Chapter 5 - THE BETRAYAL
Victor disappeared before police could stop him.
For twelve hours, nobody knew where he was.
Luca barely slept.
Nia stayed at a hotel with the twins under private security.
She wanted to trust Luca.
But trust was no longer simple.
Too many people had lied.
The next morning, Eva arrived with another file.
“I found this in my father's safe.”
Inside was a list of payments.
Every month, money had moved from the Moretti trust into several accounts.
One belonged to Victor.
Another belonged to a law firm.
And another belonged to a woman named Claire Carter.
Nia froze.
“My mother?”
Eva nodded.
Nia had not spoken to her mother in years.
Claire had disappeared from her life shortly after Nia's divorce.
She had always assumed her mother had chosen distance.
Now she wondered whether that had been true.
She called the number.
A woman answered.
“Nia?”
Her voice trembled.
“Mom?”
Silence.
Then Claire whispered:
“I was afraid you'd find out.”
Nia's heart pounded.
“Find out what?”
“I didn't abandon you.”
“Then why did you disappear?”
“Because your father was threatening to take the children.”
Nia went still.
“What children?”
“The twins.”
“But they weren't born yet.”
Claire began crying.
“He knew.”
“How?”
“He had someone watching you.”
Nia felt sick.
Her own family had known about the pregnancy.
They had known before Luca.
Claire continued.
“Your father owed Anthony Moretti money. He agreed to help separate you from Luca in exchange for clearing the debt.”
Nia's hands shook.
“My father was involved?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did Anthony try to protect me?”
“Because Anthony discovered the truth.”
“What truth?”
Claire whispered:
“Victor had been stealing from the trust.”
Nia closed her eyes.
Everything connected.
Victor needed Luca to remain childless.
If Luca had no children, Victor could control the family trust.
But there was still one question.
Why had Victor gone so far as to erase Nia?
Claire answered it without being asked.
“Because your twins were not only Luca's heirs.”
Nia frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“They inherited something from you.”
“What?”
Claire whispered:
“Your father's technology patents.”
Nia's breath stopped.
Her father had supposedly died with nothing.
But Claire revealed the truth.
He had secretly owned patents worth hundreds of millions.
And the twins were named beneficiaries.
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Victor hadn't been protecting the Moretti fortune.
He had been trying to steal Nia's children's future.
