adrian.
“Ask your husband.”
I turned.
Adrian's face had gone pale.
“What does he know?”
Marcus said nothing.
I walked toward Adrian.
“Tell me.”
“I don't know.”
“Marcus says you do.”
“I was never told everything.”
“Then tell me what you were told.”
Adrian looked at the floor.
“I was told your mother died.”
“Who told you?”
“My father.”
“And?”
“He told me never to get involved with the Ashfords.”
“But you did.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
He looked at me.
“Because I was in debt.”
“To whom?”
“Blackwell.”
Everything stopped.
“You owed them?”
“Yes.”
“How much?”
“Three million.”
I stared at him.
“And they offered to erase it.”
He nodded.
“In exchange for marrying me.”
Vanessa suddenly spoke.
“That was before I met him.”
I turned toward her.
“You knew?”
She stared at me.
“I knew he was using you.”
My hands clenched.
“But you were in love with him.”
She looked away.
“No.”
“Then why?”
She whispered:
“Because Blackwell promised me something.”
“What?”
“My brother.”
Silence.
“Your brother?”
“He was alive.”
I stared at her.
“He disappeared six years ago.”
“Blackwell had him.”
“And they promised to return him?”
“Yes.”
I looked at Adrian.
“So you married me for three million.”
He shook his head.
“No.”
“What?”
“I married you because they told me that if I didn't…”
His voice broke.
“They would kill my mother.”
I froze.
“Your mother is alive?”
He nodded.
A terrible realization settled over me.
Everyone in this house had been lying.
Everyone had been bargaining with secrets.
Everyone had been afraid.
But there was one person I hadn't considered.
Vanessa.
I looked at her stomach.
“You said you're pregnant.”
She instinctively protected her abdomen.
“Yes.”
“Is it Adrian's?”
She stared at me.
Adrian looked shocked.
“What are you asking?”
I didn't answer.
Marcus did.
“No.”
Vanessa's face went white.
Adrian turned toward her.
“What did he say?”
Marcus walked closer.
“That child is not yours.”
Adrian looked at Vanessa.
“Tell me he's lying.”
She began crying.
“Adrian…”
“Tell me.”
She couldn't.
He grabbed the table.
“Who is the father?”
Vanessa whispered:
“Blackwell.”
Nobody moved.
Then the screen behind us came alive again.
My father's face appeared.
He was tied to a chair.
But this time, someone stood beside him.
A woman.
Older.
Pale.
With long dark hair.
I stared at the screen.
My heart stopped.
I knew that face.
Even though I hadn't seen it since I was a child.
“Mom?”
The woman looked directly into the camera.
May you like
Then she smiled.
“Hello, sweetheart.”
