Chapter 6 - THE WOMAN WHO SHOULD HAVE BEEN DEAD
My mother was alive.
Her name was Isabella.
For years, I had believed she died from cancer.
My father had buried her.
My family had mourned her.
But now we discovered something horrifying.
There was no death certificate.
No hospital record.
No burial record.
Everything had been fabricated.
Marcus's men traced her to a private estate outside the city.
We arrived at midnight.
The mansion was empty.
Too empty.
Then we found photographs.
Hundreds of them.
Me.
Marcus.
Our wedding.
Our apartment.
The penthouse.
Every moment of my life had been watched.
I felt sick.
"She has been monitoring you for years," Marcus said.
"Why?"
A voice answered from behind us.
"Because you are my daughter."
I turned.
My mother stood at the top of the stairs.
Elegant.
Calm.
Beautiful.
Older than I remembered.
But unmistakably her.
"Mom?"
She smiled.
"You look like me."
I couldn't move.
"Why?"
"Because I needed to know whether your father had told you the truth."
"What truth?"
She descended the stairs.
"The ledger belongs to me."
Marcus raised his gun.
She laughed.
"You won't shoot me."
"Try me."
She looked at him.
"You loved her."
Marcus's jaw tightened.
"More than you understand."
My mother smiled.
"That's why I chose you."
I froze.
"You chose him?"
"Your father wanted to run."
"He wanted to protect me."
"He was weak."
She turned toward me.
"I built the network."
"You?"
"Yes."
She explained everything.
My father had stolen the ledger from her.
He had tried to escape.
Marcus's father discovered the betrayal.
Sofia tried to expose the truth.
Everyone became trapped in the same web.
But my mother had one goal.
Control.
And I was her final leverage.
"Why marry me to Marcus?"
"Because he would protect you."
"Why threaten him?"
"Because love makes people careless."
I stared at her.
"You threatened me."
"I threatened him."
"You ordered the attacks."
"No."
She smiled.
"Someone else did."
"Who?"
She stepped closer.
"The man Marcus trusts more than anyone."
Marcus looked at Alessandro.
Silence.
Alessandro's face went pale.
My mother smiled.
"You really never noticed?"
Alessandro slowly raised his gun.
Marcus turned.
"Put it down."
Alessandro's eyes filled with tears.
"I had no choice."
Marcus looked betrayed.
"Why?"
"They have my daughter."
My mother nodded.
"Exactly."
Alessandro lowered his weapon.
Then the lights came on.
Federal agents surrounded the mansion.
My mother looked surprised.
I smiled.
"Your mistake was assuming I would come here without telling anyone."
She stared at me.
"You've changed."
"No."
I looked at Marcus.
"He taught me."
My mother was arrested.
Alessandro surrendered.
But as agents took Isabella away, she whispered something to me.
"You still don't know the worst part."
I turned.
"What?"
She smiled.
May you like
"The ledger names Marcus."
My heart stopped.
