Chapter 10 - THE WOMAN BEHIND THE LIE
Elena's hands were tied.
Adrian pressed the gun against her neck.
"Drop it."
Luca lowered his weapon.
Evelyn sighed.
"Adrian, you're ruining everything."
Luca looked between them.
"You two are working together."
Adrian laughed.
"Not exactly."
Then he shot Evelyn.
The bullet struck her stomach.
She fell.
Luca lunged.
Adrian fired again.
The bullet struck the wall.
Elena drove her elbow into Adrian's ribs.
Luca tackled him.
His legs collapsed beneath him.
But his fists still worked.
He hit Adrian once.
Twice.
Three times.
Elena grabbed the gun.
"STOP!"
Luca froze.
Adrian laughed through bloody teeth.
"You still don't understand."
Luca grabbed his collar.
"Then explain it."
"Your mother started it."
Luca looked toward Evelyn.
She was conscious.
Barely.
Adrian continued.
"She discovered your father's will."
"Then?"
"She realized your future child would control everything."
"I didn't have a child."
"You had Elena."
Luca went still.
"Your mother knew about us?"
"Of course."
Adrian smiled.
"She had you followed."
Elena whispered, "Oh my God."
"When Elena became pregnant, Evelyn panicked."
Luca looked at his mother.
"You knew?"
Evelyn began crying.
"Luca..."
"YOU KNEW ABOUT MAYA?"
"I was protecting you."
"FROM MY DAUGHTER?"
"From losing everything!"
Luca stared.
The truth became unbearable.
Evelyn had ordered the poisoning.
Vale administered it.
Dominic helped cover it up.
Adrian handled money.
But something didn't fit.
"Why not kill me?"
Evelyn answered weakly.
"Because your death would activate the trust."
Luca understood.
Keeping him alive but incapacitated froze everything.
No confirmed child.
No succession.
No transfer.
Twelve years.
They hadn't merely stolen his ability to walk.
They had kept him imprisoned inside his own body to control an empire.
Elena looked sick.
"And the money offered to me?"
Evelyn closed her eyes.
"Me."
Elena stepped toward her.
"You threatened my baby."
"I told you to disappear."
"You threatened my BABY!"
Luca caught Elena before she reached her.
Evelyn whispered.
"I never intended to hurt Maya."
Adrian laughed.
"That's a lie."
Everyone looked at him.
Adrian smiled.
"Tell them about Milwaukee."
Elena froze.
"What about Milwaukee?"
Evelyn said nothing.
Adrian's smile widened.
"The apartment fire."
Elena went white.
Luca looked at her.
"What fire?"
Elena whispered.
"When Maya was six months old."
Luca's blood turned cold.
"Our apartment burned down."
May you like
Adrian looked directly at Evelyn.
"Ask your mother who started it."
