Chapter 6 — The Woman Behind the Mistress
Chapter 6 — The Woman Behind the Mistress
Victoria didn't become Nathan's mistress because she loved him.
That was the first lie I had believed about her.
The second was that she had entered our marriage because she wanted my money.
The truth was worse.
She had been sent.
And the woman who sent her had been watching my family long before Victoria ever walked into Nathan's office.
The first clue came from a photograph.
It was sitting inside Victoria's handbag.
She had forgotten about it.
Or perhaps she had wanted us to find it.
Either way, when I pulled it from the evidence bag, I immediately recognized the woman standing beside Victoria.
She was elegant.
Older.
Perfectly dressed.
Silver-blonde hair.
A black dress.
A diamond necklace.
And an expression that made my stomach tighten.
I knew her.
Everyone in our social circle knew her.
Evelyn Cross.
Chairwoman of Cross International.
One of the most powerful women in the city.
A philanthropist.
A political donor.
A woman who appeared on magazine covers beside senators and billionaires.
A woman who had attended my wedding.
A woman who had hugged my mother.
A woman who had once told me:
“Your family is safe with people like us.”
I stared at the photograph.
Victoria stood beside her.
Behind them was Nathan.
And behind Nathan—
Thomas Reed.
Four people.
One photograph.
One secret.
I looked at Victoria.
“Who is she?”
Victoria didn't answer.
“Victoria.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Evelyn.”
“I know her name.”
“She recruited me.”
My blood went cold.
“For Nathan?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Victoria looked away.
“To destroy you.”
I sat across from her in the interrogation room.
My father stood behind me.
My mother sat beside him.
Adrian had refused to enter.
He said Evelyn was more dangerous than Thomas.
I wanted to know why.
Victoria finally began speaking.
“It started three years ago.”
“Before you met Nathan?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Evelyn approached me.”
“Where?”
“A charity event.”
“Why you?”
“Because she knew my family.”
I frowned.
“What did she know?”
“My brother was in debt.”
I remembered.
Victoria's younger brother.
The one Nathan had used to control her.
“What kind of debt?”
“Gambling.”
“How much?”
“Seven million.”
I stared.
“Seven million?”
She nodded.
“My family couldn't pay it.”
“So Evelyn offered to help.”
“Yes.”
“What did she want?”
Victoria swallowed.
“Me.”
Silence.
My father stepped forward.
“What does that mean?”
Victoria looked at him.
“She didn't want my body.”
“She wanted my identity.”
I frowned.
“Explain.”
“She needed someone who could move through wealthy circles without attracting attention.”
“Why?”
“To get close to Nathan.”
“Why Nathan?”
“Because he was married to you.”
I understood.
“She wanted access to me.”
Victoria nodded.
“And the family.”
Three years ago, Evelyn had given Victoria a job.
Personal assistant.
Then consultant.
Then social representative.
Slowly, Victoria entered Nathan's world.
She learned his schedule.
His habits.
His weaknesses.
His accounts.
Then Evelyn instructed her to seduce him.
Victoria refused.
Evelyn threatened her brother.
So she obeyed.
At first, Nathan resisted.
Then he didn't.
He began meeting Victoria secretly.
And every meeting was reported to Evelyn.
I stared at her.
“You were spying on us.”
“Yes.”
“How long?”
“Two years.”
“Two years?”
“Yes.”
“You knew about my marriage.”
“Yes.”
“You knew about Emma.”
Victoria nodded.
“You knew Nathan was stealing.”
“Yes.”
“You knew about the trust.”
She hesitated.
“Yes.”
My father's expression hardened.
“What did Evelyn want?”
Victoria answered:
“The trust wasn't the goal.”
I stared at her.
“Then what was?”
“The family.”
I looked at my mother.
She seemed to understand before I did.
“Control,” she whispered.
Victoria nodded.
“Evelyn didn't want money.”
“Then what?”
“Power.”
I laughed bitterly.
“Everyone wants power.”
“Not like her.”
Victoria opened another folder.
Inside were photographs.
Evelyn with judges.
Evelyn with bankers.
Evelyn with politicians.
Evelyn with police chiefs.
Evelyn with CEOs.
And beneath each photograph were dates.
Payments.
Meetings.
Private agreements.
“She built a network,” Victoria said.
“Over twenty years.”
I looked at the documents.
“Why?”
“To control companies without owning them.”
My father stared at the papers.
“That explains the missing assets.”
Victoria nodded.
“Thomas handled the legal side.”
“Nathan handled the money.”
“Adrian handled the threats.”
“And Evelyn?”
Victoria looked at me.
“She handled everyone else.”
I remembered something.
My mother's warning.
Nathan isn't the real enemy.
