Chapter 6 - THE FATHER’S LAST LIE
Nobody spoke.
The underground chamber felt smaller.
Colder.
Elena stared at Richard.
The man she once loved.
The man who promised to protect their family.
The man who allowed their son to believe she abandoned him.
“Tell me I’m wrong.”
Richard looked at her.
He couldn’t.
That was enough.
Gabriel felt something inside him break.
“Dad…”
Richard closed his eyes.
“I never wanted this.”
Gabriel laughed without emotion.
“You never wanted what?”
“To lose your mother.”
“To hurt you.”
“To destroy our family.”
He looked at Richard.
“But you did.”
Richard took a step forward.
“I was trapped.”
Elena’s eyes filled with anger.
“No.”
Her voice was stronger than before.
“You were afraid.”
Richard looked down.
Because she was right.
Fifteen years ago, Richard discovered the financial crimes.
He knew Sophia and her allies were dangerous.
But instead of fighting them…
He made a deal.
A deal that saved the company.
A deal that destroyed Elena.
“I thought if you disappeared, they would stop.”
Elena stared at him.
“And you believed that?”
Richard whispered:
“I was wrong.”
Gabriel turned away.
He couldn’t even look at him.
Suddenly, Valeria appeared at the entrance.
Everyone turned.
Her expensive dress was torn.
Her perfect makeup was ruined.
For the first time, she looked human.
Not powerful.
Not untouchable.
Just scared.
“Mom…”
Sophia looked at her.
“Leave.”
Valeria shook her head.
“No.”
She looked at Elena.
“I need to know.”
Nobody answered.
Valeria stepped closer.
“Is it true?”
Elena looked at her.
“What?”
“That you’re the real heir?”
Silence.
Then Elena nodded.
“Yes.”
Valeria’s face changed.
Everything she built her identity on began collapsing.
The luxury.
The status.
The belief that she belonged above everyone else.
All of it was based on a lie.
She looked at Elena.
“I humiliated you.”
Elena didn’t answer.
“I treated you like you were nothing.”
Still nothing.
Valeria’s eyes filled with tears.
“I didn’t know.”
Elena finally spoke.
“That’s the problem.”
Valeria lowered her head.
Before anyone could respond…
A loud explosion shook the mansion.
The lights went out.
People screamed upstairs.
Gabriel immediately moved toward Elena.
“Stay behind me.”
Smoke began entering the passage.
Someone had triggered the emergency system.
Thomas looked toward the exit.
“We need to leave.”
Then a voice came through the security speakers.
A distorted voice.
“You found the truth.”
Everyone froze.
The voice continued.
“But you won’t live long enough to reveal it.”
Gabriel looked at the camera.
“Who are you?”
A cold laugh answered.
“Someone who has been watching the Whitmore family destroy itself for fifteen years.”
The screen flickered.
Then a photo appeared.
A photo of Gabriel as a child.
Standing beside his mother.
And written across the image were four words:
THE WRONG SON SURVIVED.
Gabriel stared at the screen.
His blood ran cold.
Because whoever was behind this…
May you like
Was not trying to hide the past anymore.
They were coming for him.
