Chapter 6

The Daughter of Vale

The world knew my name before I was ready for it.

That was the strange thing about power.

When you had it, people chased you.

When you hid it, people ignored you.

But the moment the truth was revealed…

Everyone suddenly claimed they had always known your value.

For four years, I had been introduced as:

Mrs. Nathan Ashford.

The quiet wife.

The woman standing behind the successful man.

The person people politely smiled at before turning back to discuss real business.

Now every headline used a different name.

THE DAUGHTER OF ADRIAN VALE.

And suddenly…

Everyone remembered I existed.

The morning after the Ashford scandal broke, Blackthorn Manor became surrounded by reporters.

Cameras.

Microphones.

Questions shouted through the gates.

“Miss Vale!”

“Did Nathan Ashford marry you for your family fortune?”

“Were you aware of his financial crimes?”

“Will Vale Holdings take over Ashford Global?”

“Are you planning revenge?”

Revenge.

That word appeared everywhere.

People loved that word.

It was simple.

Beautiful.

Easy to understand.

They wanted a story about a betrayed woman destroying the man who hurt her.

But the truth was more complicated.

I did not want revenge.

I wanted justice.

There was a difference.

Revenge came from anger.

Justice came from knowing exactly what someone had done.

And I knew exactly what Nathan Ashford had done.

Inside Blackthorn Manor, I sat across from my father.

The same room where Nathan once hosted business meetings.

The same room where he bragged about his achievements.

The same room where he told investors he had built everything alone.

Now every screen displayed one thing.

His collapse.

My father watched me carefully.

“You have not slept.”

I looked away.

“I’m fine.”

He raised an eyebrow.

A small expression.

But I knew what it meant.

He never believed that answer.

“I’m serious.”

“So am I.”

“No.”

His voice softened.

“You are strong. That does not mean you are unaffected.”

I remained silent.

Because he was right.

I was not broken.

But I was tired.

Tired of remembering every moment where I ignored the truth.

The first time Nathan raised his voice.

The first time he controlled where I went.

The first time he made me apologize for something I never did.

The first time I realized I was afraid of my own husband.

I had spent months convincing myself things would improve.

That everyone made mistakes.

That marriage required patience.

But patience only works when both people care.

A person cannot repair a relationship alone.

Especially when the other person is trying to destroy them.

A woman from my father’s legal team entered the room.

“Miss Vale.”

I looked up.

She placed a tablet on the table.

“Your public profile has changed dramatically overnight.”

I almost smiled.

“Public profile?”

She nodded.

“Investors are requesting meetings.”

“Why?”

She looked surprised.

“Because they now know who you are.”

I looked at the screen.

Emails.

Messages.

Meeting requests.

People who had ignored me for years were suddenly interested.

One message caught my attention.

A former business partner of Nathan’s.

We always respected your judgment. We hope we can discuss future cooperation.

I stared at it.

Always respected me?

No.

They respected my father.

There was a difference.

I placed the tablet down.

“I don’t want anyone working with me because of my last name.”

The woman nodded.

“I understand.”

“Do they?”

She hesitated.

“No.”

I looked out the window.

The world loved powerful families.

But they rarely understood the people inside them.

They saw the money.

The influence.

The reputation.

They did not see the pressure.

The expectations.

The loneliness.

My father built an empire.

But he also spent his entire life hiding from the consequences of being powerful.

That was why he taught me to hide.

He knew what happened when people saw only your name.

They stopped seeing you.

That afternoon, I attended my first public appearance after everything happened.

A press conference.

Not for Nathan.

For me.

The room was full.

Reporters.

Investors.

Business leaders.

People who had spent years pretending I was invisible.

I walked onto the stage.

The cameras flashed.

The noise was overwhelming.

For a moment…

I remembered another stage.

My wedding day.

Standing beside Nathan.

Believing I was beginning a new life.

I pushed the memory away.

A reporter raised her hand.

“Miss Vale, many people believe you planned this entire situation.”

The room became quiet.

I looked at her.

“Why would I?”

“To destroy Nathan Ashford.”

I answered calmly.

“If I wanted to destroy him, I could have done it years ago.”

The room shifted.

The reporter looked surprised.

I continued.

“But I did not.”

“Why?”

“Because I believed my husband was better than his mistakes.”

A silence followed.

“Unfortunately…”

I looked directly at the cameras.

“He proved me wrong.”

Another reporter stood.

“Do you still love him?”

That question hit differently.

Not because it hurt.

Because I had asked myself the same thing.

Do I still love Nathan?

The man from my memories?

The man from our first date?

The man who held my hand and promised to protect me?

Or the man who stood above me with a whip?

After everything…

I finally knew the answer.

“I loved the person he pretended to be.”

The room went silent.

“But that person never existed.”

After the press conference ended, my father found me outside.

“You handled yourself well.”

I smiled slightly.

“You sound surprised.”

“I’m proud.”

Two words.

Simple.

But coming from him…

They meant everything.

I looked at him.

“Did you ever regret hiding our family?”

“Yes.”

The answer surprised me.

“Really?”

My father nodded.

“Because hiding power protects you from people who want to use you.”

He looked toward the city.

“But it can also prevent people from knowing who you truly are.”

I understood.

For years, I thought hiding my identity was a weakness.

Now I realized it had protected me.

Nathan showed me his true face because he thought I had nothing.

That was the only reason I survived.

That evening, something unexpected happened.

A package arrived at Blackthorn Manor.

No sender.

No address.

Only my name.

I opened it carefully.

Inside was an old photograph.

My blood turned cold.

It was a picture of Nathan.

But he was not alone.

Standing beside him…

Was Celeste.

And beside them…

Was my father.

The photo was old.

Before my wedding.

Before I met Nathan.

I stared at it.

Impossible.

My father had never met Celeste.

At least…

That was what he told me.

I immediately walked toward his office.

“Dad.”

He looked up.

One glance at the photograph.

And his expression changed.

“What happened?”

I placed it on his desk.

“You tell me.”

My father picked it up.

For several seconds…

He said nothing.

Then he whispered:

“She wasn’t supposed to be involved.”

My heart tightened.

“Who?”

My father looked at me.

And for the first time…

I saw hesitation.

Not from fear.

From guilt.

“Celeste Monroe.”

“Dad…”

He closed his eyes.

“There is something about your marriage I never told you.”

The room became silent.

“What?”

My father looked at the photograph.

Then at me.

“Nathan was not the only person who entered your life with a hidden purpose.”

A cold feeling moved through me.

“What are you saying?”

My father placed the photograph down.

“I’m saying…”

He paused.

“Your marriage was planned long before Nathan proposed.”

The world seemed to stop.

Because suddenly…

The question was no longer:

Why did Nathan betray me?

The real question was:

Who planned for me to marry him?

Outside Blackthorn Manor…

A figure watched the lights inside the mansion.

A phone rang.

The person answered.

“Yes.”

A pause.

“Everything is going according to plan.”

Another pause.

Then a quiet laugh.

“She finally knows the truth.”

The voice on the other end asked:

“And Adrian?”

The figure looked toward the mansion.

“Adrian Vale still believes he is protecting his daughter.”

A smile appeared in the darkness.

“But he has no idea…”

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“He is protecting her from the wrong enemy.”

End of Chapter 6