PART 6 — THE WOMAN WHO KNEW EVERYTHING
The room went completely silent.
For three years, Mave had believed her mother was dead.
I had never asked about her because I was too consumed by my own anger.
Now an old man stood in front of us claiming to be Mave's grandfather.
And he had just told us the impossible.
Her mother was alive.
Mave's lips trembled.
“No.”
The old man looked at her.
“Yes.”
“My mother died when I was a child.”
“That is what they wanted you to believe.”
Mave took a step forward.
“Where is she?”
The old man's expression darkened.
“She has been hiding.”
“From whom?”
He looked at my mother.
“From them.”
My mother immediately shouted,
“Don't listen to him!”
The old man smiled.
“Still lying after all these years, Eleanor?”
My mother's face went pale.
I froze.
Eleanor.
I had never heard anyone call my mother by her first name with that kind of contempt.
She stared at him.
“You should have stayed dead.”
He laughed softly.
“You tried very hard to make that happen.”
I looked between them.
“You two know each other.”
The old man nodded.
“Unfortunately, I know her better than anyone.”
My mother raised her gun.
My security team immediately aimed theirs at her.
“Put it down,” I ordered.
She didn't move.
The old man looked at me.
“Your mother has killed people to keep one secret buried.”
“What secret?”
He looked at Mave.
“Her mother.”
Mave stepped closer.
“My mother?”
The old man nodded.
“Her name is Elena.”
Mave covered her mouth.
“Where is she?”
“In the old chapel.”
My blood ran cold.
“The chapel?”
He pointed toward the forest.
“Three miles from here.”
My security chief immediately checked his phone.
“Sir, there is an abandoned chapel on the eastern property.”
I looked at Mave.
“We're going.”
My mother stepped forward.
“No.”
I turned.
She looked terrified.
“Ethan, you cannot go there.”
“Why?”
“Because Elena isn't who you think she is.”
Mave stared at her.
“You know my mother?”
My mother didn't answer.
Mave's voice became louder.
“You know where she is?”
Still silence.
Then Mave walked toward her.
“You knew she was alive.”
My mother finally looked at her.
“Yes.”
Mave's eyes filled with tears.
“You let me believe she was dead.”
“I was protecting you.”
“From what?”
My mother whispered,
“From your own mother.”
Mave froze.
“What does that mean?”
The old man interrupted.
“Enough.”
He looked at me.
“We don't have much time.”
“Why?”
He pointed toward the windows.
“Because the people who attacked the wedding weren't working for your mother.”
I frowned.
“What?”
“They were working for Elena.”
Mave stepped backward.
“No.”
The old man nodded.
“Your mother has been trying to stop her for years.”
My security chief suddenly rushed toward the window.
“Sir!”
We all turned.
Several black SUVs were approaching the estate.
Too many.
My security team moved into position.
The old man looked at me.
“They found us.”
“How?”
He looked at my mother.
She was crying.
“I didn't tell them.”
I stared at her.
“Then who did?”
A gunshot shattered the window.
Everyone dropped.
Bullets tore through the wall.
My guards returned fire.
I grabbed Mave and pulled her behind the desk.
“Stay down!”
Lily screamed.
I covered her ears.
The old man moved with surprising speed.
He pulled a gun from inside his coat and fired through the broken window.
One of the attackers fell.
My security chief shouted,
“There are at least fifteen!”
I looked at the doors.
“We can't stay here.”
The old man pointed toward the bookshelf.
“There's a tunnel.”
I stared at him.
“Where?”
He pushed one of the shelves.
It moved.
A hidden passage opened behind it.
Mave grabbed Lily.
“Go!”
We rushed inside.
My mother followed.
I turned toward her.
“You're coming with us?”
She looked at me.
“If I stay here, they'll kill me.”
I almost told her she deserved it.
But I needed answers.
We entered the tunnel.
The door closed behind us.
Darkness swallowed everything.
We moved quickly.
After several minutes, we reached a metal door.
The old man entered a code.
The door opened.
We emerged inside the abandoned chapel.
Dust covered the wooden benches.
Candles burned near the altar.
Someone had been there recently.
Mave whispered,
“Mother?”
A woman's voice came from behind the altar.
“Mave.”
She froze.
I watched her face change.
Shock.
Fear.
Hope.
Then a woman stepped into the light.
She was older than Mave had remembered.
Her hair was streaked with gray.
But her eyes were unmistakably the same.
Mave whispered,
“Mom?”
The woman began to cry.
“Mave…”
Mave ran to her.
They embraced.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Mave pulled away.
“Why?”
Her mother looked at her.
“Why did you let me believe you were dead?”
“Because I had no choice.”
“You always had a choice!”
Elena closed her eyes.
“I was trying to keep you alive.”
“You abandoned me.”
“I watched you from a distance every year.”
Mave cried harder.
“I needed you.”
“I know.”
Elena looked at Lily.
“And then I saw her.”
She stepped closer.
“Your daughter.”
Lily hid behind Mave.
Elena smiled sadly.
“She has his eyes.”
I stepped forward.
“You knew who I was?”
Elena looked at me.
“I knew exactly who you were.”
“Then tell me the truth.”
She hesitated.
“The truth is that your father and Alexander were not enemies.”
I frowned.
“What?”
“They were brothers who tried to destroy the same enemy.”
“Who?”
Elena looked toward my mother.
“Her.”
My mother closed her eyes.
I turned toward her.
“Why?”
Elena answered.
“Because Eleanor wasn't trying to protect the Hail family.”
“She was trying to take control of it.”
My mother suddenly raised her gun.
“That's enough.”
I stepped between her and Elena.
“Put it down.”
She aimed at me.
“You still don't understand.”
“Then explain it.”
She looked at Lily.
“Your daughter isn't the heir.”
I froze.
“What?”
My mother smiled through her tears.
“She's the key.”
The old man stepped forward.
“Eleanor…”
She ignored him.
“The inheritance isn't money.”
She looked at Mave.
“It is a list.”
“A list of what?”
“Every politician, judge, banker and crime boss who has secretly been controlled by the Hail network.”
My blood ran cold.
“If Lily inherits that list…”
“She can destroy every powerful family in New York.”
Silence.
Elena whispered,
“That's why everyone wants her.”
My mother lowered the gun slightly.
“And that's why I had to control her.”
I stared at my mother.
“You tried to kill a child to control a list?”
She shook her head.
“I never ordered anyone to kill Lily.”
I remembered the shooting.
“Then who did?”
Before she could answer, a phone began ringing.
Everyone looked at Mave.
It was her phone.
She answered.
A man's voice whispered:
“Your mother told you the truth.”
Mave froze.
The voice continued.
“But she didn't tell you everything.”
“Who are you?”
A pause.
Then:
“Ask Ethan who was in the room when his father died.”
The call ended.
I looked at my mother.
“What does that mean?”
She didn't answer.
Elena suddenly looked terrified.
Then she whispered,
“Ethan…”
“What?”
“Your father didn't die alone.”
I stared at her.
“Who was with him?”
She looked directly at me.
“Your mother.”
My blood ran cold.
But before I could speak, another voice came from behind us.
“That's not true.”
Everyone turned.
Isabella stood in the doorway.
Her dress was soaked in rain.
Her face was covered with blood.
And she was holding a gun.
She looked at me.
“I know who killed your father.”
I stared at her.
“Who?”
She slowly raised the gun.
Then pointed it at my mother.
“Her.”
