Chapter 10 — The Truth About My Mother
The photograph on the wall changed everything.
For the first time that night, I saw something I had never seen before.
Fear.
Not in Nathan.
In my father.
Alexander Vale, the man who had faced billionaires, criminals, and corporate wars without hesitation, stood completely still.
His eyes were fixed on the image.
My mother.
A younger version of her.
Standing beside my father.
But there was something else in the photograph.
A third person.
Someone I didn’t recognize.
Nathan’s voice echoed through the building.
“Interesting, isn’t it?”
No one answered.
He continued.
“Your father spent years making sure you never discovered the truth.”
My father’s expression hardened.
“Stop.”
A cold laugh came from the speakers.
“Why?”
“Because she deserves to know?”
I felt my chest tighten.
I looked at my father.
“Dad…”
He didn’t look at me.
And that scared me more than anything.
“Nathan,” my father said.
“Leave my daughter out of this.”
But Nathan ignored him.
Because he knew he finally had something powerful.
“Eleanor, do you know why your father was so desperate to keep you hidden?”
I stared into the darkness.
“Tell me.”
My father immediately turned.
“No.”
But I had already made my decision.
“Tell me.”
The building became silent.
Then Nathan spoke.
“Because your mother was not just Alexander Vale’s wife.”
I looked at the photograph again.
“What does that mean?”
Nathan’s voice became quieter.
“She was the original owner of the Vale Legacy Trust.”
I frowned.
“That’s impossible.”
My father closed his eyes.
Because he knew.
He knew Nathan was telling the truth.
“My grandfather created it,” I said.
Nathan laughed.
“That’s the story your father told you.”
My hands became cold.
I turned toward my father.
“Dad?”
He looked at me.
And for the first time in my life…
He looked like someone carrying a burden.
“Your mother inherited it.”
The words felt unreal.
“What?”
My father slowly stepped forward.
“I was protecting her.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“You were hiding this from me.”
His expression changed.
“I was trying to protect you from this world.”
I looked around the dark building.
“At the cost of knowing who I am?”
Nobody answered.
Because nobody could.
Nathan had spent years trying to destroy me.
But now he had done something unexpected.
He had forced open a door my father had kept locked.
My mother’s past.
My family’s history.
My own identity.
Nathan continued.
“Your mother discovered people were trying to steal control of the trust.”
“Victor Lang was one of them.”
My father looked toward the speakers.
“Enough.”
“No.”
Nathan’s voice became sharper.
“Let her hear it.”
“She deserves the truth.”
I felt anger rising.
Not because Nathan was speaking.
Because part of me knew there was truth hidden inside his words.
“What happened to my mother?”
Silence.
A long silence.
Then my father answered.
“She was killed.”
The entire world seemed to stop.
I stared at him.
“What?”
My father looked away.
“An accident.”
But Nathan immediately interrupted.
“Not an accident.”
My father’s face changed.
“Eleanor, don’t listen to him.”
But Nathan continued.
“Your mother was investigating Victor Lang.”
A pause.
“And she found evidence that could destroy him.”
I felt sick.
“Are you saying…”
Nathan’s voice lowered.
“She was eliminated.”
The room went silent.
My father closed his eyes.
Because whether he wanted to admit it or not…
The past had returned.
I looked at him.
“Did you know?”
A painful silence.
Then:
“Yes.”
The answer broke something inside me.
“You knew someone hurt her?”
“I knew someone was responsible.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because you were a child.”
“No.”
My voice shook.
“Because you thought I couldn’t handle the truth.”
My father had no answer.
And somehow…
That hurt more.
For years, I believed Nathan was the person who underestimated me.
But now I realized something.
Even the people who loved me had spent my entire life protecting me by keeping me in the dark.
I stepped back.
“I need air.”
My father reached toward me.
“Eleanor.”
I stopped.
“I love you, Dad.”
His face softened.
“But I need to understand who I am.”
Then I walked away.
Outside the building, the night air felt cold.
Everything I believed about my life had changed.
My marriage was a lie.
My husband was my enemy.
My family had secrets.
And my mother’s death might have been part of a war that started before I was even born.
Then my phone vibrated.
A message.
Unknown number.
I opened it.
One sentence.
You finally know the truth. Now ask your father what he did to protect it.
My blood froze.
Because whoever sent the message wasn’t Victor.
It wasn’t Nathan.
It was someone else.
Someone who knew my family.
Someone who had been watching all along.
I looked back toward the building.
And I realized something terrifying.
Nathan wasn’t the biggest threat.
May you like
He was only the beginning.
To be continued…
