Chapter 13 - The Woman Who Was Supposed to Be Dead
Margaret Vale had not used that name publicly in twenty years.
She now called herself Margaret Sterling.
Victor had met her dozens of times.
She was a polished philanthropist.
A quiet board member.
A woman who had once hugged him at Grace’s memorial service.
He had never known she was Serena’s mother.
Victor confronted Serena that evening.
Margaret’s photograph lay on the table.
Serena stopped pretending.
“Yes.”
“She’s my mother.”
“You told me she was dead.”
“I told you what Adrian told me to say.”
Victor stared at her.
“Why?”
“Because my mother’s connection to your family would have made you suspicious.”
“You think?”
Serena lowered her gaze.
Victor did not soften.
“Did you meet me because Adrian arranged it?”
“Yes.”
The answer hurt more than Victor expected.
“Was any of it real?”
Serena remained silent.
That was enough.
Then she looked toward Ethan’s nursery.
“I never agreed to seriously hurt him.”
Victor’s face became hard.
“You hurt him.”
“I know.”
“You terrorized Lily.”
“I know.”
“You helped manufacture evidence that I was neglecting my own child.”
Serena’s eyes filled.
“Yes.”
“Then stop asking me to separate your intentions from your actions.”
She flinched.
Victor leaned forward.
“Why did Adrian want control now?”
Serena hesitated.
“Because of the merger.”
Blackwood Holdings was preparing the largest acquisition in company history.
If Adrian controlled Ethan’s shares during the vote, he could block Victor and force a breakup of the company.
Several divisions would then be sold.
Serena whispered.
“Margaret already has buyers.”
Victor understood.
This was not only a family conspiracy.
It was a planned corporate takeover worth billions.
Then Serena said something unexpected.
“Adrian promised me Ethan would never be in real danger.”
Victor stared at her.
“And you believed him?”
“At first.”
“When did you stop?”
“Three weeks ago.”
“What happened?”
Serena’s voice shook.
“He told me we needed one incident serious enough to make the investigators remove Ethan from your house.”
Victor stood so quickly the chair struck the wall.
Serena continued.
“That’s why I started panicking.”
“That’s why I wanted Lily gone.”
Victor’s voice became deadly quiet.
“No.”
“That’s why you wanted the one person protecting Ethan gone.”
Serena had no answer.
Then Naomi rushed into the room.
“The emergency board hearing has been moved.”
“To when?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
“And Adrian filed his petition.”
Victor already knew what she was going to say.
May you like
Naomi confirmed it.
“He wants control of Ethan’s trust immediately.”
