Chapter 6 - THE WOMAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN
Adrien didn't go after his uncle immediately.
That surprised Grace.
She expected rage.
Instead, he became very quiet.
It was the kind of quiet that made everyone around him nervous.
They returned to the penthouse.
Victor assembled a small team.
Grace sat at the kitchen counter with untouched coffee.
Adrien stood near the window.
"You're thinking about killing him," she said.
"No."
She waited.
He looked at her.
"Not yet."
She sighed.
"That's not comforting."
"It's not supposed to be."
Grace wrapped both hands around her cup.
"Your uncle could have killed me."
"Yes."
"And you're still protecting him?"
"I'm protecting the truth."
She looked at him.
"Why?"
"Because if he knows where the missing files are, killing him would bury the answers with him."
Grace nodded slowly.
"That's the first sensible thing you've said."
He glanced at her.
"Only the first?"
"Maybe the second."
A small smile appeared.
Then Victor entered.
"We found the woman."
Adrien turned.
"What woman?"
"The one who removed your mother's file."
He handed Adrien a photograph.
Grace leaned closer.
The woman was older, perhaps sixty.
Gray hair.
Elegant coat.
Sharp eyes.
Adrien recognized her.
His face changed.
"Helena."
Grace looked at him.
"Who is she?"
"My mother's closest friend."
"Where is she?"
"At the old Voss estate."
Adrien stared at the photograph.
"My family sold that house."
"Apparently not."
They drove there before sunset.
The estate stood beyond a line of bare trees.
Abandoned.
Windows covered.
Gate rusted.
Grace felt a strange chill when she saw it.
"I've seen this place."
Adrien looked at her.
"When?"
"In my mother's photographs."
They entered through a side door.
Dust covered the floors.
A long hallway stretched ahead.
Grace stopped.
"There's a room upstairs."
Adrien looked at her.
"How do you know?"
"I don't know."
She walked forward.
He followed.
At the end of the hallway was a bedroom.
The door was locked.
Adrien broke it open.
Inside was a child's room.
Old toys.
A small bed.
A music box.
Grace stared.
"This was mine."
Adrien's heart stopped.
"What?"
She touched the bedpost.
"I remember this."
A flash of memory.
A woman singing.
A little girl hiding under a blanket.
A man whispering, "Don't let Alessandro find her."
Grace stepped backward.
Adrien caught her.
"You okay?"
She nodded.
Then the music box began playing.
Neither had touched it.
They stared.
Adrien approached.
Under the music box was a hidden compartment.
Inside was a key.
And a note.
THE TRUTH IS UNDER THE GARDEN.
Adrien read it.
"Garden?"
Grace looked out the window.
"There used to be one."
They found it behind the house.
Most of it had disappeared beneath weeds.
Adrien searched the ground.
Grace noticed a stone with a silver wolf engraved into it.
"Here."
They moved it.
Beneath it was a metal box.
Inside were passports.
Photographs.
A stack of bank records.
And one final document.
Adrien unfolded it.
A legal guardianship agreement.
Guardian: Adrien Voss.
Child: Grace Bennett.
Effective date: three days before Margaret Bennett's supposed death.
Grace stared.
"You were supposed to raise me."
Adrien couldn't speak.
A sound came from behind them.
A woman.
"You were never supposed to find that."
Adrien turned.
Helena stood at the edge of the garden.
Grace stepped closer.
"Who am I?"
Helena looked at her.
Then at Adrien.
"You're the daughter of the man Adrien's family blamed for everything."
Adrien's voice hardened.
"Whose daughter?"
Helena's eyes filled with tears.
"Elias Voss."
Grace's knees weakened.
Adrien caught her.
Helena whispered the sentence that changed everything.
"Your father wasn't killed eleven years ago."
"He was taken."
Helena sat in the old garden while rain began to fall.
Grace sat across from her.
"Tell me everything."
Helena looked exhausted.
"I should have told you years ago."
"You knew me?"
"I held you when you were a baby."
Grace's eyes filled.
"Why didn't you find me?"
"I tried."
"What happened?"
"They moved you."
"Who?"
"Your uncle."
Grace's hands tightened.
"Why?"
"Because he believed you could inherit something."
"What?"
"Control."
Adrien stepped closer.
"Explain."
Helena looked at him.
"Your father had a secret account. Not money. Names."
"What names?"
"Judges. politicians. police officers. businessmen."
Adrien's face hardened.
"Leverage."
"Exactly."
Grace understood.
"That's why they wanted me alive."
Helena nodded.
"Your father put the information somewhere no one could access without you."
Grace stared.
"Me?"
"Your DNA."
Silence.
Adrien looked at Victor.
