Chapter 7 - My Mother Accused Elena of Betrayal in Front of Me, but the Hidden Recording Proved Someone Else Was Pulling Every StringThe accusation hung in the farmhouse like smoke.
Elena didn't move.
I looked at her.
She looked back at me.
Neither of us spoke.
My mother smiled.
“You finally see the truth.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
My mother frowned.
“You don't?”
“No.”
“Then you're still blind.”
I stepped forward.
“You've lied for years.”
“I protected this family.”
“You murdered my father.”
Her face hardened.
“I did what was necessary.”
I stared at her.
“You admit it?”
She laughed softly.
“Your father was weak.”
“You killed him.”
“He would have destroyed us all.”
“You destroyed Elena.”
“She destroyed herself.”
“You forged documents.”
“Yes.”
“You lied about the fertility report.”
“Yes.”
“You stole the trust.”
“Yes.”
“But you didn't kill my father.”
My mother froze.
“What?”
“You said Malachi was involved.”
“I said he knew.”
“Then who actually ordered it?”
She looked at Elena.
Elena whispered,
“Your mother doesn't know.”
My mother turned.
“You!”
“You were never the one in control.”
My mother stepped forward.
“You know nothing.”
“I know exactly what happened.”
Elena reached into the wooden box.
She pulled out a tiny recorder.
My mother stared at it.
“What is that?”
“Proof.”
She pressed play.
Richard Hale's voice filled the room.
Victoria, you can't keep blaming the girl.
My mother answered.
She won't stop investigating.
Then Richard:
Then scare her.
Victoria:
I offered her money.
Richard:
And?
Victoria:
She refused.
Richard:
Then use Dominic.
Silence.
Victoria:
He loves her.
Richard:
Exactly.
My mother's voice lowered.
Make him believe she betrayed him.
I closed my eyes.
The recording continued.
Richard explained that once I believed Elena had chosen to leave, the family could isolate me.
Then he revealed something worse.
Malachi Cross had been working with him.
Not my mother.
Richard.
My mother had been manipulated too.
The recording ended.
My mother sank into a chair.
“He betrayed me.”
“Yes,” Elena said.
My mother looked at her.
“Who gave you that?”
“Richard.”
“How?”
“He tried to kill me.”
My chest tightened.
“What?”
Elena nodded.
“The night before I disappeared, Richard came to my apartment.”
“He knew about the baby.”
“Yes.”
“He told me if I wanted to keep you alive, I had to disappear.”
“Why?”
“Because Malachi was coming.”
I stared at her.
“Why didn't Richard kill you?”
“He needed me alive.”
“For what?”
“To find your father's hidden account.”
My mother looked at me.
“He knew Elena had access.”
“And she didn't give it to him.”
“No.”
“So he used the divorce.”
“Yes.”
I looked at the recorder.
“Where did you get this?”
Elena smiled.
“Richard was careless.”
Then the back door exploded.
Gunfire shattered the windows.
Jonas tackled us to the floor.
“Down!”
More shots.
Clara began crying.
Elena reached for her.
I grabbed them both.
“Basement!”
We moved.
Jonas fired toward the hallway.
Marcus shouted instructions.
My mother froze.
Then she picked up a gun.
I stared at her.
“You carry a weapon?”
She looked at me.
“I was married to your father.”
Then she fired through the doorway.
For several minutes, the farmhouse became chaos.
Then silence.
Jonas looked outside.
“Clear.”
I checked everyone.
Elena alive.
Clara alive.
My mother alive.
But Marcus had been wounded in the shoulder.
“I'm fine,” he said.
“You're bleeding.”
“It's not fatal.”
I called for medical transport.
My mother sat against the wall.
She looked old.
For the first time, I didn't see the woman who controlled the Vance family.
I saw my mother.
And I felt something I hadn't expected.
Pity.
She looked at me.
“Dominic.”
I waited.
“I was wrong.”
Three words.
The words I had wanted for years.
They didn't heal anything.
But they mattered.
“Why did you let Richard use you?”
She looked down.
“Because I was afraid.”
“Of what?”
“Of losing everything.”
“You almost lost me.”
“I know.”
“You almost killed Elena.”
“I know.”
“You almost lost Clara.”
She began to cry.
“I know.”
I turned away.
Forgiveness would come later.
If it ever came.
That night, while the others slept, Elena found me outside.
“You're thinking about your mother.”
“Yes.”
“Don't let her guilt become yours.”
“I failed you.”
“You were deceived.”
“I chose silence.”
“Yes.”
“But now?”
She smiled.
“Now you choose truth.”
I took her hand.
“I don't want to lose you again.”
“You might.”
“I know.”
She looked at me.
“And that is why this matters.”
“What?”
“You finally understand that love isn't possession.”
I nodded.
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
A man's voice whispered,
“Your daughter belongs to us.”
I stood.
“Who is this?”
“You'll know soon.”
“Touch her and—”
The caller laughed.
“That's the old Dominic.”
The line disconnected.
Elena watched me.
“What happened?”
I told her.
She closed her eyes.
“Malachi.”
“How do you know?”
“Because he called me once.”
“When?”
“Six months ago.”
“What did he say?”
She looked at me.
“He said he didn't want the money.”
“Then what did he want?”
May you like
Her voice dropped.
“He wanted your family to destroy itself.”
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