Chapter 6: The Enemy Inside the Family
Chapter 6: The Enemy Inside the Family
I stood alone in the darkness of Blackthorn Manor, still holding the phone after the call ended.
Victoria’s final words repeated in my mind.
“Now I use you.”
For years, I believed Nathan was the person I needed to escape from.
I thought he was the monster hiding behind a perfect smile.
I thought exposing him would finally bring peace.
But I had been wrong.
Nathan was only the beginning.
The real threat had been watching from the shadows.
Waiting.
Planning.
And somehow...
She had been closer than anyone.
I walked back into my father’s office before midnight.
He was still awake.
Of course he was.
Alexander Vale had spent his entire life preparing for enemies.
But even he looked different when I entered.
He knew something had happened.
“What did she say?”
I stopped.
“You already know who called.”
My father’s expression hardened.
“Victoria.”
I nodded.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then I placed the phone on the desk.
“She admitted everything.”
My father’s eyes narrowed.
“What exactly?”
“That Nathan was never in control.”
“He was just a tool.”
My father looked down.
“I suspected that.”
I felt anger rise again.
“You suspected?”
He looked at me.
“Evelyn—”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“You keep saying you’re protecting me, but every secret you hide puts me in more danger.”
My father remained silent.
Because he knew I was right.
“She knew about the recording,” I continued.
“She knew about the investigation.”
“She even knew I would find the Blackthorn file.”
That made my father pause.
“She knew?”
“Yes.”
I leaned forward.
“She said you only discovered what she wanted you to discover.”
For the first time, my father looked concerned.
Not controlled.
Not confident.
Concerned.
“That changes things.”
I noticed immediately.
“What does that mean?”
My father stood and walked toward the window.
“Victoria is not just reacting.”
“She’s several steps ahead.”
A cold feeling moved through me.
“How far ahead?”
He didn’t answer immediately.
That scared me.
“Dad.”
He finally turned around.
“Before Nathan married you, Victoria attempted to gain access to Vale International.”
I frowned.
“How?”
“Through partnerships.”
“Investments.”
“Acquisitions.”
“She tried multiple times to place people inside my companies.”
I looked at the documents again.
“So Nathan wasn’t chosen randomly.”
“No.”
My father’s voice became quiet.
“He was chosen because of you.”
The room felt silent.
“Me?”
My father nodded.
“Victoria knew you were my daughter.”
I froze.
“That’s impossible.”
“No one knew.”
“I thought Nathan didn’t know.”
My father looked at me sadly.
“That was your mistake.”
The words hit me.
Because suddenly everything changed.
Nathan’s kindness.
His persistence.
The way he pursued me.
The way he convinced me he loved me.
Was it all an act?
I remembered our first meeting.
The expensive restaurant.
His carefully chosen words.
His perfect timing.
Every moment that once felt romantic now felt calculated.
“He never loved me.”
My voice barely came out.
My father didn’t respond.
He didn’t need to.
The truth was already there.
The next morning, a new problem appeared.
Ashford Global’s remaining board members announced a press conference.
Everyone expected them to announce bankruptcy.
Instead...
They announced a temporary leadership change.
And the new acting CEO shocked the world.
Victoria Ashford.
I watched the announcement on television.
There she was.
Perfectly dressed.
Calm.
Confident.
Standing in front of reporters like she owned the company.
“As acting CEO, my priority is restoring stability and protecting employees.”
The media praised her.
They called her a responsible leader.
A solution to Nathan’s mistakes.
I almost laughed.
Because I knew the truth.
Victoria wasn’t saving Ashford Global.
She was stealing it.
“She moved fast,” my father said.
I looked at him.
“What does she want?”
He studied the screen.
“Control.”
“Of what?”
“Everything Nathan built.”
I shook my head.
“She already has influence.”
My father looked at me.
“No.”
His answer was serious.
“She wants something bigger.”
“What?”
He paused.
Then said:
“Vale International.”
My stomach tightened.
“She wants your company?”
“She wants our entire network.”
The pieces started connecting.
Nathan’s marriage.
Celeste’s involvement.
The financial crimes.
The hidden companies.
All of it.
A giant plan.
Years in the making.
And I had been the final piece.
My phone suddenly received a message.
Unknown number.
I opened it.
A single sentence appeared.
You spent years pretending to be powerless. Now prove you know how to be powerful.
I stared at the screen.
Then another message appeared.
Meet me alone tonight.
No name.
No location.
Just a time.
11:00 PM.
My father saw my expression.
“What is it?”
I locked the phone.
“Victoria wants to meet.”
His face changed instantly.
“No.”
“I have to go.”
“Absolutely not.”
I looked at him.
“Dad.”
“She is dangerous.”
“I know.”
“Then why?”
Because I finally understood something.
Running had never been my answer.
Not from Nathan.
Not from Victoria.
Not from anyone.
I had spent my entire life hiding behind the idea that being underestimated was an advantage.
Maybe it was.
But now it was time to stop hiding.
“I’m going because she thinks she knows me.”
I looked at the television screen showing Victoria’s confident face.
“But she doesn’t.”
My father stared at me.
And for the first time...
He saw something different.
Not his protected daughter.
Not the woman Nathan tried to destroy.
But someone who had survived.
Someone who was ready to fight.
“Be careful,” he whispered.
I nodded.
Because I knew one thing.
At 11:00 PM, I wasn’t walking into Victoria’s trap.
I was walking into her world.
May you like
And I was going to make sure she never walked out of it unchanged.
To be continued...
