Chapter 3 — The Fiancée Who Knew Everything
Chapter 3 — The Fiancée Who Knew Everything
Victoria had always believed she was the smartest person in the room.
She knew when to smile.
When to cry.
When to lower her voice.
When to touch Nathan's arm in public.
When to stand beside his father.
And, most importantly, when to keep her mouth shut.
For five years, she had kept one secret buried beneath expensive dresses, charity galas, engagement rings, and carefully rehearsed smiles.
She knew Lily existed.
She knew Grace was alive.
She knew Nathan had a daughter.
And she had known long before Nathan ever discovered the truth.
Now there was nowhere left to hide.
Victoria stood in the library.
Nathan stood across from her.
Grace was beside the window.
Lily was upstairs with the nanny.
The room felt suffocating.
Nathan placed the old photograph on the table.
“You knew.”
Victoria didn't answer.
“You knew about Lily.”
Silence.
“You knew Grace was alive.”
Victoria's eyes filled with tears.
“Yes.”
Nathan's jaw tightened.
“For how long?”
“Five years.”
Grace turned sharply.
“Five years?”
Victoria looked at her.
“I knew about you before Lily was born.”
Nathan stepped closer.
“How?”
Victoria swallowed.
“Your father told me.”
“Everything?”
“Almost.”
“What did he tell you?”
“That you were carrying Nathan's child.”
Grace stared at her.
“You knew I was pregnant?”
“Yes.”
“And you still pursued him?”
Victoria's voice trembled.
“I was told you were leaving.”
“I was forced to leave.”
“I didn't know that at first.”
“But you knew later.”
Victoria lowered her eyes.
“Yes.”
Nathan's voice became colder.
“When?”
Victoria looked at him.
“Three months after you disappeared.”
Nathan couldn't believe it.
“You knew Grace was alive.”
“Yes.”
“You knew she had Lily.”
“Yes.”
“You knew I was searching for her.”
“Yes.”
“And you said nothing.”
“Yes.”
He laughed once.
It wasn't amusement.
It was disbelief.
“You let me hate her.”
Victoria began crying.
“I know.”
“You let me believe she abandoned me.”
“I know.”
“You watched me mourn a woman who was alive.”
“I know.”
“And you still accepted my proposal.”
“Yes.”
Nathan stared at her.
“Why?”
Victoria took a trembling breath.
“Because I loved you.”
Grace looked away.
Victoria continued.
“And because your father promised me something.”
“What?”
“My future.”
Nathan's expression hardened.
“Explain.”
Five years earlier, Victoria had been twenty-eight.
Beautiful.
Ambitious.
From a wealthy family that had lost most of its money.
She had met Richard Cole at a charity event.
He had approached her after watching her speak to several investors.
“You're intelligent,” he told her.
Victoria smiled.
“Thank you.”
“You want more.”
“Yes.”
“Money?”
“Security.”
“Power?”
“Respect.”
Richard smiled.
“I can give you all three.”
Victoria didn't understand.
Then he showed her a photograph.
Grace.
Standing beside Nathan.
Pregnant.
Victoria stared.
“Who is she?”
“Nathan's weakness.”
Victoria frowned.
“What does that mean?”
“She is carrying his child.”
Victoria's heart dropped.
“Excuse me?”
Richard placed another photograph on the table.
Grace entering a prenatal clinic.
Another.
Nathan holding Grace's hand.
Another.
A sonogram.
Victoria stared.
“He loves her.”
Richard nodded.
“Yes.”
“Then why are you showing me?”
“Because love is temporary.”
“And what do you want from me?”
Richard looked at her.
“I want you to become his wife.”
Victoria laughed nervously.
“You're serious.”
“Completely.”
“Why would Nathan choose me?”
“Because I'll make sure he believes Grace abandoned him.”
Victoria stared at the photographs.
“And the child?”
Richard's voice became colder.
“The child will disappear.”
Victoria's heart began pounding.
“You're going to hurt her?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
“Make her believe she has no choice.”
At first, Victoria refused.
She told herself she wasn't that kind of woman.
Then Richard showed her something else.
Her family's debt.
