CHAPTER 10 — THE MISTRESS WHO KNEW TOO MUCH
CHAPTER 10 — THE MISTRESS WHO KNEW TOO MUCH
The woman standing in the doorway looked at me as though she had spent her entire life searching for my face.
For one impossible second, I couldn't move.
She was older than me.
Perhaps by twenty years.
But the resemblance was undeniable.
The same dark eyes.
The same sharp cheekbones.
The same small birthmark beneath the left ear.
And around her neck hung the black wolf crest of the Moretti family.
Lucia.
The original heir.
The woman everyone had spent decades pretending never existed.
She looked at me.
Then at my mother.
Then at Luka.
"You're late," she said.
My mother began to cry.
Lucia walked into the room.
"I thought Robert would find us years ago."
Luka pressed a hand against his wounded shoulder.
"He almost did."
Lucia looked at him.
"You should have left."
"I couldn't."
"You always say that."
She smiled sadly.
Then her eyes returned to me.
"You must be Elena."
I nodded.
"How do you know me?"
"Because I've been watching you."
My stomach tightened.
"How long?"
"Nine years."
I froze.
"Nine?"
She nodded.
"Since the day you married Julian."
I turned toward him.
Julian looked down.
"You knew?"
He shook his head.
"Not about her."
Lucia smiled.
"Julian knew enough."
I stared at her.
"What does that mean?"
Lucia walked toward the table.
She picked up the photograph of Julian and Sophia.
Then she looked at me.
"Your husband wasn't the only person assigned to watch you."
I felt a chill.
"Who else?"
"Me."
I couldn't understand.
"Why?"
"Because you were the only person Robert couldn't control."
I laughed bitterly.
"He controlled my husband."
"He tried."
"He destroyed my marriage."
"He manipulated it."
"He stole my life."
Lucia shook her head.
"No."
She looked directly into my eyes.
"Your family did that."
The room went silent.
My father looked away.
Lucia continued.
"Robert was only continuing what your grandmother started."
I swallowed.
"What did she start?"
"A war."
"Between whom?"
"The Laurents and the Morettis."
She touched the black wolf crest around her neck.
"This."
I stared at it.
"The Moretti bloodline."
She nodded.
"Your grandmother wanted it."
"Why?"
"Because she believed whoever controlled the Moretti inheritance would control half the world's luxury property market."
My father spoke.
"That's not entirely true."
Lucia turned toward him.
"Of course."
Her smile was cold.
"You always tell half-truths."
My father said nothing.
Lucia continued.
"Your grandmother didn't simply steal the empire."
"She erased everyone who could challenge her."
"She erased my mother."
"She erased me."
"She erased Maria."
"She erased Daniel."
"And she almost erased you."
I looked at my father.
"Is that true?"
He nodded.
"Yes."
I felt sick.
"Then why did you protect her?"
"Because I thought she was protecting the family."
Lucia laughed.
"She wasn't protecting the family."
She looked at me.
"She was protecting the fortune."
A sharp pain ran through my chest.
"And you?"
Lucia asked.
"What?"
"Do you want the fortune?"
I hesitated.
"No."
"Good."
She smiled.
"Then you're already different from your grandmother."
My mother stepped closer.
"Lucia..."
Lucia looked at her.
"You shouldn't have come back."
"I had to."
"Why?"
"Because Elena finally knows."
Lucia's eyes softened.
"Yes."
She turned toward me.
"And because the final transfer has begun."
I frowned.
"What transfer?"
She pointed toward the documents on the table.
"The Moretti inheritance."
I stared.
"You mean the original empire."
"Yes."
"Who owns it now?"
Lucia smiled.
"You."
I froze.
"What?"
"The original Moretti trust has been waiting for you."
I looked at Luka.
He nodded.
"Your grandmother never owned everything."
"Then what did she own?"
"Only the properties she could legally acquire."
"And the rest?"
"Hidden."
"Where?"
Lucia answered.
"Inside the Laurent empire."
I stared.
She continued.
"Some of the resorts you've spent years managing were never Laurent properties."
"They were Moretti assets disguised through shell companies."
I felt dizzy.
"How many?"
"Thirty-two."
I stared.
"Thirty-two?"
"Yes."
"Then the empire is even bigger than we thought."
Lucia shook her head.
"No."
She looked at me.
"It's smaller."
"Why?"
"Because thirty-two properties are about to leave the Laurent system."
My father closed his eyes.
He understood.
"The transfer."
Lucia nodded.
"Exactly."
Suddenly, the door exploded inward.
Everyone ducked.
Security rushed into the room.
Robert's men.
They were everywhere.
My father grabbed my arm.
"Move!"
