CHAPTER 6 — THE WOMAN BEHIND MARGARET
CHAPTER 6 — THE WOMAN BEHIND MARGARET
The empty bed broke something inside me.
Not my heart.
Something deeper.
Something primitive.
A mother can survive humiliation.
She can survive betrayal.
She can survive discovering that the man she married has been lying to her for years.
But there is one thing a mother cannot survive quietly.
The sound of her child's bedroom being empty.
"Sophie!"
I tore through the room.
The window was open.
Rain blew across the floor.
Her blanket had been thrown aside.
Her favorite stuffed rabbit was lying near the wall.
And on the pillow was the note.
SHE'S WITH ME.
DANIEL.
I grabbed it.
My hands shook so violently I could barely hold the paper.
"No."
My mother stood behind me.
"Elena—"
"Where is she?"
"I don't know."
"You said you knew everything!"
"I know who Daniel is."
"Then tell me where he took my daughter!"
"I can't."
I spun around.
"You can't?"
My voice cracked.
"Or you won't?"
My mother looked devastated.
"Elena, listen to me."
"No."
I shoved past her.
"Where is Sophie?"
She grabbed my wrist.
"If Daniel has her, you cannot go after him alone."
I pulled away.
"She's eight years old."
"I know."
"She's scared."
"I know."
"Then why are you standing there?"
"Because Daniel wants you to panic."
I froze.
"What?"
"He wants you to make a mistake."
I stared at her.
My mother's voice became quieter.
"That's how he works."
I looked toward the hallway.
"Then tell me how to beat him."
She hesitated.
I stepped closer.
"Mom."
She closed her eyes.
"You have to understand who Daniel became."
"I don't care who he became."
"I do."
"Why?"
"Because I created him."
The words hung between us.
I stared at her.
"You said you created the network."
"I did."
"Then what is Daniel?"
"My first mistake."
Preston entered the room.
His face was pale.
"How long has she been gone?"
"Less than five minutes," my mother said.
He looked at me.
"Elena."
I turned away.
He stopped.
"I know."
"You know?"
"I know what you're thinking."
"No, you don't."
"I should have protected her."
"You promised my father."
"I know."
"You promised me."
"I know."
"And she was taken from under your nose."
He lowered his head.
"I know."
I wanted to hit him.
Instead, I handed him the note.
He read it.
His expression changed.
"This isn't Daniel's handwriting."
I looked at him.
"What?"
"Daniel never writes like this."
My mother nodded.
"He's right."
I looked between them.
"Then whose handwriting is it?"
My mother didn't answer.
Preston did.
"Margaret."
My stomach dropped.
"Margaret?"
He nodded.
"The pressure on the letters."
He pointed.
"She writes with a slight right-hand slant. Daniel doesn't."
My mother took the paper.
She studied it.
Then her face went white.
"It's her."
I stepped backward.
"Margaret took Sophie."
"No."
My mother shook her head.
"Margaret didn't take her."
"Then why is her handwriting here?"
"Because she wants you to believe she did."
I stared.
"Who is she working for?"
My mother looked at me.
"Her mother."
The name came like a door slamming shut.
"Her mother?"
My mother nodded.
"Margaret's mother has been behind this longer than any of us."
"Who is she?"
My mother didn't answer immediately.
Then she whispered:
"Victoria Whitmore."
I frowned.
"I thought Thomas was Margaret's father."
"He is."
"Then who is Victoria?"
"My closest friend."
I stared at her.
"Your friend?"
"Before everything happened."
"Before what?"
My mother's eyes filled with tears.
"Before she betrayed me."
Twenty-five years earlier.
That was when the story truly began.
My mother had been twenty-six.
Victoria had been twenty-five.
They had met at university.
Both ambitious.
Both intelligent.
Both determined to build something bigger than themselves.
My mother had inherited the Hale fortune.
Victoria had inherited nothing.
At first, they became inseparable.
They built companies together.
They traveled together.
They trusted each other.
Then my mother met my father.
Michael Hale.
Victoria fell in love with him too.
But Michael chose my mother.
That was the beginning.
At least, that's what my mother believed.
"The truth is uglier," she said.
"Victoria didn't want your father."
"Then what did she want?"
