Chapter 4: The Truth Behind the Betrayal
The room inside Hawthorne Estate had never felt so cold.
Minutes earlier, it had been filled with champagne glasses and congratulations.
Now, the only sound was the rain beginning to tap against the windows.
Daniel stood near the fireplace, holding the documents like they were dangerous.
Maybe they were.
“What exactly was Ethan trying to get?”” he asked.
Evelyn sat across from him.
“Your grandfather’s original investment records.””
Daniel looked confused.
“What do those have to do with Victoria?””
I answered before Evelyn could.
“My father.””
Everyone looked at me.
I took a shaky breath.
“My father didn’t lose his company because of bad decisions.””
Daniel stayed silent.
“He was framed.””
The memory came back.
The headlines.
The reporters outside our home.
The people who once called my father a genius suddenly calling him a criminal.
“When the company collapsed, someone bought the remaining assets for almost nothing.””
Daniel looked at the papers again.
“And Ethan was involved?””
I nodded slowly.
“He worked for the investors.””
Evelyn’s eyes sharpened.
“So you knew?””
I looked at her.
“Not at first.””
I remembered the day I found out.
The day I saw Ethan walking out of a hotel with my father’s former business partner.
The day I heard my own fiancé laughing about how easy it had been.
“He told people he loved me because I was useful.””
Daniel looked sick.
“Victoria…”
“I found proof.””
My voice became quieter.
“Then I disappeared.””
The room fell silent.
For three years, I had convinced myself running away was strength.
But standing there, facing Daniel’s disappointment, it felt more like fear.
Evelyn studied me.
“Why didn’t you tell Daniel?””
I looked at him.
Because that was the question that mattered.
“I was afraid.””
“Of what?”” Daniel asked.
“That he would see me differently.””
He looked away.
The pain on his face was impossible to ignore.
“You thought I wouldn’t accept the truth?””
“No.””
I swallowed.
“I thought you would.””
That surprised him.
I continued.
“And I was afraid because if I told you everything, I would have to admit I still hadn’t escaped my past.””
Daniel lowered his eyes.
For a moment, I saw the man I loved.
Not the heir.
Not the businessman.
Just Daniel.
Then his phone rang again.
This time, nobody moved.
Everyone knew who it was.
Ethan.
Daniel answered.
“What do you want?””
The voice on the other end sounded calm.
Almost amused.
“You finally found out.””
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
“Why did you contact me?””
“Because you’re engaged to someone who stole something from me.””
My heart stopped.
Daniel looked at me.
“What?””
Ethan continued.
“She has something that belongs to my family.””
I stepped forward.
“He’s lying.””
Daniel covered the phone slightly.
“Let him speak.””
I froze.
Ethan continued.
“The truth is, Isabella Moretti never told you about the inheritance.””
My face went pale.
Daniel looked at me.
“Inheritance?””
I didn’t answer.
Because I knew exactly what Ethan meant.
Evelyn stood.
“What inheritance?””
I looked at the floor.
“When my grandmother died…”
Daniel waited.
“She left me shares.””
Evelyn’s expression changed.
“How many?””
I hesitated.
“Forty percent.””
Nobody spoke.
Daniel stared at me.
“You own forty percent of a company?””
“Not anymore.””
“Why?””
I looked toward the window.
“Because Ethan took control of the trust.””
The silence that followed was unbearable.
Ethan’s voice came through the phone again.
“She’s been playing innocent for years.””
I grabbed the phone.
“You don’t get to talk about innocence.””
His laugh was quiet.
“Still angry, Isabella?””
Hearing my real name from him felt like a slap.
Daniel looked between us.
“You know her real name.””
“Of course I do,” Ethan replied.
Then his voice changed.
“I knew her before she became Victoria Lane.””
My fingers tightened around the phone.
“What do you want?””
Ethan answered immediately.
“The truth.””
I laughed bitterly.
“You wouldn’t know the truth if it was standing in front of you.””
There was a pause.
Then Ethan said:
“Ask Daniel why his mother came to your engagement party dressed like a stranger.””
My blood froze.
I looked at Evelyn.
She didn’t move.
Daniel frowned.
“What does that mean?””
Ethan continued.
“Ask her why she was really testing your fiancée.””
Nobody spoke.
Because suddenly, the question wasn’t about me anymore.
It was about Evelyn.
Daniel slowly turned toward his mother.
“Mom?””
Evelyn remained silent.
And that silence was the first thing that truly frightened me.
Because I realized something.
I wasn’t the only person hiding a secret.
Then Evelyn finally whispered:
“Because I already knew who Victoria was.””
She looked at Daniel.
“And I knew exactly why Ethan was coming back.””
A long pause.
May you like
Then she added:
“But I never expected him to bring the past I buried with him.””