We ran through the corridor.
Emma pulled me toward a hidden staircase.
Julian followed.
Lucia stayed behind.
I looked back.
"Where is she going?"
Emma shouted:
"She knows what she's doing!"
Gunshots echoed behind us.
We ran.
Down.
Down.
Down.
Until we reached an underground chamber.
There were computers.
Monitors.
Maps.
Documents.
And hundreds of photographs.
I recognized one immediately.
Me.
Walking into the Laurent headquarters.
Another.
Julian.
Another.
Sophia.
Another.
Robert.
Another.
My mother.
Another.
Maria.
My blood ran cold.
"This is a surveillance room."
Emma nodded.
"Lucia built it."
"Why?"
"To monitor the people trying to find her."
I looked at the screens.
One showed the villa.
Another showed the road.
Another showed a helicopter.
Then I saw something that made me freeze.
A live feed of my old resort.
The resort where Julian had thrown me out.
There was Sophia.
She was sitting in my former penthouse.
I stared.
"She's alive."
Emma nodded.
"Of course."
"But Robert said—"
"Robert lies."
I watched Sophia on the screen.
She was holding a file.
Then she looked directly into the camera.
As though she could see me.
She raised the file.
On its cover was a single word.
MOTHER.
I looked at Emma.
"What is that?"
"I don't know."
"You've worked with her."
"I know who she was."
"Then tell me."
Emma hesitated.
"Sophia wasn't just an operative."
"What was she?"
"She was your mother's closest protector."
"Why was she with Julian?"
"Because Robert trusted her."
"Why?"
"Because she gave him information."
I stared at the screen.
"False information?"
"Most of it."
I felt a strange mixture of anger and relief.
"So Sophia never wanted Julian."
Emma shook her head.
"No."
"Then why pretend?"
"Because she needed access to Robert."
"Did Julian know?"
"Eventually."
I looked at him.
He nodded.
"I knew she was working for your mother."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because Sophia made me swear."
I laughed.
"Everyone in my life has secrets."
Emma touched my arm.
"Not everyone."
I looked at her.
She smiled.
"Some of us are just terrible at telling the truth."
The monitor flickered.
Sophia appeared again.
This time, she was speaking.
"Elena."
I stepped closer.
"If you're watching this, you're finally where you need to be."
I stared.
"This recording will explain why I entered your life."
Sophia looked exhausted.
"I wasn't sent to steal your husband."
"I was sent to protect you."
"Robert believed you were the weakest member of the Laurent family."
"He was wrong."
"He thought Julian could manipulate you."
"He was wrong."
"He thought I could replace you."
She smiled sadly.
"He was very wrong."
I felt tears sting my eyes.
Sophia continued.
"Your mother asked me to stay close to Julian."
"Because she believed Robert would eventually reveal himself."
"But she didn't know how far he would go."
"He wasn't satisfied with the empire."
"He wanted the original Moretti inheritance."
"To get it, he needed you."
"Not because you're the Laurent heir."
"But because you're the bridge."
I frowned.
"The bridge between two bloodlines."
"Laurent."
"Moretti."
"And the third bloodline."
I froze.
"What third bloodline?"
The screen went black.
Then a message appeared.
DO NOT TRUST YOUR FATHER.
I turned around.
My father was gone.
"Where is he?"
No one answered.
Emma looked at the staircase.
"He was here."
Julian checked the corridor.
Nothing.
My father had disappeared.
I felt cold.
"He knew."
Emma nodded.
"He knew everything."
"Then why did he leave?"
She looked at me.
"Maybe he didn't."
"What?"
"Maybe someone took him."
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
Robert.
"Looking for your father?"
My blood ran cold.
"Where is he?"
"Safe."
"Let me speak to him."
A pause.
Then my father's voice.
"Elena."
"Are you okay?"
"Yes."
I heard something in his voice.
Fear.
"Where are you?"
He didn't answer.
Robert returned.
"You have one hour."
"One hour for what?"
"Bring me the Moretti certificate."
"No."
"Then your father dies."
I froze.
"You want the original ownership certificate."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because once I have it, the Moretti trust becomes mine."
"It doesn't work that way."
Robert laughed.
"You don't know how it works."
"Then explain."
"Your grandmother created a succession clause."
I remembered.
"The firstborn."
"No."
Robert's voice became cold.
"The firstborn recognized by the Moretti trust."
I stared at the screen.
"Who is that?"
"Lucia."
My heart stopped.
"She's the heir."
"Yes."
"Then why do you need the certificate?"
"Because Lucia cannot inherit without proof of identity."
"And if she dies?"
"The trust passes to the nearest recognized blood relative."
