CHAPTER 5 – The Mistress Who Wanted a Crown
CHAPTER 5 – The Mistress Who Wanted a Crown
Brenda had always believed she was destined for a better life.
Not a normal life.
Not an ordinary life.
A life where people looked at her with admiration.
A life where she entered a room and everyone knew her name.
A life where she wore diamonds, attended exclusive events, and stood beside a powerful man while cameras captured her every move.
For years, she had watched women like Margaret Whitmore.
Elegant.
Respected.
Untouchable.
She had watched them walk through luxury hotels as people stepped aside.
She had watched them sit at charity galas wearing expensive gowns and priceless jewelry.
And she had always thought the same thing.
One day, that will be me.
She believed she had finally found her path.
Andrew Whitmore.
The successful businessman.
The heir to a powerful family.
The man whose name opened every door.
She believed leaving her old life behind was the smartest decision she had ever made.
But Brenda had forgotten one important thing.
A crown is worthless...
If the kingdom underneath it is collapsing.
The first sign that something was wrong came when her credit card stopped working.
At first, Brenda thought it was a simple mistake.
She stood inside an exclusive boutique downtown, surrounded by designer clothing and luxury handbags.
The sales assistant smiled politely.
"Miss, I'm sorry, but the payment was declined."
Brenda frowned.
"Try again."
The assistant did.
The same result.
"I apologize. Perhaps you could use another card?"
Brenda's expression hardened.
"Do you know who I am?"
The assistant immediately became nervous.
"Of course, Miss."
"Then fix it."
The assistant lowered her voice.
"Perhaps you should contact your bank."
Brenda walked out of the store furious.
She called Andrew.
No answer.
Again.
No answer.
She stared at her phone.
That had never happened before.
Andrew always answered her calls.
Always.
Because he needed her.
At least...
That was what she believed.
When she finally reached the mansion, she expected Andrew to be waiting.
Instead, she found him sitting alone in his office.
No whiskey.
No confident smile.
No arrogance.
Just silence.
And that frightened her.
Because Andrew Whitmore without confidence was something Brenda had never seen.
"Andrew."
He looked up.
"What happened?"
She walked toward him.
"My card isn't working."
He didn't react.
"Which one?"
"The one connected to your account."
A long silence.
Then Andrew looked away.
Brenda immediately noticed.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"No."
She stepped closer.
"Something happened."
Andrew stood.
"Some accounts are temporarily restricted."
Brenda laughed.
"Restricted?"
"Yes."
"Your accounts?"
He didn't answer.
That was the answer.
Her smile disappeared.
"How bad is it?"
Andrew walked toward the window.
"I don't know yet."
For the first time...
Brenda saw fear.
Real fear.
And suddenly, the mansion felt colder.
"Is this because of Mariana?"
Andrew didn't respond.
Brenda's eyes narrowed.
"It is."
"Brenda..."
"No."
Her voice became sharper.
"Tell me."
Andrew remained silent.
And that silence confirmed everything.
She remembered the previous night.
Mariana standing in the middle of the room.
Everyone against her.
The accusation.
The humiliation.
The way Andrew had slapped her.
Brenda had believed it was the beginning of her victory.
She believed Mariana was finally gone.
But now...
Something didn't make sense.
Because Andrew wasn't acting like a winner.
He was acting like a man who had lost.
"She did this."
Andrew looked at her.
"Be careful."
Brenda frowned.
"What?"
"Don't talk about her like that."
The words shocked her.
"You are defending her?"
Andrew's expression changed.
Not anger.
Something else.
Regret.
And Brenda hated seeing it.
"After everything she did?"
Andrew looked at her.
"Everything she did?"
Brenda realized her mistake.
Because suddenly...
Andrew knew the truth.
"How much did you know?"
His question was quiet.
Too quiet.
Brenda froze.
"About what?"
"About Mariana."
Her heartbeat increased.
"What about her?"
Andrew stepped closer.
"You knew."
"No."
"You knew who she was."
Brenda looked away.
Only for a second.
But it was enough.
Andrew saw.
"You knew."
Brenda crossed her arms.
"Everyone knew."
Andrew laughed bitterly.
"Everyone except me."
"Maybe because you never cared enough to ask."
The sentence hit him.
But Brenda didn't stop.
"You think you are the victim?"
She stepped closer.
"Andrew, you wanted exactly what Mariana gave you."
"What?"
"A wife who supported you."
"A woman who made you successful."
"A person who stayed quiet while you took all the credit."
Andrew's face darkened.
"You don't get to judge me."
"No?"
She smiled coldly.
"Then answer one question."
"Would you have married her if you knew she was richer than you?"
Silence.
Brenda watched his face.
She already knew the answer.
Later that night...
Margaret found Brenda in the living room.
