Chapter 9: The Truth Behind The Betrayal
I stared at the document in my hands.
The ink was faded.
The paper was old.
But the name was clear.
Vincent.
For a moment, I couldn’t hear anything else.
Not Damian.
Not the distant sounds of the mansion.
Not even my own breathing.
The world narrowed down to one question.
How?
How could the man who protected me be connected to the darkest moment of my life?
I looked at Vincent.
He didn’t run.
That was the first thing I noticed.
A guilty man runs.
A guilty man creates excuses.
A guilty man attacks before the truth catches up.
Vincent just stood there.
Like he had been waiting for this moment for years.
“Say something,” I said.
His eyes stayed on mine.
“I was hoping you would never find this.””
That answer hurt more than a denial.
“Why?””
Vincent looked down.
“Because I didn’t want you to become your father.””
The words made my anger rise.
“You don’t get to decide who I become.””
“I know.””
“Then why did you?””
He took a slow breath.
“Because I watched Marcus Blackwood lose himself.””
The room became quiet.
Vincent looked older suddenly.
Like fifteen years of silence had finally caught up with him.
“Your father started as a man protecting his family. Then he became a man protecting his power. Eventually, he couldn’t tell the difference.””
I said nothing.
Because part of me understood.
And I hated that.
“He hurt people,” Vincent continued.
“Good people. Innocent people. He convinced himself it was necessary.””
Damian stepped closer.
“Your father wasn’t the hero you thought he was.””
I looked at him.
“And you are?””
Damian smiled sadly.
“No.””
That surprised me.
“I’m not.””
For the first time, he sounded honest.
“I made my own mistakes.””
I looked between them.
Two men connected to my father.
Two men carrying pieces of a past I never knew existed.
“Then tell me the truth.””
Vincent closed his eyes.
“I was there the night your father died.””
The words landed heavily.
I felt my hands tighten.
“You said it was an accident.””
“It was supposed to be.””
My expression changed.
“Supposed to be?””
Vincent looked away.
“Your father discovered someone was stealing from the family. Someone close.””
“Elena?””
He shook his head.
“No.””
My heart slowed.
“Then who?””
Vincent looked at Damian.
And Damian answered.
“Someone Marcus trusted more than anyone.””
The silence that followed was unbearable.
“Who?””
Vincent finally spoke.
“Your mother’s brother.””
I frowned.
“My mother didn’t have a brother.””
Vincent’s face became serious.
“That’s what you were told.””
Another secret.
Another lie.
I almost laughed.
My family had spent decades hiding things from me.
“How many secrets are there?””
Damian looked at the floor.
“Enough to destroy everything you built.””
I turned back to Vincent.
“Why was your name on that document?””
His expression changed.
Pain.
Regret.
“I was investigating the money trail for your father.””
“And?””
“I found out the person behind it.””
“Who?””
Vincent hesitated.
Then he said:
“Your father.””
I froze.
“No.””
“Adrian—”
“No.””
I stepped back.
“My father wasn’t stealing from his own foundation.””
“Not stealing.””
Vincent shook his head.
“Covering.””
“Covering what?””
Damian walked toward the desk.
“Your father discovered the foundation money was being used to pay people connected to his old enemies.””
I stared.
“Why?””
“Because Marcus was trying to buy peace.””
I looked at the documents again.
Everything I knew was falling apart.
My father wasn’t the victim.
But he wasn’t the villain either.
He was a man trapped by the same world he created.
Then Vincent said the one thing I never expected.
“I was the one who caused the accident.””
The room stopped.
I looked at him.
“What?””
His eyes filled with regret.
“Your father was going to kill innocent people to protect his secret. I confronted him. We fought.””
He swallowed.
“The car went off the road.””
I couldn’t speak.
“I tried to save him.””
“You killed him.””
The words came out quietly.
Vincent nodded.
“Yes.””
Damian looked away.
Even he seemed affected.
I felt something break inside me.
The man who raised me.
The man who protected me.
The man who taught me everything.
Gone because of a choice nobody told me about.
“Why stay?””
Vincent looked at me.
“Because after that night, I promised myself I would protect you from becoming him.””
I shook my head.
“You lied to me.””
“Yes.””
“You watched me live my entire life without the truth.””
“Yes.””
“And now you expect me to forgive you?””
“No.””
That answer surprised me.
Vincent stepped closer.
“I don’t deserve that.””
Before I could respond, a sound came from the hallway.
A gunshot.
Everyone froze.
Then another.
Damian moved instantly.
“Down!””
The lights shattered.
The room exploded into chaos.
Vincent grabbed me and pulled me behind the desk.
Someone was inside the west wing.
Someone who knew exactly where we were.
When the shooting stopped, silence returned.
I looked around.
Damian was standing.
Vincent was standing.
But someone else was missing.
The door was open.
And from the hallway came a familiar voice.
“Adrian.””
My blood went cold.
May you like
Because I knew that voice.
Elena.