"His company."
I frowned.
"She wanted money?"
"No."
My mother shook her head.
"She wanted control."
She explained.
The original Hale-Moretti company had been built on a simple structure.
Three families.
Three voting blocs.
Hale.
Moretti.
Whitmore.
No family could control the company alone.
But there was one weakness.
If someone controlled the Moretti shares and the Hale shares...
they could control everything.
Victoria spent years trying to obtain the Moretti shares.
She failed.
Then my grandfather died.
The forged documents appeared.
The Moretti shares disappeared.
Thomas Whitmore took control.
But he still needed my father's signature.
My father refused.
So Victoria changed tactics.
She went after my mother.
She became her closest friend.
Her confidante.
Her sister in everything but blood.
She learned everything.
Every account.
Every property.
Every secret.
Every weakness.
Then she discovered something else.
My mother was pregnant.
With me.
"Why did that matter?" I asked.
My mother looked at me.
"Because you were the heir."
I understood.
"She wanted me."
"She wanted control of you."
"Why?"
"Because if you disappeared, the inheritance would be challenged."
"By whom?"
"By Victoria."
My mother continued.
"She planned to convince the courts that you were mentally unfit."
I stared.
"She wanted to take my inheritance."
"Yes."
"And my father stopped her."
"Yes."
"What happened?"
My mother looked away.
"Your father built the network."
"The network?"
"Seven companies. Seven trusts. Seven layers of protection."
I remembered the vault.
"The seven locks."
She nodded.
"The system was designed so nobody could ever control everything."
"Except you."
"Except me."
"Then how did Victoria get inside?"
My mother's voice broke.
"Because I trusted her."
A loud crash came from downstairs.
We all froze.
Preston drew his weapon.
My mother whispered:
"She's here."
"Victoria?"
She nodded.
"How do you know?"
"Because she always arrives after the damage is done."
Preston moved toward the staircase.
I followed.
My mother grabbed my arm.
"No."
"I need my daughter."
"Victoria wants you alive."
"That's good."
"No."
She looked directly into my eyes.
"She wants you alive because she needs you to sign something."
"What?"
"The final transfer."
I stopped.
"What final transfer?"
"The company."
I stared.
"She already has it."
"No."
My mother shook her head.
"She has the assets."
"What's left?"
"The authority."
My heart began pounding.
"Where?"
"In you."
We reached the lobby.
The front door was open.
Rain poured inside.
A black car waited outside.
The driver stepped out.
A woman followed.
She was elegant.
Silver hair.
Black dress.
Diamond earrings.
She looked nothing like the monster I had imagined.
She looked like someone's grandmother.
She smiled.
"Elena."
My mother stepped forward.
"Victoria."
Victoria's smile disappeared.
"Still alive."
My mother said nothing.
Victoria looked at me.
"You've grown into your father's eyes."
I stared.
"Where is my daughter?"
Victoria sighed.
"Safe."
"Where?"
"Somewhere Daniel can't reach."
I stepped forward.
"You took her."
"I protected her."
"You kidnapped her."
"Those words are so ugly."
"Because what you did is ugly."
Victoria looked at my mother.
"She has your temper."
My mother replied:
"She has my memory."
Victoria's eyes narrowed.
"What does that mean?"
"It means she remembers everything."
Victoria laughed.
"She was a child."
"She remembers what you did."
Victoria's expression changed.
"What did she tell you?"
I stepped forward.
"What are you afraid I'll remember?"
Silence.
Then Victoria smiled.
"Your father never told you about the night you disappeared."
My stomach dropped.
"I never disappeared."
"Yes, you did."
My mother went pale.
"Victoria."
"You were six."
I looked at my mother.
"What is she talking about?"
My mother couldn't answer.
Victoria continued.
"You vanished for fourteen hours."
I shook my head.
"I don't remember."
"Of course you don't."
"Where was I?"
Victoria smiled.
"With me."
My blood froze.
"What?"
"I took you."
My mother stepped forward.
"You promised me you would never tell her."
Victoria laughed.
"You should have told her yourself."
I stared at Victoria.
"Why?"
"Because I wanted to see what your father would do."
"What did he do?"
"He nearly destroyed the Whitmore family."
I felt sick.
