Chapter 6 - THE TRUTH MY MOTHER CARRIED
I walked back upstairs without feeling my feet touch the floor.
My mother was awake.
She was sitting near the window.
Looking outside.
Like she had been expecting me.
"You heard him."
It wasn't a question.
I stopped.
"What did you do?"
Her face changed.
Pain.
Regret.
Fear.
All at once.
"Bennett..."
"What did you do to Rose?"
My voice was louder than I intended.
Clara appeared behind me.
"Please..."
I looked at her.
"No."
I turned back to my mother.
"I spent my entire life believing you were the person who always protected people."
A tear rolled down her cheek.
"I tried."
"Tried?"
I shook my head.
"Rose lost her daughter."
Clara looked down.
"And you knew."
My mother's voice broke.
"I knew too late."
The room went quiet.
"What does that mean?"
She closed her eyes.
"After your father found out about Clara, he wanted to bring her into our family."
I stared.
"Then why didn't he?"
"Because Victor convinced him it would destroy everything."
"And you?"
My mother looked at Clara.
"I tried to find Rose."
Clara looked up.
"You did?"
My mother nodded.
"I found her."
Everyone froze.
"When?"
"Years ago."
My heart sank.
"Then why didn't you tell me?"
She whispered:
"Because Rose was already gone."
The silence was unbearable.
"What happened?"
My mother looked at the floor.
"She disappeared three days after I found her."
Clara's face turned pale.
"You think Victor..."
My mother didn't answer.
She didn't need to.
I felt anger taking over.
"All these years..."
My voice cracked.
"All these years, everyone knew something."
My mother reached for me.
I stepped back.
That hurt her.
I saw it.
But I couldn't stop.
Because suddenly my entire childhood felt different.
Every family dinner.
Every holiday.
Every memory.
There was something hidden underneath.
Then the lights went out.
The mansion became completely dark.
Security alarms started screaming.
Clara grabbed my arm.
"Bennett."
I looked toward the hallway.
A shadow moved.
Someone was inside.
My security team rushed in.
"Nobody move!"
A figure ran.
I chased him.
Down the hallway.
Through the service entrance.
Into the cold night.
I almost caught him.
Almost.
But before he disappeared, he turned around.
And I saw his face.
Older.
Scarred.
But familiar.
Victor Hale.
My uncle.
Alive.
He smiled.
"You finally came looking for the truth."
I stepped forward.
"Why did you do it?"
His smile disappeared.
"Because your father wasn't the man you think he was."
Then he threw something toward me.
An old photograph.
I picked it up.
My hands started shaking.
Because in the picture...
was my father.
Victor.
Rose.
And a fourth person.
Someone I knew.
Someone who was supposed to have nothing to do with any of this.
My mother.
But the date written on the back changed everything.
May you like
It was taken...
after Rose disappeared.
