Chapter 10: The Truth She Was Never Meant to Know
Avery stared at the phone as if it had become a weapon.
“That's impossible.””
Victoria's fingers tightened around it.
“Why?””
Avery looked at her.
“Because your mother didn't die.””
Victoria's face went blank.
Dante stepped between them.
“Start talking.””
Avery shook his head.
“Not here.””
Victoria's voice cracked.
“You've been saying that all night.””
She held up the phone.
“My mother has been dead since I was sixteen. I watched them lower her coffin.””
Avery's eyes softened.
“The coffin was empty.””
Victoria stopped breathing.
Marcus whispered, “Avery…”
Avery looked at his sons.
“Claudia arranged the funeral.””
Dante's expression hardened.
“Why?””
“Because your mother knew about the ledger.””
Victoria stared at him.
“My mother knew?””
“She helped create it.””
Silence.
Victoria's eyes filled with tears.
“What was her name?””
Avery hesitated.
“Celeste.””
Victoria closed her eyes.
“Celeste Monroe.””
Avery nodded.
Victoria backed away.
“My mother wasn't a Reed.””
“No.””
“Then why was she involved with your family?””
“Because she was my partner.””
Dante looked at his father.
“Partner?””
“In everything.””
Marcus's face changed.
“You're saying she helped build the organization?””
Avery nodded.
“She built the financial network. I handled operations. Celeste kept the money clean.””
Victoria stared at him.
“Then why did you let me believe she abandoned me?””
“Because Claudia found out Celeste was planning to expose her.””
Victoria's tears fell.
“You could have told me.””
“I thought knowing the truth would get you killed.””
Victoria laughed through her tears.
“So you let me hate my own mother.””
“I let you live.””
She looked at him.
“Was that supposed to make me grateful?””
“No.””
Avery's voice broke.
“It was supposed to make you safe.””
Dante looked at the phone.
“Who is calling now?””
Victoria answered.
Nobody spoke.
Then a woman's voice whispered:
“Baby?””
Victoria covered her mouth.
Her knees weakened.
“Mom?””
Dante reached for her arm.
Victoria pulled away.
“Mom, where are you?””
“I can't stay on long.””
“Where are you?””
“Listen carefully.””
Victoria's breathing became shallow.
“Don't trust the house.””
“What house?””
“The old Monroe house.””
Avery suddenly grabbed the phone.
“Celeste, where are you?””
The voice on the other end went silent.
Then:
“Avery?””
He closed his eyes.
“Celeste.””
Her voice trembled.
“Are the boys with you?””
“Yes.””
“Then you need to listen.””
Everyone gathered around.
Celeste continued.
“Claudia wasn't working alone.””
Dante looked at Marcus.
“Who else?””
Celeste hesitated.
“Someone inside the Reed family.””
Marcus frowned.
“Who?””
“I never learned the name.””
Dante's eyes narrowed.
“Mom, we have the ledger.””
“Then burn it.””
Victoria looked at Dante.
“Why?””
“Because it doesn't contain the truth.””
Avery stepped forward.
“It contains names.””
“It contains the names they wanted you to find.””
Dante opened the ledger.
Celeste continued.
“Your father built the original records to protect the family.””
Avery nodded.
“Celeste…”
“But Claudia altered them.””
Dante flipped through the pages.
“Then what's real?””
“The last page.””
He stopped.
The final page.
The one carrying Claudia's name.
Celeste spoke again.
“The signature beneath Claudia's name isn't Avery's.””
Dante looked closer.
Avery's signature had always been distinctive.
A small hooked line beneath the final letter.
The signature on the page lacked it.
Dante's eyes widened.
“It's forged.””
Avery took the ledger.
He stared at the signature.
Then looked toward Claudia.
She stood surrounded by security.
Her face was calm.
Too calm.
Avery said quietly, “You forged my signature.””
Claudia smiled.
“Of course.””
Marcus raised his weapon.
“You framed our father.””
Claudia shrugged.
“I protected myself.””
Dante turned to her.
“Who helped you?””
Claudia said nothing.
“Who?””
She smiled.
“You still don't understand.””
“Understand what?””
“You've spent the entire night looking for a traitor.””
Her eyes moved toward Victoria.
“While the real betrayal was standing beside you from the beginning.””
Victoria froze.
Dante immediately turned toward his fiancée.
Victoria shook her head.