For the first time, the two women who had always acted like allies were uncomfortable around each other.
"Where is Andrew?"
Brenda looked up.
"Working."
Margaret scoffed.
"Working?"
She looked around.
"This entire situation is because of Mariana."
Brenda said nothing.
Margaret continued.
"That woman always thought she was better than us."
Something inside Brenda snapped.
"Better than us?"
Margaret looked surprised.
"Yes."
Brenda laughed.
A cold laugh.
"Margaret, do you even hear yourself?"
"What?"
"You spent four years insulting her."
"She deserved it."
"No."
Brenda stood.
"She didn't."
Margaret stared.
"You are defending her now?"
"No."
Brenda looked around the mansion.
"I'm realizing we were fools."
The word hung in the air.
Fools.
Because that was what they were.
They had spent years mocking Mariana.
The quiet wife.
The woman who carried old handbags.
The woman who avoided attention.
The woman who never showed anger.
They thought she was weak.
But the truth was...
She was powerful enough to destroy them without raising her voice.
The next morning...
Brenda received a call.
The number was unknown.
She almost ignored it.
But something made her answer.
"Hello?"
A woman's voice spoke.
"Brenda Whitmore?"
She hesitated.
"Yes."
"You should leave the mansion."
Brenda frowned.
"Who is this?"
"Someone giving you advice."
"I don't take advice from strangers."
The woman laughed softly.
"Then take this as a warning."
Brenda became serious.
"About what?"
A pause.
"Andrew."
Her stomach tightened.
"What about him?"
"You think he chose you because he loved you."
Silence.
"He chose you because he needed someone to blame."
Brenda's face changed.
"What are you talking about?"
The woman continued.
"Ask him about the missing funds."
"What funds?"
"The money he transferred before Mariana left."
Brenda froze.
The call ended.
For several minutes...
She didn't move.
Because one thought appeared in her mind.
Andrew had lied to her too.
That evening...
She confronted him.
"Did you move money before Mariana left?"
Andrew looked up sharply.
"Who told you that?"
Her heart sank.
Because he didn't deny it.
"Andrew."
He looked away.
"Brenda, it's complicated."
"No."
Her voice became cold.
"It's simple."
"You lied."
"I was protecting us."
"Us?"
She laughed.
"Or yourself?"
Andrew stood.
"You don't understand what is happening."
"No."
She looked at him.
"I understand perfectly."
"You thought Mariana was powerless."
"You thought you could replace her."
"You thought I would become the new queen."
A pause.
"But there is no crown."
She looked around the mansion.
"No kingdom."
"No empire."
"Nothing."
Andrew's face changed.
For the first time...
Brenda wasn't looking at him like a powerful man.
She was looking at him like a failure.
And that hurt him more than any financial loss.
That night...
Brenda packed a suitcase.
Not because she cared about Mariana.
Not because she suddenly became loyal.
Because she understood something.
She had spent years chasing a dream.
A mansion.
A wealthy husband.
A powerful name.
But she never realized she was standing beside a man who was borrowing someone else's power.
Before leaving...
She stopped in front of the mirror.
The woman staring back looked different.
Less confident.
Less certain.
For the first time...
She wondered.
If Andrew had never been rich...
Would she have loved him?
The answer came immediately.
And she hated herself for it.
Meanwhile...
At Escalante headquarters...
Mariana received a report.
"Brenda has left the mansion."
She looked at Daniel.
"Where did she go?"
"Unknown."
Mariana nodded.
"She will come back."
Daniel looked surprised.
"You think so?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Mariana closed the file.
"Because people who build their lives on someone else's wealth always return when that wealth disappears."
Daniel hesitated.
"And Andrew?"
Mariana looked out the window.
"He will return too."
"To apologize?"
She was silent.
Then she answered:
"No."
A pause.
"To ask for something."
That night...
Andrew sat alone in the empty mansion.
The place felt enormous.
Too enormous.
Every room reminded him of Mariana.
Her books.
Her paintings.
Her choices.
Her presence.
The woman he thought he owned...
Was the only person who had ever truly protected him.
His phone rang.
A message appeared.
From an unknown number.
The woman you betrayed is not your biggest enemy.
The person who helped you betray her is still watching.
Andrew stared at the screen.
His blood ran cold.
Because suddenly...
He understood.
Mariana's fortune was not just money.
It was connected to secrets.
Enemies.
And people powerful enough to frighten even the Whitmore family.
Across the city...
A woman wearing a dark red coat stood outside Escalante Tower.
Watching the lights on the top floor.
She smiled.
"Finally."
"Everyone knows who Mariana Escalante really is."
She turned away.
"But they still don't know why she was forced to hide."
And in her hand...
She held a file.
A file with one name written across the front.
May you like
ESCALANTE FAMILY SECRETS
TO BE CONTINUED...
