Chapter 5 - I Found My Mother Alive—But She Told Me Dominic Was the Man She Had Feared Most
The address led to an old apartment building in Dorchester.
Dominic insisted on coming.
I insisted he stay behind.
He ignored me.
We entered the building just before sunrise.
The hallway smelled of dust and rain.
Apartment 3B was unlocked.
I pushed the door open.
A woman sat beside the window.
Gray hair.
Thin face.
But the moment she looked at me, I knew.
“Mom?”
She stood.
“Ana.”
I stopped breathing.
She began to cry.
I crossed the room.
She pulled me into her arms.
Twenty-eight years disappeared.
“I thought you were dead.”
“I wanted you to.”
I pulled away.
“Why?”
“Because Daniel was searching for you.”
“Daniel?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
She looked toward Dominic.
Her expression changed.
“You brought him.”
My mother stepped back.
Dominic lowered his gaze.
“Maria.”
She stared at him.
“You shouldn't have found us.”
“You should have told me.”
“You would have come.”
“Yes.”
“And Daniel would have followed.”
Dominic went silent.
I looked between them.
“You know each other.”
“We do.”
“How?”
My mother told me.
Twenty years ago, Dominic discovered Daniel had been moving money through the family organization.
Maria tried to help him.
My grandmother tried to expose Daniel.
My mother became their courier.
When Daniel discovered the plan, he ordered the three of them killed.
My grandmother disappeared.
My mother escaped with me.
But Dominic was too late.
He spent years believing Maria was dead.
When he discovered she was alive, he tried to protect her.
Then he found me.
“That is why I came to Boston,” my mother said.
“To find me?”
“To find Dominic.”
I frowned.
“Why?”
“Because Daniel planned to kill him.”
Dominic looked at her.
“You knew.”
“I suspected.”
“Then why send me after him?”
“I didn't.”
My mother reached for my hand.
“I sent him to you.”
I stared.
“You wanted me to meet Dominic?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because he is the only person Daniel is afraid of.”
I looked at Dominic.
He didn't deny it.
My mother continued.
“Daniel wants the port network.”
“What does that have to do with me?”
“Your grandmother left you the controlling shares.”
I froze.
“What?”
“You own the Costa family's legitimate shipping holdings.”
“I don't even use the Costa name.”
“You were never supposed to know.”
“Why?”
“Because if Daniel knew you were the heir, he would kill you.”
I laughed through tears.
“Everyone keeps deciding what I can survive.”
My mother squeezed my hand.
“I was trying to give you a life.”
“You gave me foster homes.”
“I gave you time.”
That answer broke something inside me.
I understood.
She had not abandoned me.
She had sacrificed her chance to raise me so I could live.
Then Dominic stepped forward.
“I remember something else.”
My mother looked at him.
“The shooting.”
She went pale.
“What?”
“You were there.”
“No.”
“You were at the warehouse.”
“I wasn't.”
“You spoke to me.”
My mother looked toward the window.
“I came after.”
“No.”
Dominic's voice hardened.
“You touched the weapon.”
My mother closed her eyes.
“I tried to help.”
“With what?”
“The blood.”
I stared.
She had been there.
Not to hurt him.
To save him.
Then who shot him?
My mother looked at me.
“Victoria.”
I froze.
“Dr. Hale?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because Daniel had her daughter.”
I couldn't breathe.
“What?”
“Victoria's daughter was kidnapped.”
“By Daniel?”
“Yes.”
“He forced her to work for him.”
Dominic nodded.
“That explains the false chart.”
My mother continued.
“Victoria injected Dominic with a sedative before the shooting.”
“But someone shot him.”
“Daniel.”
Silence.
Dominic looked toward the window.
“So Victoria wasn't the shooter.”
“No.”
“She was being forced.”
My mother nodded.
“What happened to her daughter?”
“Alive.”
“Where?”
“Safe.”
I stared.
“Then why is Victoria still working with Daniel?”
“She isn't.”
My mother looked at me.
“She has been helping us.”
I felt dizzy.
Then she handed me a folder.
Inside were hospital records.
Proof that Victoria had secretly changed Dominic's medication to keep him stable.
She had delayed Daniel's attempts to access him.
She had protected me too.
That meant we had misread everything.
The true threat remained Daniel.
My phone buzzed.
A message.
THE LEDGER IS AT THE OLD HARBOR.
COME ALONE.
I showed Dominic.
He immediately shook his head.
“No.”
“I have to go.”
“You're not going anywhere alone.”
My mother touched my shoulder.
“The ledger will tell you who owns everything.”
“Then why would Daniel give me the location?”
“He wouldn't.”
I looked at her.
“What?”
She opened another file.
“Daniel doesn't have it.”
“Who does?”
She whispered:
“Your grandmother.”
The next message arrived.
I KNOW WHO YOU ARE.
I KNOW WHO YOUR MOTHER IS.
AND I KNOW WHAT DOMINIC DID THE NIGHT YOUR FATHER DIED.
I looked at Dominic.
“What did you do?”
May you like
He didn't answer.
That silence frightened me.
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