Millions.
The bank was preparing foreclosure.
Her father's company was collapsing.
Her younger brother was being sued.
Richard could make all of it disappear.
“If you marry Nathan,” he said, “your family survives.”
Victoria looked at him.
“And if I refuse?”
“Your family falls.”
That was the moment she made her choice.
Not because she hated Grace.
Not because she wanted Lily gone.
Because she wanted the life Richard promised.
And once she accepted…
there was no going back.
Nathan returned to the present.
“You knew everything.”
Victoria nodded.
“Did you know Lily was my daughter when you met me?”
“Yes.”
Nathan looked disgusted.
“You deliberately built a relationship with me while knowing I had a child.”
“Yes.”
“You were waiting for Grace to disappear.”
“Yes.”
“You wanted her gone.”
Victoria cried.
“At first.”
“At first?”
“I thought if she disappeared, you would eventually forget her.”
Nathan's eyes hardened.
“But you didn't.”
“No.”
“You never stopped loving her.”
“No.”
Victoria looked at Grace.
“I knew.”
Grace said nothing.
Victoria continued.
“I watched you from a distance.”
“Why?”
“Because I needed to know whether you were coming back.”
“And?”
“You never did.”
Grace's voice was cold.
“I couldn't.”
Victoria nodded.
“I know that now.”
Nathan walked toward the window.
“Why didn't you tell me after Lily was born?”
Victoria looked down.
“Because I was afraid.”
“Of what?”
“Of losing you.”
“You already had me.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“I had a man who thought he loved me.”
Nathan turned.
“What does that mean?”
Victoria wiped her tears.
“You never looked at me the way you looked at Grace.”
He said nothing.
“You were kind to me.”
“You respected me.”
“You protected me.”
“But you never loved me.”
Nathan's voice was quiet.
“I thought I did.”
Victoria smiled sadly.
“I know.”
Grace finally spoke.
“Did you ever see Lily?”
Victoria hesitated.
“Yes.”
“When?”
“When she was six months old.”
Grace stared.
“Where?”
“At a private clinic.”
“Why?”
“Richard wanted to make sure she was healthy.”
Grace's face went pale.
“You saw my daughter.”
“Yes.”
“You held her?”
Victoria nodded.
Grace stepped closer.
“And you said nothing?”
Victoria began crying.
“I wanted to.”
“But you didn't.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because I was selfish.”
Grace's eyes filled with tears.
“You watched my child grow up from a distance while I lived in fear.”
“I know.”
“You could have told Nathan.”
“I know.”
“You could have helped me.”
“I know.”
“You chose him.”
Victoria whispered:
“Yes.”
Nathan looked at her.
“Did you know Richard was monitoring Grace?”
“Yes.”
“Did you know he threatened her family?”
“Yes.”
“Did you know she was forced to leave?”
“Yes.”
“Did you know she was pregnant when she disappeared?”
“Yes.”
“Did you know where she went?”
“Yes.”
Nathan froze.
“Where?”
Victoria looked at him.
“A small town in Vermont.”
Grace's eyes widened.
“How do you know?”
“Because I sent money.”
Nathan stared.
“You helped her?”
Victoria shook her head.
“Not directly.”
“Then what did you do?”
“I paid a woman to keep watch.”
Grace's face changed.
“You were spying on me.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To make sure Lily was alive.”
Nathan's expression hardened.
“You called that protection?”
“No.”
Victoria looked down.
“I called it the only thing I could do without destroying the life I had built.”
Grace walked toward her.
“You had everything.”
Victoria didn't answer.
“You had Nathan.”
“You had the mansion.”
“You had his family.”
“You had his name.”
“And still you were afraid.”
Victoria nodded.
“Yes.”
“Of losing it.”
“Yes.”
Grace looked at her.
“That is why you were never happy.”
Victoria began crying.
Grace continued:
“Because every night you knew the woman you replaced was somewhere in the world.”
Victoria whispered:
“I dreamed about you.”
Grace frowned.
“What?”
“Sometimes I dreamed you would come back.”
“And?”
“I was terrified.”
Nathan picked up the photograph.
“What about this?”
