CHAPTER 10: THE FACE BEHIND THE FINAL BETRAYAL

The voice echoed through Hale Mansion.

Everyone stood frozen.

The words repeated through the speakers.

“Welcome home, Amelia.”

Victor’s heart raced.

He knew that voice.

He had heard it hundreds of times.

In meetings.

At family gatherings.

During moments when he needed advice.

The voice belonged to someone he trusted.

Someone who had stood beside him for years.

Victor slowly turned toward the security monitor.

“Show me who it is.”

Marcus immediately rushed to the control panel.

His fingers moved quickly across the keyboard.

The camera feed appeared.

A figure stood in the underground security room.

The person was facing away from the camera.

Wearing a dark coat.

Holding a folder.

Victor stared.

“Turn around.”

The figure slowly moved.

Then the face appeared on the screen.

Nobody spoke.

Because the person standing there was the last person anyone expected.

Marcus whispered.

“No…”

Lily covered her mouth.

Adrian’s expression hardened.

Victor felt like the entire mansion had collapsed around him.

The person on the screen was…

Daniel Cross.

The family attorney.

The man who had spent decades protecting the Hale family.

The man who claimed he wanted the truth.

The man who brought them into the vault.

Victor looked at Amelia.

“Is this possible?”

Amelia’s face was filled with disappointment.

“I was afraid it was.”

Victor turned sharply.

“You knew?”

Amelia looked down.

“I suspected.”

His voice became colder.

“Suspected?”

“You knew Daniel was involved, and you still let him walk into this house?”

Amelia looked at him.

“Because I needed him to believe he was still in control.”

Victor said nothing.

Because for once, he understood.

Amelia had been playing a dangerous game.

A game where one wrong move could destroy everyone.

The mansion speakers activated again.

Daniel’s voice filled the room.

“Victor.”

Everyone listened.

“I know you’re angry.”

Victor walked toward the speaker.

“You have no idea.”

Daniel sighed.

“I never wanted it to happen this way.”

Victor laughed bitterly.

“You helped destroy my family.”

“No.”

Daniel answered quickly.

“I protected it.”

Victor’s expression hardened.

“Everyone says that.”

“Everyone who betrays me says they were protecting me.”

Daniel became silent.

Then he said something unexpected.

“You still don’t understand what your father created.”

Victor frowned.

“What are you talking about?”

Daniel looked at the camera.

“The Hale empire was never just a company.”

“It was a system.”

“A system built on secrets.”

Amelia stepped forward.

“Daniel, stop.”

But Daniel continued.

“Your father knew the truth.”

“He knew Adrian existed.”

“He knew Evelyn was alive.”

“And he knew there were other heirs.”

Victor felt anger rising.

“Then why hide it?”

Daniel answered:

“Because he believed the family would destroy itself if the truth came out.”

Adrian stepped closer.

“And you agreed with him.”

Daniel looked at Adrian through the camera.

“I agreed with keeping this family alive.”

Adrian’s eyes became cold.

“You erased my existence.”

Daniel did not deny it.

“Yes.”

The room went silent.

Adrian clenched his fists.

“Why?”

Daniel looked away.

“Because your return would have started a war.”

Adrian laughed.

“A war?”

“You mean a fight over money?”

Daniel shook his head.

“No.”

“A fight over power.”

Victor stared at the screen.

“Where is Serena?”

Daniel smiled slightly.

That smile made Victor uncomfortable.

“Still looking for her?”

Victor said nothing.

Daniel continued.

“She was never the mastermind.”

Amelia closed her eyes.

Because she already knew what came next.

Victor looked at her.

“Who was?”

Daniel looked directly at the camera.

“The person who created this entire plan.”

A pause.

“The person who has been controlling every move.”

Everyone waited.

Then Daniel said:

“Your father.”

Silence.

Victor stepped back.

“My father is dead.”

“Yes.”

“But his plan was not.”

Victor stared.

“What does that mean?”

Daniel held up a small black folder.

“Everything started thirty years ago.”

“When your father discovered the existence of multiple heirs.”

“He created a backup plan.”

“A plan that would continue even after his death.”

Amelia looked terrified.

“Daniel…”

He ignored her.

“The person controlling Hale Industries right now is not Serena.”

“Not me.”

“Not Adrian.”

Victor’s face changed.

“Then who?”

Daniel looked at him.

“The person your father chose.”

The lights suddenly flickered.

The security screen went black.

Then another message appeared.

Not from Daniel.

From someone else.

A name appeared on the screen.

ELIZABETH HALE.

Everyone froze.

Victor stared at the name.

“Who is Elizabeth?”

Amelia looked at him.

Her face was pale.

“She was your father’s first wife.”

Victor shook his head.

“That’s impossible.”

“My father was only married once.”

Amelia looked at him sadly.

“That is what he wanted everyone to believe.”

The screen changed.

A photograph appeared.

An old family photo.

Victor’s father.

A young woman.

And a little girl.

A girl Victor had never seen.

The message appeared beneath the picture.

THE FIRST HALE HEIR HAS RETURNED.

Ethan stepped closer to Victor.

“Daddy…”

Victor immediately held his son’s shoulder.

“It’s okay.”

But he knew it wasn’t.

Because another hidden heir had appeared.

Another person connected to the Hale legacy.

Another person with a reason to destroy everything.

Suddenly, the front doors opened.

Everyone turned.

A woman walked into the mansion.

She was elegant.

Confident.

And completely calm.

She looked around the room.

Then smiled.

“After all these years…”

“I finally get to meet my brother.”

Victor stared.

The woman looked directly at him.

“My name is Elizabeth Hale.”

“And I’m the daughter your father erased.”

No one moved.

No one breathed.

Because the Hale family secret had just become bigger than anyone imagined.

And Elizabeth’s next words changed everything.

“I didn’t come back for the inheritance.”

Victor watched her carefully.

“Then why are you here?”

Elizabeth smiled.

“To expose the person who murdered Amelia.”

Everyone turned toward Amelia.

Because if Elizabeth was telling the truth…

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