“No.””
Claudia laughed.
“She doesn't even know.””
Dante looked at her.
“Know what?””
Claudia leaned back.
“Who her father is.””
Avery's face went white.
Victoria whispered, “Dad?””
Claudia smiled.
“Ask Avery.””
Victoria turned toward him.
“Who is my father?””
Avery said nothing.
“Dad.””
Still nothing.
“Tell me.””
Avery's eyes filled with regret.
“Victoria…”
“Tell me!””
He lowered his head.
“I am.””
Victoria stared at him.
The room disappeared.
The chandeliers.
The shattered glasses.
The blood.
Everything.
Only one thought remained.
“You're my father?””
Avery nodded.
Marcus stepped backward.
Dante stared at Victoria.
Victoria shook her head.
“No.””
Avery approached.
“Celeste and I had you before I met your father—”
Victoria recoiled.
“You lied to me.””
“I was trying to protect you.””
“You were my father.””
“Yes.””
“And Dante…”
Avery looked at him.
Dante's face had gone completely still.
Victoria whispered, “We're not related?””
Avery shook his head.
“No.””
Victoria covered her face.
A broken sob escaped.
Dante walked toward her.
She expected anger.
Instead, he stopped a few feet away.
“You should have told me.””
“I was going to.””
“When?””
“When this was over.””
Dante looked around the ruined ballroom.
“It's over now.””
Victoria looked at him.
“Is it?””
Dante turned.
Claudia was gone.
The guards looked toward the open service door.
Marcus swore.
“She escaped.””
Dante immediately moved.
“No.””
Avery stopped him.
“Let her go.””
Dante looked back.
“Why?””
“Because she isn't the final threat.””
The phone in Victoria's hand vibrated.
Another message.
She looked down.
Her face changed.
“What?””
Dante stepped closer.
The message contained a photograph.
Celeste.
Alive.
Standing outside the old Monroe house.
Beside her stood Caleb.
Both were smiling.
Below the photograph was a single sentence:
*THE FAMILY IS COMPLETE.*
Victoria looked at Dante.
“That's my mother.””
Dante nodded.
“And Caleb.””
Marcus grabbed the phone.
His face hardened.
“They want us there.””
Avery looked toward the ballroom doors.
“No.””
Marcus turned.
“We're going.””
Avery shook his head.
“If you go, you walk into their final trap.””
Dante picked up his gun.
“Then we stop walking into traps.””
Marcus nodded.
Elena stepped forward.
“I’m coming.””
Dante looked at her.
“No.””
She shook her head.
“You saved me tonight.””
“I didn't save you.””
“You did.””
Elena looked toward Victoria.
“And she saved me too.””
Victoria wiped her tears.
Elena continued.
“I want to help.””
Dante studied her.
Then nodded.
“Stay behind me.””
Victoria stepped forward.
“I'm coming too.””
Dante looked at her.
“You don't have to.””
“I know.””
She took his hand.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Dante squeezed her fingers.
“Let's finish this.””
They walked toward the doors together.
Behind them, the chandeliers flickered.
Avery remained alone in the ballroom.
He looked down at the soaked fake ledger.
Then at the broken champagne glass that had started everything.
His phone rang.
He answered.
Celeste's voice came through.
“Avery?””
“Yes.””
“You need to tell Dante the truth.””
“I already did.””
“No.””
A pause.
“You didn't tell him the biggest truth.””
Avery's face changed.
“What?””
Celeste whispered:
“Claudia wasn't trying to kill Dante.””
Avery stared toward the doors.
“Then what was she trying to do?””
Celeste's voice trembled.
“She was trying to make him king.””
The call ended.
Outside, Dante's convoy disappeared into the rain.
And for the first time that night, Avery understood the real plan.
The poisoned glass had never been meant to end Dante's life.
It had been meant to awaken him.
To force him into the archive.
To reveal the ledger.
To expose the traitors.
And to place every surviving member of the family exactly where someone wanted them.
Dante.
Marcus.
Victoria.
Elena.
Caleb.
Celeste.
All moving toward the same house.
All believing they were going there to save someone.
Avery looked at the empty ballroom.
Then whispered to himself:
“They're not being invited to a trap.””
His eyes hardened.
“They're being gathered for a coronation.””
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Outside, thunder rolled over the city.
And somewhere in the darkness, the old Monroe house waited.
