CHAPTER 8 — THE WOMAN BEHIND VICTORIA
CHAPTER 8 — THE WOMAN BEHIND VICTORIA
The ambulance arrived too late to erase the fear from Mia's face.
She sat on the pavement beside her mother, both hands covered in blood, refusing to let go.
“Please,” she whispered.
“Please wake up.”
The paramedics worked quickly.
Ethan stood several feet away, frozen beneath the streetlight.
His eyes remained fixed on the place where he had seen Marcus.
His brother had been there.
Watching.
Then he had disappeared.
A security guard approached.
“Sir.”
Ethan turned.
“We checked every street.”
“And?”
“No sign of him.”
Ethan looked toward the ambulance.
“What about the shooter?”
“Nothing yet.”
“Cameras?”
“Someone disabled the neighborhood cameras thirty seconds before the shot.”
Ethan closed his eyes.
Of course.
Another camera.
Another blind spot.
Another carefully planned move.
He turned toward Mia.
She was still kneeling beside the stretcher.
Her mother's hand was inside hers.
“She's alive,” the paramedic said.
Mia looked up.
“What?”
“Barely. But she's alive.”
Relief broke across Mia's face.
“Take me with her.”
“You can follow us.”
Mia looked at Ethan.
He nodded.
“I'll be there.”
But before she stood, her mother opened her eyes.
Only for a second.
Her lips moved.
Mia leaned closer.
“What?”
Her mother whispered:
“Victoria…”
Mia froze.
“What about Victoria?”
Her mother struggled to breathe.
“She's not…”
Her eyes closed again.
The paramedic pushed Mia away.
“Ma'am, we need room.”
Mia stood helplessly as the ambulance doors closed.
Ethan approached her.
“What did she say?”
Mia stared at the ambulance.
“Victoria.”
“That's all?”
“No.”
She looked at him.
“She said Victoria isn't…”
Mia couldn't finish.
“Isn't what?”
The ambulance drove away.
Mia whispered:
“She isn't the one behind this.”
At the hospital, doctors rushed Elena Carter into surgery.
Mia sat in the waiting room.
Ethan remained beside her.
Neither spoke for nearly an hour.
Then Mia finally said:
“Marcus was there.”
“I know.”
“You saw him.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you stop him?”
Ethan looked at her.
“I didn't know if he was watching us or protecting us.”
Mia shook her head.
“He was watching the children.”
Ethan's expression hardened.
“That changes everything.”
A doctor approached.
Mia immediately stood.
“How is she?”
“She survived the surgery.”
Mia closed her eyes.
“Can I see her?”
“Not yet.”
“Is she going to wake up?”
The doctor hesitated.
“She lost a lot of blood.”
Mia's hands trembled.
“But she's alive?”
“Yes.”
Mia nodded.
“That's enough.”
The doctor left.
Ethan sat beside her.
“There's something we need to discuss.”
“What?”
“Victoria.”
Mia looked at him.
“Her mother mentioned her.”
“Yes.”
“Then we need to find out why.”
The next morning, Ethan returned to the mansion.
The house was empty.
Victoria's belongings had been removed by police.
Her photographs remained on the walls.
Her perfume still lingered in the hallway.
But she was gone.
Ethan entered her bedroom.
He opened every drawer.
Nothing.
Then he noticed something unusual.
One of the floorboards was scratched.
He knelt.
Removed the board.
A metal box was hidden underneath.
Inside were passports.
Several phones.
Bank cards.
And photographs.
Ethan looked through them.
Victoria appeared in almost every photograph.
But she wasn't always with the same people.
Some were businessmen.
Some politicians.
Some criminals.
Then Ethan found one photograph that made his blood run cold.
Victoria was standing beside an older woman.
The woman wore a black dress.
Her silver hair was pulled into a tight bun.
Ethan recognized her.
He had seen her before.
At his father's funeral.
Standing beside Richard's coffin.
He whispered her name.
“Catherine.”
Mia entered the room.