"Why did you return me?"
Victoria's eyes became cold.
"Because your father offered me a deal."
"What deal?"
"Your life in exchange for his company."
I stared at her.
"And he agreed?"
"No."
She smiled.
"He offered something else."
"What?"
"His death."
The room went silent.
My mother whispered:
"That's impossible."
Victoria looked at her.
"You knew."
"No."
"You knew everything."
My mother shook her head.
"Michael would never—"
"He did."
Victoria turned toward me.
"Your father gave himself to save you."
I felt my knees weaken.
"Then who killed him?"
Victoria didn't answer.
Instead, she looked at Preston.
"Ask your husband."
I turned.
Preston was frozen.
Victoria smiled.
"Go ahead."
I stared at him.
"Preston?"
He looked at me.
"I wasn't the one who killed him."
"Then what did you do?"
He closed his eyes.
"I helped him."
"Helped him what?"
"Disappear."
I couldn't breathe.
"Your father asked me to fake his death."
My mother looked shocked.
"What?"
Preston continued.
"He knew Victoria would never stop."
"So he faked his death."
"Yes."
"Then where is he?"
Preston looked at me.
"I don't know."
My mother whispered:
"You lied to me."
"I had to."
Victoria laughed.
"Still protecting him."
Then a small voice came from the hallway.
"Mommy?"
I spun around.
"Sophie!"
She was standing near the staircase.
Alone.
I ran to her.
I dropped to my knees and hugged her.
She wrapped her arms around my neck.
I kissed her hair.
"Are you okay?"
She nodded.
"Who brought you back?"
She pointed behind her.
A man stepped into the doorway.
Daniel.
He looked exactly like the photograph.
Older than Preston.
Same eyes.
Same jaw.
Same family resemblance.
He looked at me.
Then at Victoria.
"You shouldn't have come here."
Victoria's expression hardened.
"You don't give me orders."
Daniel smiled.
"You're right."
Then he looked at me.
"But she does."
He pointed toward my mother.
My mother stepped forward.
"Daniel."
He nodded.
"Hello, Sarah."
My mother's eyes filled with tears.
"You were supposed to be dead."
"So was Michael."
My blood froze.
"Michael?"
Daniel looked at me.
"Your father is alive."
I couldn't speak.
Sophie clung to me.
Daniel continued.
"And he's been waiting for you."
"Where?"
He smiled.
"At the company."
I stared.
"What company?"
He answered:
"The one they buried."
Victoria suddenly pulled a small device from her purse.
Daniel's expression changed.
"Don't."
She pressed the button.
Every light in the house turned red.
A siren began screaming.
My mother grabbed me.
"Run!"
"Where?"
"Downstairs."
We rushed toward the hidden vault.
Behind us, glass shattered.
Men entered the house.
Preston fired.
Daniel grabbed Sophie.
I screamed.
"Don't touch her!"
Daniel looked at me.
"I'm protecting her."
He pulled Sophie behind him.
Then whispered:
"Your father told me to bring her here."
My heart stopped.
"My father?"
Daniel nodded.
"He's alive."
Then the vault door opened by itself.
Inside was a single screen.
A video began playing.
My father's face appeared.
Older.
Tired.
But unmistakably alive.
He looked directly into the camera.
"Elena."
I stopped breathing.
"If you're seeing this, then Victoria has finally found you."
My mother began to cry.
My father continued.
"I have one final truth to tell you."
The screen flickered.
"Preston didn't marry you for money."
I looked at my husband.
"He married you because I asked him to."
Preston closed his eyes.
My father continued:
"Because I knew the real enemy was not Victoria."
The screen went black.
Then one sentence appeared.
THE REAL ENEMY IS SOMEONE YOU TRUST.
I looked around the room.
At my mother.
At Preston.
At Daniel.
At Victoria.
And suddenly...
I realized there was one person missing.
Richard.
The man who had given me the first letter.
The man who had known my father for thirty-two years.
The man who had been protecting the secrets.
He was gone.
And my phone vibrated.
One message.
From Richard.
I'M SORRY, ELENA.
A second message followed.
YOUR FATHER NEVER TRUSTED ME.
May you like
Then the final message appeared.
HE WAS RIGHT.
