Chapter 9 - THE BROTHER WHO WANTED EVERYTHING
Nobody spoke.
The mansion that had once felt untouchable suddenly felt like a cage.
My mother.
My half-brother.
My father’s secrets.
Everything I believed about my family was collapsing.
“Is that true?”
I looked at Isabella.
“Did you destroy my father’s relationship with Matteo?”
She looked away.
That was enough.
Matteo laughed.
“See?”
He stepped closer.
“She always protected you.”
“I don’t know you.”
His face hardened.
“That’s because she made sure you never would.”
I wanted to believe he was lying.
I wanted to believe this was just another manipulation.
But deep down…
I knew.
Because my entire life, there had been missing pieces.
Questions nobody answered.
Stories that changed depending on who told them.
“Why now?” I asked.
Matteo looked toward the nursery.
“Because Leo changed everything.”
I stared at him.
“He’s a baby.”
“He’s the Rossi heir.”
“He’s my son.”
“And he has something I never had.”
His voice became bitter.
“A father who chose him.”
The words surprised me.
For a moment, I saw something different in his eyes.
Not anger.
Pain.
But then it disappeared.
“I spent my entire life watching this family celebrate you.”
He pointed at me.
“The perfect son.”
“The chosen son.”
“The one who inherited everything.”
I said nothing.
“Do you know what it feels like to grow up knowing your father had another child but refused to acknowledge you?”
I understood anger.
I understood loss.
But that didn’t excuse what he was doing.
“You tried to kill my son.”
His expression changed.
“I tried to remove a problem.”
My fists tightened.
“He is not a problem.”
“He is the reason I will never have what is mine.”
Before I could answer, Hannah walked into the room.
Everyone turned.
Matteo stared at her.
And his expression changed.
Not anger.
Shock.
“You.”
Hannah froze.
“You know me?”
Matteo looked confused.
“That’s impossible.”
I stepped between them.
“What?”
He stared at Hannah.
“You’re supposed to be dead.”
The entire room went silent.
Hannah’s face turned pale.
“What did you say?”
Matteo looked at Isabella.
“You never told him?”
My mother closed her eyes.
Like she knew the truth was finally coming.
I looked at Hannah.
“What is he talking about?”
Her voice trembled.
“I don’t know.”
But Matteo smiled.
A cruel, knowing smile.
“Your mother wasn’t the only person your father left behind.”
He pointed at Hannah.
“She isn’t just my sister.”
My heart stopped.
“What?”
Matteo took a step closer.
“She is the missing Rossi heir.”
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Hannah looked at me.
Terrified.
“I’m not…”
But Matteo interrupted.
“Yes, you are.”
Then he said the words that changed everything.
“The woman who saved your son is the person who legally owns half of your empire.”
I stared at Hannah.
The quiet housekeeper.
The grieving mother.
The woman everyone ignored.
She wasn’t just connected to the Rossi family.
She was the person my father had secretly chosen.
And suddenly, I understood why someone wanted her gone.
Because Hannah Hayes wasn’t a threat.
She was the rightful owner of everything they were trying to steal.
Then the nursery alarm started again.
But this time…
the sound wasn’t coming from Leo’s room.
It was coming from the security system.
Someone had broken into the mansion.
May you like
And they weren’t there for my money.
They were there for Hannah.