My blood ran cold.
"Me."
"Exactly."
I understood.
Robert didn't want to kill Lucia.
He wanted to use her.
If she died—
the inheritance could pass to me.
And if he controlled me—
he controlled everything.
But there was one problem.
He didn't know the truth.
I wasn't his only obstacle.
Lucia was.
And she had no intention of surrendering.
The door opened.
Lucia walked into the chamber.
She was bleeding from her arm.
But she was smiling.
"Robert called?"
I stared.
"How did you know?"
"Because he always calls when he's losing."
She placed a small device on the table.
A recording began.
Robert's voice.
His entire conversation.
Everything.
His threats.
His plan.
His admission.
I looked at her.
"You recorded him."
She smiled.
"I told you."
"What?"
"I've been watching everyone."
She pointed to the monitor.
"Robert."
Another screen.
"Your father."
Another.
"Julian."
Another.
"Sophia."
Another.
"Even you."
I stared.
"Why me?"
Lucia looked at me.
"Because you're the only one I trust to end this."
I swallowed.
"How?"
She opened a metal case.
Inside was a document.
Old.
Yellowed.
Sealed.
She handed it to me.
"The original Moretti succession agreement."
I opened it.
There was a clause at the bottom.
I read it twice.
Then again.
My hands began shaking.
"What?"
Emma stepped closer.
"What does it say?"
I couldn't answer.
Lucia did.
"It says the Moretti inheritance cannot pass to a person who profits from the destruction of the Laurent family."
I looked at her.
"What does that mean?"
"It means Robert cannot inherit."
"Neither can I."
Lucia shook her head.
"No."
She pointed to the final line.
"The inheritance passes to the person who restores the stolen assets."
I stared.
"Who?"
Lucia smiled.
"You."
My heart stopped.
"Me?"
"Yes."
"But I'm a Laurent."
"You're also a Moretti."
I looked at my mother.
She nodded through her tears.
"Your maternal grandmother was a Moretti."
I stared.
Another secret.
Another bloodline.
Another lie.
Lucia continued.
"Your grandmother married into the Moretti family."
"Then stole the inheritance."
"Your mother tried to restore it."
"And now..."
She touched the document.
"...it's your turn."
The chamber door suddenly slammed shut.
A warning flashed on the monitor.
INTRUSION DETECTED.
Then another.
SECURITY BREACH.
Emma looked at me.
"He's here."
"Robert?"
She shook her head.
"No."
"Then who?"
The screen showed a man entering the villa.
He was young.
Tall.
Dark-haired.
And wearing a black wolf crest.
I had never seen him before.
Lucia stared at the screen.
Her face changed.
"No."
I looked at her.
"Who is that?"
She whispered:
"My son."
I froze.
"You have a son?"
She nodded.
"His name is Adrian."
"Why are you afraid?"
Lucia looked at me.
"Because he was raised by Robert."
The chamber fell silent.
The door handle began turning.
Slowly.
Someone was coming.
Lucia stepped in front of me.
Emma grabbed my hand.
Julian moved beside us.
Then the door opened.
A young man entered.
He looked directly at Lucia.
"Mother."
Lucia's face went pale.
Adrian smiled.
Then he looked at me.
"Elena Laurent."
He tilted his head.
"I've been waiting nine years to meet you."
My blood ran cold.
"Why?"
He reached into his coat.
Pulled out a photograph.
And placed it on the table.
It showed Julian and Robert.
Standing together.
But the date on the photograph was impossible.
It had been taken one week before my wedding.
Adrian smiled.
"You still don't know the worst part."
I looked at Julian.
He had gone completely pale.
Adrian continued:
"Your husband didn't just marry you for the money."
He looked at Julian.
"He married you because Robert promised him something far more valuable."
I stared at Julian.
"What?"
Julian closed his eyes.
Adrian answered for him.
"Your mother's location."
My heart stopped.
"Robert promised Julian he would reveal where Isabella was."
Julian looked at me.
"I was going to find her."
I shook my head.
"And?"
His voice broke.
"I found her."
I froze.
"When?"
"Seven years ago."
The room went silent.
"Then why didn't you tell me?"
Julian's eyes filled with tears.
"Because when I found her..."
He swallowed.
"...she was already dying."
I couldn't breathe.
"What happened?"
Julian looked at my mother.
Then at me.
"She made me promise never to tell you."
"Why?"
He whispered:
"Because she knew who had ordered her death."
I stared at him.
"Who?"
Julian looked toward Robert's hidden surveillance feed.
Then he said the name I never expected.
"Your father."
The world went silent.
May you like
And for the first time that night, I understood why Sophia had warned me:
Don't trust your father.