"Find the account."
Victor nodded.
Helena continued.
"Your mother knew the system would recognize you as the beneficiary."
Grace whispered, "Then why didn't she tell me?"
"Because she believed telling you would put you in immediate danger."
Adrien looked at Grace.
"She was trying to protect you."
Grace wiped her eyes.
"Everyone keeps saying that."
"Because it's true."
Adrien crouched beside her.
"You don't have to forgive them."
She looked at him.
"But you don't have to hate yourself for surviving."
The words broke something in her.
She leaned forward.
Adrien held her.
It was not dramatic.
No grand declaration.
Just two people standing in a ruined garden while rain fell around them.
When Grace pulled back, she whispered, "I'm scared."
"I know."
"Are you?"
"Yes."
She stared at him.
"You admit that?"
"Only to you."
Her expression softened.
Then Victor's phone rang.
He answered.
His face changed.
"Sir."
Adrien stood.
"What?"
"We found the account."
"Where?"
"Under a trust."
"Whose?"
Victor looked at Grace.
"Hers."
Grace stared.
"My name?"
"Yes."
Adrien's jaw tightened.
"How much?"
Victor hesitated.
"Enough to buy half the city."
Grace looked at Adrien.
"I don't want it."
He nodded.
"Then you won't have to."
"Can you destroy it?"
"Yes."
"Will you?"
He looked at her.
"If that's what you want."
Grace smiled faintly.
"Then maybe you're not as ruthless as everyone says."
Adrien's expression softened.
"Don't tell anyone."
Helena sat in the old garden while rain began to fall.
Grace sat across from her.
"Tell me everything."
Helena looked exhausted.
"I should have told you years ago."
"You knew me?"
"I held you when you were a baby."
Grace's eyes filled.
"Why didn't you find me?"
"I tried."
"What happened?"
"They moved you."
"Who?"
"Your uncle."
Grace's hands tightened.
"Why?"
"Because he believed you could inherit something."
"What?"
"Control."
Adrien stood nearby.
"What aren't you telling us?"
Helena sighed.
"Your father had a secret account. Not money. Names."
"What names?"
"Judges. Politicians. Police officers. Businessmen."
Adrien's face hardened.
"Leverage."
"Exactly."
Grace understood.
"That's why they wanted me alive."
Helena nodded.
"Your father put the information somewhere no one could access without you."
Grace stared.
"Me?"
"Your DNA."
Silence.
Adrien looked at Victor.
"Find the account."
Victor nodded.
Helena continued.
"Your mother knew the system would recognize you as the beneficiary. She believed the records would be safer if the person they belonged to never knew they existed."
Grace wiped her eyes.
"Everyone keeps saying my mother was protecting me."
"Because she was."
Adrien crouched beside Grace.
"You don't have to forgive her."
Grace looked at him.
"But you don't have to hate yourself for surviving."
She leaned forward.
Adrien held her.
It wasn't dramatic.
No grand declaration.
Just two people standing in a ruined garden while rain fell around them.
When Grace pulled back, she whispered, "I'm scared."
"I know."
"Are you?"
"Yes."
She stared at him.
"You admit that?"
"Only to you."
Her expression softened.
Then Victor's phone rang.
He answered.
His face changed.
"Sir."
Adrien stood.
"What?"
"We found the account."
"Where?"
"Under a trust."
"Whose?"
Victor looked at Grace.
"Hers."
Grace stared.
"My name?"
"Yes."
Adrien's jaw tightened.
"How much?"
Victor hesitated.
"Enough to buy half the city."
Grace looked at Adrien.
"I don't want it."
He nodded.
"Then you won't have to."
"Can you destroy it?"
"Yes."
"Will you?"
He looked at her.
"If that's what you want."
Grace smiled faintly.
"Then maybe you're not as ruthless as everyone says."
Adrien's expression softened.
"Don't tell anyone."
Helena looked at Grace with tears in her eyes.
"I should have told you sooner."
Grace shook her head.
"Then tell me now."
Helena nodded.
"Your mother believed Adrien's uncle was only one part of the conspiracy."
"Who was the other?"
"Marcus Vale."
Adrien went still.
"Why?"
"He wanted both families fighting each other."
Grace understood.
"While he took control."
"Yes."
Adrien's voice became cold.
"How long?"
"Decades."
Victor looked at his phone.
"Sir."
Adrien turned.
"We just found an old company registration."
"Name?"
"Vale International."
Grace stared.
"Where?"
Victor hesitated.
"Chicago."
Adrien looked toward the rain.
"So he's been here all along."
Grace took his hand.
"Then let's finish this."
May you like
He looked at her.
This time, he didn't tell her no.