At the time, I thought she meant Thomas.
Now I wondered if she had known about Evelyn.
I pulled out the sapphire device.
“Did my mother know about her?”
Victoria stared at it.
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Evelyn told her.”
I froze.
“What?”
Victoria nodded.
“Evelyn wanted your mother to join them.”
“My mother refused.”
“Yes.”
“And then?”
“That's when your mother's disappearance began.”
My father stepped forward.
“You're saying Evelyn was involved in Eleanor's disappearance?”
Victoria looked at him.
“I didn't know the details.”
“You knew enough.”
“I knew Evelyn wanted her gone.”
My mother spoke quietly.
“She didn't want me dead.”
We all looked at her.
“She wanted me silent.”
My mother stood.
“She came to me once.”
“When?”
“Seven years ago.”
“Before I married Nathan?”
“Yes.”
“What did she say?”
My mother looked toward the window.
“She told me that the family would eventually collapse.”
“Why?”
“Because I was refusing to cooperate.”
“With what?”
“Her plan.”
My father asked:
“What plan?”
My mother answered:
“An alliance.”
“Between whom?”
“The Cross family, the Ashford family, and several political families.”
I stared.
“That sounds like a cartel.”
“It was.”
My mother nodded.
“They controlled construction contracts.”
“Banking.”
“Hotels.”
“Insurance.”
“Real estate.”
“And governments.”
My father clenched his fists.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“I did.”
He looked at her.
“You told me nothing.”
“I tried.”
“You disappeared.”
“Because you betrayed me.”
My father went silent.
I looked between them.
“What happened?”
My mother whispered:
“Your father tried to use Nathan to expose Evelyn.”
My father's jaw tightened.
“And Evelyn found out.”
“Yes.”
“She threatened you.”
“She threatened Mara.”
I felt my stomach drop.
“What did she threaten?”
My mother looked at me.
“Your life.”
Silence.
“That's why I disappeared.”
I stared at her.
“You left because of me.”
“Yes.”
“You let me believe you were dead.”
“Yes.”
“You watched me marry Nathan.”
“I had no choice.”
“You could have told me.”
“If I had contacted you, Evelyn would have known where I was.”
I looked down.
All those years.
All that grief.
And my mother had been alive.
Watching.
Waiting.
Protecting me from a distance.
I wanted to be angry.
But I couldn't.
Not yet.
Victoria opened another file.
“This is why Evelyn chose me.”
“What?”
“She needed someone who could replace you socially.”
I frowned.
“Replace me?”
“She wanted Nathan to believe he could build a new life.”
“With me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because once Nathan divorced you, Evelyn planned to control the next marriage.”
I stared.
“Control Victoria?”
Victoria nodded.
“Marriage contracts.”
“Shares.”
“Trusts.”
“Voting rights.”
“All transferred.”
“To Evelyn.”
My father looked at the documents.
“That's the merger.”
I looked at him.
“What merger?”
“The agreement between the Cross and Ashford families.”
He pulled another document from the evidence box.
A draft marriage agreement.
Nathan.
Victoria.
And a company called Cross-Ashford Holdings.
The date was three months from now.
I stared.
“Nathan and Victoria were supposed to marry.”
“Yes.”
“And my shares?”
“Transferred into the new company.”
“My father's shares?”
“Transferred.”
“My mother's trust?”
“Transferred.”
“Everything?”
My father nodded.
“Everything.”
Victoria looked down.
“I was never supposed to own anything.”
I looked at her.
“What?”
“Evelyn promised me money.”
“How much?”
“Ten million.”
“And your brother?”
“Released from his debt.”
“But after the marriage?”
She shook her head.
“I would have disappeared.”
I stared at her.
“You knew?”
“No.”
“Then how did you find out?”
Victoria looked toward the table.
“Because I saw my own death certificate.”
I froze.
“What?”
She pulled another document from her bag.
It was a death certificate.
Her name.
Her date of birth.
Her identity.
And a date of death six months in the future.
I felt cold.
“Evelyn planned to kill you.”
Victoria nodded.
“After Nathan married me.”
“Why?”
“Because I would know too much.”
My father took the document.
“Where did you get this?”
“From Thomas.”
“Why would he give it to you?”
“Because he wanted leverage.”
“Against Evelyn?”
“No.”
Victoria looked at me.
“Against me.”
The room became silent.
Then my phone vibrated.
Unknown number.
I answered.
“Hello?”
A woman's voice.
Elegant.
Calm.
Evelyn.
“Mara.”
I froze.
“You know my number.”
“I've known your number for years.”
“What do you want?”
“To congratulate you.”
“For what?”
“You've finally discovered the truth.”
My father stepped closer.