“What?”
Ethan showed her the photograph.
“Catherine Vale.”
“Who is she?”
“My father's former financial adviser.”
“Is she alive?”
Ethan stared at the photograph.
“Yes.”
Mia studied the woman.
“Do you trust her?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because my father fired her two weeks before he died.”
Mia looked at the photograph again.
“And Victoria was working for her.”
Ethan nodded.
“Apparently.”
They found Catherine's address by noon.
A private estate overlooking the ocean.
No company records.
No public appearances.
No social media.
A woman who had deliberately disappeared from public life.
Ethan and Mia arrived at the gates.
A security guard stepped forward.
“You aren't expected.”
Ethan handed him a card.
“Tell Catherine Vale I'm here.”
The guard looked at the card.
Then at Ethan.
“She won't see you.”
“Tell her I know about Victoria.”
The guard's expression changed.
He touched his earpiece.
A moment later, the gates opened.
Mia looked at Ethan.
“You think she expected us.”
“Yes.”
They entered.
The house was enormous.
But unlike the Cole mansion, it wasn't designed to impress.
It was designed to intimidate.
Dark wood.
Heavy curtains.
No family photographs.
No warmth.
They entered the drawing room.
Catherine Vale was waiting.
She was older than Ethan remembered.
But her eyes were sharp.
She looked at Mia.
Then smiled.
“So.”
Mia stiffened.
“You know me.”
Catherine stood.
“I've known about you for twenty-seven years.”
Mia's heart stopped.
Ethan stepped forward.
“What did you do to her mother?”
Catherine laughed softly.
“Straight to the accusation.”
“She was shot last night.”
“I know.”
“You know?”
“Of course.”
Ethan's eyes hardened.
“Who ordered it?”
Catherine looked at Mia.
“Someone who is terrified of what your mother remembers.”
Mia stepped forward.
“What does she remember?”
“Everything.”
“About what?”
Catherine's expression became serious.
“The original trust.”
Ethan froze.
“My father's trust?”
“No.”
Catherine shook her head.
“The trust existed before Richard.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Your grandfather created it.”
Ethan frowned.
“My grandfather died before I was born.”
“Yes.”
“Then what's the secret?”
Catherine looked at Mia.
“You.”
Silence.
Mia shook her head.
“I don't understand.”
“Your mother was not simply Richard's lover.”
Ethan's expression changed.
“What was she?”
Catherine answered:
“Richard's legal partner.”
Mia stared.
“What?”
“Before Richard married your mother, they created a private inheritance structure.”
Ethan stepped forward.
“Why?”
“Because Richard knew his family would never accept a daughter born outside the public marriage.”
Mia whispered:
“I was hidden.”
“Yes.”
“But why?”
“Because your grandfather wanted his eldest legitimate son to control everything.”
Ethan went still.
“My father wasn't the eldest?”
Catherine smiled.
“No.”
Ethan's face changed.
“Then who was?”
Catherine looked directly at him.
“Lucas.”
The room became silent.
Mia whispered:
“The brother everyone said was dead.”
Catherine nodded.
“He wasn't dead.”
Ethan's breathing became shallow.
“Where is he?”
Catherine didn't answer.
Instead, she walked toward a cabinet.
Opened it.
Removed an old file.
She placed it on the table.
Inside was a photograph.
A young man.
He looked remarkably like Ethan.
But there was one difference.
A scar crossed his left eyebrow.
Ethan stared.
“That isn't possible.”
Catherine smiled.
“Lucas survived.”
“Where?”
“Closer than you think.”
Ethan's phone suddenly rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
A man's voice said:
“Stop looking for me.”
Ethan froze.
“Lucas?”
The voice laughed.
“You still believe the wrong people.”
“Where are you?”
“Ask Catherine.”
Ethan looked up.
Catherine was already walking away.
He turned.
“Wait!”
The call ended.
Mia followed Catherine into the hallway.
“You knew my mother.”
“Yes.”
