Chapter 4 - MY MOTHER'S CONFESSIONI returned to the Vance mansion alone.
Sophie begged me not to.
Harrison ordered me not to.
I went anyway.
Because if Eleanor had finally decided to tell me the truth, I needed to hear it from her mouth.
The mansion was silent.
My mother waited in the library.
She had changed clothes.
No diamond choker.
No silk gown.
No makeup.
She looked smaller.
Older.
For the first time, she looked like my mother.
Not the woman who had controlled me.
Not the social queen.
Just Eleanor.
“Sit.”
I remained standing.
“You said you killed Grandma.”
She closed her eyes.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because she threatened to destroy everything.”
“What everything?”
“Our family.”
I laughed bitterly.
“You mean your money.”
“No.”
She looked at me.
“Your life.”
I frowned.
“She knew something about you.”
“What?”
“That you were not Jonathan's daughter.”
My hands went cold.
“Who is my father?”
She didn't answer.
“Mom.”
She whispered:
“Alexander Sterling.”
My heart stopped.
“Julian's father?”
She nodded.
I stepped backward.
“No.”
“Your grandmother discovered it.”
“How?”
“I was twenty-four.”
Eleanor's voice trembled.
“I was having an affair.”
“With Alexander?”
“Yes.”
I felt sick.
“Jonathan knew?”
“Eventually.”
“And Julian?”
“No.”
I stared at her.
“You let me get engaged to Julian?”
“I thought if you married him, the secret would stay within the family.”
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
“You knew I might be marrying my half-brother?”
She began crying.
“I didn't know when the engagement began.”
“You knew afterward.”
“Yes.”
“And you said nothing.”
“I was afraid.”
I turned away.
“You were always afraid.”
She looked at me.
“You don't understand what your grandmother was going to do.”
“Tell me.”
“She planned to expose Alexander.”
“Why?”
“Because he had helped Jonathan steal from the company.”
I stared.
“Everyone was stealing.”
She nodded.
“And your grandmother wanted to stop them.”
“What did you do?”
“I confronted her.”
“And?”
“We argued.”
“You killed her.”
“I pushed her.”
My breath caught.
“She fell.”
Eleanor covered her face.
“She hit her head.”
“Then why say heart attack?”
“Because Jonathan came in.”
“And he helped you cover it up.”
She nodded.
“Then what happened?”
“Your grandmother was still alive.”
I froze.
“What?”
“She was alive for several minutes.”
“Did you call an ambulance?”
“No.”
“Why?”
Eleanor looked at me.
“Because Jonathan said if she survived, all of us would go to prison.”
My stomach turned.
“You left her there.”
“Yes.”
“While she was alive.”
She nodded.
I felt tears burning my eyes.
“You let her die.”
“I know.”
The door opened.
Jonathan stood there.
He looked exhausted.
“Eleanor.”
She turned.
“Tell her the rest.”
He shook his head.
“No.”
I stared at him.
“What rest?”
My father looked at me.
“Your grandmother wasn't the only person who knew who your biological father was.”
“Who else?”
He whispered:
“Julian.”
I froze.
“No.”
“He found out three months ago.”
Everything suddenly made sense.
The hesitation.
The secrecy.
The strange conversations.
His constant insistence that he was protecting me.
I turned toward the door.
“I need to see him.”
Jonathan grabbed my arm.
“Vivienne, wait.”
I pulled away.
“You don't get to tell me what to do anymore.”
I walked out.
Outside, my phone buzzed.
A message from Julian.
Meet me at the old Vance warehouse.
Then:
Come alone.
I stared at the screen.
May you like
A final message appeared.
I know who your real father is.
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