I put the phone on speaker.
Evelyn laughed softly.
“Edward.”
My father said nothing.
“You still haven't learned.”
“Learned what?”
“That you can't protect your daughter.”
My mother's face hardened.
Evelyn continued.
“Eleanor.”
My mother stepped forward.
“You're a coward.”
“I prefer patient.”
“You kidnapped me.”
“No.”
“You imprisoned me.”
“I protected myself.”
“You destroyed my family.”
Evelyn laughed.
“Your family destroyed itself.”
I spoke.
“Did you order Nathan to hurt me?”
“No.”
“Did you order him to steal?”
“No.”
“Did you control Victoria?”
“Yes.”
Victoria closed her eyes.
Evelyn continued.
“Victoria was useful.”
“Until she wasn't.”
“Yes.”
“Did you order Thomas to steal the trust?”
“No.”
I frowned.
“Then who?”
“Thomas.”
“So you weren't behind everything.”
“No.”
She sounded almost amused.
“That's the mistake everyone makes.”
“What mistake?”
“They assume there is one mastermind.”
Silence.
“There isn't.”
I felt a chill.
“Then what is this?”
“A market.”
“A market?”
“People sell secrets.”
“People sell loyalty.”
“People sell families.”
“And everyone thinks they're playing against each other.”
Evelyn laughed.
“In reality, they are all buying the same thing.”
“What?”
“Control.”
My mother whispered:
“Who is controlling you?”
Evelyn went silent.
Then:
“No one.”
“You're lying.”
“Perhaps.”
I looked at Victoria.
She was trembling.
Evelyn said:
“Mara, you should ask your uncle why he really kept your mother alive.”
I froze.
“What?”
My mother looked at Adrian's direction.
Evelyn continued:
“Ask him what he needs from her.”
The call ended.
I stared at the phone.
My father looked at me.
“Don't listen to her.”
“Why?”
“She wants to divide us.”
“But what if she's telling the truth?”
My mother shook her head.
“She is.”
Everyone looked at her.
My mother whispered:
“Adrian didn't save me.”
My blood went cold.
“He needed me.”
“For what?”
She looked at the sapphire.
“To unlock something.”
I touched the pendant.
“What?”
“The original Kingsley vault.”
I frowned.
“What vault?”
My mother looked at my father.
“The vault your father thought he had destroyed.”
My father's face went pale.
“Eleanor…”
She continued.
“Adrian has been searching for it for twenty years.”
“And you know where it is?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
She pointed toward the sapphire.
“Inside the pendant.”
I stared.
“There is another key?”
My mother nodded.
“Not another key.”
“Then what?”
“A location.”
The sapphire suddenly lit up.
A hidden projection appeared on the wall.
A map.
Old.
Hand-drawn.
A red mark appeared beneath the city.
My father stepped forward.
“No.”
“What?”
“I know that place.”
“Where?”
“The original Kingsley vault.”
I stared at the map.
The location was beneath an old courthouse.
A building that had been demolished fifteen years ago.
I looked at my mother.
“You said Adrian needed you to unlock it.”
“Yes.”
“But why?”
She took my hand.
“Because I never gave him the final code.”
I understood.
“And only you have it.”
She nodded.
“No.”
I looked confused.
“Then who?”
My mother touched my sapphire.
“You.”
I froze.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“You've never given me a code.”
“You were given it when you were born.”
I stared at her.
“What are you talking about?”
She smiled sadly.
“Your middle name.”
I couldn't breathe.
My middle name had always been strange.
A name I had never understood.
Evelyn.
I looked at the photograph of the woman who had just threatened me.
Evelyn Cross.
My middle name.
My mother's voice trembled.
“We named you Evelyn because we needed the vault to recognize you.”
The room went silent.
I felt something inside me crack.
My entire life had been built around secrets.
My marriage.
My family.
My inheritance.
My identity.
And now—
even my name was a key.
I looked at Victoria.
She stared back at me in horror.
Then my phone rang again.
This time, it wasn't Evelyn.
It was Thomas.
I answered.
His first words were:
“Do you know what your middle name really means?”
I said nothing.
He laughed.
“Good.”
“What do you want?”
“I want the vault.”
“You won't get it.”
“Oh, I don't need it.”
“Then why call?”
“Because Evelyn is coming for you.”
I froze.
“Why?”
“Because she finally realized something.”
“What?”
Thomas paused.
Then whispered:
“She doesn't need the vault anymore.”
My heart stopped.
“She needs you.”
The call ended.
I looked at my mother.
She had tears in her eyes.
“What does he mean?”
She didn't answer.
My father did.
“He means the vault was never the prize.”
“Then what is?”
May you like
My father looked at me.
“You.”