“You knew Richard.”
“Yes.”
“You knew about me.”
“Yes.”
“Then tell me the truth.”
Catherine stopped.
“You aren't ready.”
“I've spent my entire life being told lies.”
“I know.”
“Then stop protecting me.”
Catherine turned.
“I am not protecting you.”
“What are you doing?”
“Protecting the person who comes after you.”
Mia frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Catherine looked toward Ethan.
Then whispered:
“The heir isn't the only thing they want.”
Mia's blood ran cold.
“What else?”
Catherine hesitated.
“Your mother's testimony.”
“About what?”
“The night Richard died.”
Ethan stepped closer.
“My father was murdered?”
Catherine looked at him.
“Yes.”
“Who killed him?”
Catherine's face became unreadable.
“Victoria didn't.”
“Marcus?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
Catherine whispered:
“The woman behind Victoria.”
Mia looked at her.
“Who?”
Catherine finally answered.
“Your grandmother.”
Mia's entire body went cold.
“My grandmother is dead.”
Catherine smiled sadly.
“That is what everyone believes.”
That night, Catherine's mansion was attacked.
The lights went out.
Glass shattered downstairs.
Security alarms screamed.
Ethan pulled Mia behind a wall.
“Stay here.”
A gunshot echoed.
Then another.
Catherine appeared at the end of the hallway.
She wasn't frightened.
She was angry.
“They found us.”
Ethan raised his weapon.
“Who?”
Catherine looked toward the window.
“Her.”
A shadow appeared outside.
An elderly woman stood beneath the trees.
Silver hair.
Black dress.
Watching them.
Mia stared.
She recognized the face from an old photograph her mother had kept hidden.
Her grandmother.
The woman who had supposedly died before Mia was born.
The woman who had controlled Victoria.
The woman who had been behind the entire plan.
Mia whispered:
“No…”
The woman smiled.
Then raised a phone.
Catherine's phone rang.
She answered.
The woman's voice came through the speaker.
“You should never have told them.”
Catherine closed her eyes.
“It's over.”
“No.”
The woman looked directly through the window.
“It has only begun.”
Then she turned and disappeared into the darkness.
Ethan rushed outside.
Nothing.
No footprints.
No car.
No evidence.
Only a single black envelope lay beneath the window.
He picked it up.
Inside was a photograph.
Ethan.
Mia.
The children.
Taken that afternoon.
On the back were five words:
I HAVE THE CHILDREN.
Mia screamed.
“Where are they?”
Ethan's phone immediately rang.
He answered.
A distorted voice spoke.
“You wanted the truth.”
Ethan's face became pale.
“You have five minutes.”
“For what?”
“To choose.”
“Choose what?”
The voice laughed.
“Your family…”
A pause.
“…or the heir.”
The call ended.
Ethan looked at Mia.
Neither spoke.
Then his security phone rang.
The message contained a single location.
An abandoned warehouse.
And beneath it:
COME ALONE.
Ethan stared at the screen.
Mia stepped closer.
“We're going.”
“No.”
“You can't go alone.”
“They want you.”
“They want both of us.”
Ethan looked at her.
Then at the photograph of the children.
For the first time, he understood the real purpose behind Victoria's war.
It had never been about a stolen Rolex.
It had never been about money.
It had never even been about Ethan.
The entire conspiracy had been built around one secret:
Mia was the heir.
And now the people behind Victoria had taken the only thing that could force the heir to surrender.
The children.
Ethan grabbed his jacket.
“Let's go.”
Mia nodded.
But neither of them noticed the tiny red light blinking beneath the table.
Someone was still watching.
And on the other side of the city, Victoria sat inside a black car.
She looked at the photograph of Ethan and Mia.
Then she whispered:
“I'm sorry.”
A woman beside her answered:
“You don't need to apologize.”
Victoria looked up.
The older woman smiled.
“Because tonight…”
May you like
She looked toward the distant city lights.
“…we finally get what belongs to us.”