He held up the image of Grace and him.
“It was in your bag.”
Victoria looked at it.
“I kept it.”
“Why?”
“Because it reminded me of what I had done.”
Nathan's expression softened for only a second.
Then hardened again.
“Did my father give you that?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To prove you loved Grace.”
“And?”
“To make me understand what I was taking.”
Nathan stared at her.
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
“And you did it anyway.”
Victoria nodded.
“Yes.”
The door opened.
A security officer entered.
“Mr. Cole.”
Nathan turned.
“What?”
“We found the car.”
“What car?”
“The one outside.”
Nathan's expression changed.
“The black sedan?”
“Yes.”
“Who owns it?”
The officer hesitated.
“It's registered to a company.”
“Which company?”
“Cole Strategic Holdings.”
Nathan froze.
His father's company.
“Where is the driver?”
“Gone.”
“Any cameras?”
“Yes.”
“Show me.”
The officer placed a tablet on the desk.
The footage showed the car arriving.
A man stepped out.
He looked toward the mansion.
Then he made a phone call.
Nathan leaned closer.
The image was blurry.
But Grace suddenly whispered:
“I know him.”
Nathan turned.
“Who?”
Grace pointed at the screen.
“That man.”
“Who is he?”
“He worked for your father.”
“What did he do?”
“He was there the night I disappeared.”
Nathan's blood ran cold.
Victoria stepped closer.
“What's his name?”
Grace stared at the screen.
“Thomas Reed.”
Victoria suddenly went pale.
Nathan noticed.
“You know him.”
Victoria shook her head.
“No.”
“You just reacted.”
“I don't know him.”
“Victoria.”
She backed away.
“I don't.”
Nathan grabbed the tablet.
“Tell me.”
Victoria's breathing became shallow.
“He's the man who brought me to Richard.”
Grace stared.
“What?”
Victoria nodded.
“He was the one who showed me your pregnancy records.”
Nathan looked at Grace.
Then at Victoria.
“And he's here now.”
Victoria whispered:
“Yes.”
Suddenly, the mansion lights went out.
Lily screamed upstairs.
Grace ran.
Nathan followed.
Victoria froze.
A loud crash came from the hallway.
Then another.
Nathan reached Lily's bedroom.
The window was open.
The curtains moved in the wind.
The nanny was unconscious on the floor.
Lily was gone.
Grace screamed.
“LILY!”
Nathan's heart stopped.
He ran toward the window.
Below, the security gates were opening.
A black vehicle waited outside.
Grace collapsed against the wall.
“No.”
Nathan turned toward her.
“Stay here.”
“No!”
“Grace!”
“She's my daughter!”
“And she's mine!”
They ran downstairs.
Victoria followed.
Outside, the black vehicle disappeared into the night.
Nathan stood in the driveway, staring after it.
His hands shook.
Grace was sobbing.
Then Victoria spoke.
“I know where they'll take her.”
Nathan turned.
“Where?”
Victoria looked terrified.
“To the place your father used five years ago.”
“Where?”
She whispered:
“Saint Mary's Hospital.”
Nathan's face went white.
The same hospital where Lily had been born.
The same hospital Grace had feared for five years.
The same place where Richard's secrets began.
Nathan looked at Grace.
Then at Victoria.
“You're coming with us.”
Victoria stared.
“Why?”
“Because you know everything.”
He opened the car door.
“And tonight…”
His voice became ice.
“…you're going to tell me everything you should have told me five years ago.”
Victoria stepped into the car.
Grace climbed into the back.
Nathan started the engine.
As they sped toward Saint Mary's, Victoria looked out the window.
She knew the truth.
The kidnapping wasn't random.
Richard hadn't taken Lily because he wanted revenge.
He had taken her because Lily was the one piece of evidence capable of destroying him.
And Victoria finally understood something she had refused to accept for five years.
She had never been the woman who won Nathan.
She had been the woman Richard used to keep Nathan away from his daughter.
And now…
the child she had once helped hide was in danger.
For the first time in five years, Victoria wanted to undo everything.
May you like
But some mistakes could not be undone.
They could only be paid for.
