Chapter 7 - THE WOMAN BEHIND THE BETRAYAL
Isabella didn't run.
That made her more dangerous.
She returned to the family estate and waited.
Dominic entered with federal agents behind him.
Mara stayed in the car.
She didn't want to be there.
But she needed to see the truth.
Isabella sat in the library.
“You brought police into our home.”
“It isn't our home anymore.”
She smiled.
“You always were dramatic.”
Dominic stared at her.
“Richard is dead.”
“Yes.”
“Did you kill him?”
“No.”
“Who did?”
Isabella looked toward the window.
“You're asking the wrong question.”
“What's the right one?”
“Who benefited?”
Dominic's eyes narrowed.
“Not you?”
She laughed.
“Not me.”
Then she opened a drawer.
Inside was an old photograph.
Dominic and Mara.
Their wedding day.
Behind them stood Dominic's father.
And another man.
Mara's father.
Thomas Bennett.
Alive.
Mara saw the photograph through the window.
Her breath caught.
Isabella looked directly toward the car.
She knew Mara was there.
Then she said:
“Your father made a deal.”
Dominic froze.
“What deal?”
“He agreed to help my father move money.”
“He tried to stop him.”
“Eventually.”
Isabella pushed another document across the table.
Thomas had signed it.
Mara's father had agreed to transfer certain assets into Dominic's name.
In exchange, Mara would be protected.
Dominic stared.
“He knew Mara would become a target.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because you were young.”
“I was twenty-five.”
“You were still naive.”
Dominic laughed.
“You manipulated my entire marriage.”
“No.”
Isabella leaned forward.
“You did that yourself.”
Silence.
She continued.
“You loved her.”
“Yes.”
“And that made you weak.”
“No.”
“It made you predictable.”
Mara finally entered.
“No.”
Both turned.
Mara walked inside.
“It made him human.”
Isabella smiled.
“You've always been clever.”
“And you've always underestimated me.”
Mara placed the forensic report on the table.
“You wanted me gone because you needed Dominic isolated.”
“Yes.”
“You used Elena.”
“Yes.”
“You used Richard.”
“Yes.”
“You used Dominic.”
Isabella looked at her.
“Yes.”
“And you used me.”
“Yes.”
Mara took a breath.
“Why?”
Isabella's expression changed.
“Because my father promised me the company.”
“And Dominic received it.”
“Yes.”
“That's it?”
Isabella laughed.
“You think this was about money?”
She stood.
“My father spent his entire life building something.”
“Something illegal.”
“Something powerful.”
“And Dominic inherited it.”
“Yes.”
“So you wanted revenge.”
“No.”
She looked at Dominic.
“I wanted him to understand what it felt like to lose everything.”
Dominic stared.
“You could have told me.”
“I did.”
“When?”
“When I asked you to give me control.”
“You threatened me.”
“You refused.”
“And you destroyed my marriage.”
Isabella's voice softened.
“I thought you would choose the company.”
Dominic looked at Mara.
“I didn't.”
“You almost did.”
Mara's eyes dropped.
Because there had been moments when he had.
Moments when Dominic had chosen business over dinner.
Silence over honesty.
Control over trust.
Isabella had simply exploited what already existed.
Federal agents arrested her.
But before she was taken away, she whispered something to Mara.
“Your father is not innocent.”
Mara froze.
“What?”
Isabella smiled.
“Ask him what happened twenty years ago.”
Then she walked away.
That night, Mara met Thomas Bennett.
Her father.
He was older than the photograph.
Thin.
Gray-haired.
But unmistakably him.
Mara stood in the doorway.
He began crying.
“My little girl.”
She didn't move.
“You let me believe you were dead.”
“I was trying to protect you.”
“Everyone says that.”
“I know.”
“Did you know Dominic?”
“Yes.”
“Did you know he would marry me?”
“Yes.”
Mara's heart broke.
“You planned this.”
“No.”
He shook his head.
“I tried to stop it.”
“Then tell me the truth.”
Thomas looked toward Dominic.
“I made a terrible mistake.”
“What?”
“I was the one who started Northstar.”
Mara went still.
“What did you do?”
“I built the system that later became the Calder network.”
Dominic stared.
Thomas continued.
“I thought I was protecting people.”
He looked at Mara.
“Instead, I created something that outlived me.”
Mara whispered:
“And my entire marriage?”
Thomas shook his head.
“No.”
“That part was real.”
Dominic looked at Mara.
“Yes.”
May you like
She believed him.
For the first time in a long time.
