Chapter 4 - The Mother Behind the Lies
Rory spent the night reading every family record.
His mother's name was Eleanor Starks.
She died when Rory was eighteen.
The official cause was a heart attack.
But the new evidence suggested she had been poisoned.
Another family lie.
Rory stared at the medical records.
“Everyone around me has been dying.”
Tommy looked at him.
“And every death benefited someone.”
Rory nodded.
“Marcus.”
“Maybe.”
“No.”
Rory looked toward me.
“Someone bigger.”
I asked:
“What if Marcus isn't the leader?”
Rory stared.
“Why would you say that?”
“Because people who control others don't usually need to do everything themselves.”
He considered it.
It sounded simple.
But it was true.
Marcus could be an executor.
The real mastermind might still be hidden.
The answer came from the recorder.
Vanessa had recorded a conversation between herself and Eleanor.
Eleanor sounded terrified.
“Marcus isn't the real problem.”
Vanessa asked:
“Who is?”
Eleanor whispered a name.
“Silas.”
Rory froze.
Silas Starks.
His uncle.
The family patriarch after Rory's father died.
The man who had supported Rory taking over the organization.
The man Rory trusted more than anyone.
He was the one who taught Rory how to negotiate.
How to fight.
How to lead.
He was also the one who told Rory Marcus had died.
Rory sat in silence.
Then the mansion phone rang.
Silas.
“Rory.”
“Uncle.”
“I heard about the church.”
“You knew about it?”
“I heard rumors.”
“Where are you?”
“At home.”
Rory looked at Tommy.
“Stay there.”
“Of course.”
The line ended.
Rory stood.
“Find him.”
Silas was gone.
His house was empty.
But his office contained something.
A photo of Lily and Rose.
Taken that morning.
Rory stared.
“He was watching them.”
I looked at the photograph.
There was a small mark in the corner.
A blue bird.
The same symbol.
The twins' mother had used it.
I touched it.
“It's a code.”
Rory looked at me.
“For what?”
I pointed to the number underneath.
Again.
Seventeen.
We returned to the mansion.
The stained-glass bird in the nursery was removed.
Behind it was another room.
Not a vault.
A child's room.
Old toys.
Photographs.
Letters.
Rory stared.
It had belonged to him and Marcus.
They had been raised together there.
A hidden wall contained drawings from childhood.
Two boys.
A little girl.
A woman.
Rory frowned.
“Who's the girl?”
I looked.
“She looks like Lily.”
Rory stared.
It was his younger sister.
Anna.
He had forgotten her.
Or been told she died.
Another secret.
A letter from Eleanor explained.
Anna had been born with a medical condition.
The family hid her existence to prevent enemies from using her.
But she hadn't died.
She was sent away.
And the person who knew where she was?
Silas.
Rory realized his uncle had been controlling the family for decades.
Maybe even before his father died.
A hidden ledger listed payments to Silas.
Not Marcus.
Not Crane.
Silas.
He had funded the operation.
He had arranged Vanessa's murder.
He had recruited Celeste.
He had manipulated Marcus.
He had created the psychological torture system.
The entire plan was designed to destroy Rory emotionally.
Why?
The answer was in another letter.
Rory was supposed to abandon the empire.
If he refused, Silas would kill his daughters.
If he fought, Silas would expose the family's crimes and destroy Rory publicly.
If Rory surrendered, Silas would inherit everything.
It was a succession plan.
Rory had been trapped inside his own family.
I looked at the documents.
“What does he need the girls for?”
Rory read the final page.
“The estate trust.”
He froze.
His father had structured the family assets so that the twins would inherit everything if Rory died.
Silas needed control of them.
Then he needed Rory dead.
The teddy bear.
The buzzing.
The fear.
The murder attempt.
It was all part of one plan.
Break Rory.
Control the children.
Take the estate.
Rory stood.
“They never wanted me dead immediately.”
I understood.
“They wanted you desperate first.”
He nodded.
He looked at me.
“You've been right too many times.”
I smiled faintly.
“That's because I listen.”
The next night, Silas returned.
He came alone.
No guards.
He walked into the mansion as if nothing had happened.
Rory met him in the main hall.
“Where were you?”
Silas smiled.
“Helping the family.”
“You've done enough.”
Silas sighed.
“You really think I am behind this?”
“Yes.”
Silas looked almost sad.
“You were always too suspicious.”
Rory raised his weapon.
Silas laughed.
“Go ahead.”
Rory didn't shoot.
Instead, he said:
“Bring my sister home.”
Silas's smile disappeared.
Silence.
Then he whispered:
“Anna should have stayed dead.”
Rory's expression changed.
Silas admitted everything.
Anna had survived.
She knew what the family did.
She tried to expose Silas.
So he hid her.
He used her as leverage.
Then Vanessa discovered the truth.
Silas killed her.
Marcus helped.
Celeste helped.
Crane helped.
Everyone had a role.
But there was one person Silas still needed.
Me.
Because Vanessa had hidden the final evidence inside the mansion's service network.
The staff.
And I had access to rooms nobody else entered.
Silas looked at me.
“You were invisible.”
I stared.
“That was your mistake.”
Rory stepped between us.
“She isn't invisible anymore.”
Silas smiled.
“You think you can protect her?”
Rory replied:
“Yes.”
Then the lights went out.
Silas disappeared.
A blast shook the house.
The staircase collapsed.
Smoke filled the hall.
Someone screamed.
The twins.
Rory ran.
I followed.
We found Lily and Rose safe in the nursery.
But a note lay on the floor.
ONE HOUR.
BRING THE GIRL.
The girl meant me.
Silas didn't want the twins anymore.
May you like
He wanted the one person who had accidentally uncovered everything.
Me.
