Tania couldn’t shake the gnawing unease that had settled into her mind since Ethan’s suspicious behavior the night before. His sudden apology had been too smooth, too quick. She paced their bedroom, her fingers clenching into fists as her thoughts spiraled. He knows something, she thought, her heart racing. She was sure of it.
The missing company funds. Ethan’s cold, emotionless gaze. His distant touches. Tania glanced at herself in the mirror, but the reflection seemed foreign. The smile she had plastered on earlier now felt grotesque, a mask that is barely hiding her crumbling sense of control.
Grabbing her phone, she dialed her accountant, only for the call to go unanswered. The silence on the other end made her feel more exposed. What if Ethan was onto me? The questions swirled in her head. How much does he really know?
Desperation clawed at her chest as she frantically paced the room, trying to think of her next move. She knew she needed to cover her tracks, but every step she took seemed like it was too late. She couldn’t risk losing Ethan’s fortune or the life she had built with him.
Tania’s thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock at the door. She snapped her head toward the sound, her pulse quickening.
“Mummy?” Grace’s small voice filtered through the crack in the door. “Why are you and Daddy always fighting?”
Tania’s breath caught in her throat. She hadn’t realized how much Grace had picked up on their tension. Forcing a smile, Tania turned toward her daughter, trying to keep her voice calm.
“Come here, sweetheart,” Tania said, beckoning her over. Grace hesitated for a moment, her innocent eyes wide and questioning.
“Daddy seems sad,” Grace whispered as she climbed onto the bed beside her mother. “And you’re always upset. Why don’t you smile like you used to?”
Tania’s heart clenched. For a moment, she faltered. She reached out and brushed a strand of hair from Grace’s forehead, her chest tightening with guilt. She loved Grace, but the webs she had woven were starting to strangle her.
“Sometimes, grown-ups have problems, darling,” Tania murmured, pulling Grace into her lap. “But it’s nothing for you to worry about. Daddy and I are just… figuring some things out.”
Grace frowned but didn’t push further. She nestled into her mother’s embrace, though her small hands clutched Tania’s sleeve as if seeking reassurance.
As Tania held her daughter close, she couldn’t help but wonder how long she could keep this facade up.
Meanwhile, across town, Derek sat in his dimly lit office, a stack of files spread across his desk. His brows furrowed as he examined the records he had gathered about Fabian. Something didn’t sit right with him. His investigation had started with the goal of helping Ella take down Tania, but now, the deeper he dug, the more unsettling the connections became.
As he scrolled through the data, Derek’s eyes locked on a name Grace. He clicked on a report and leaned back in his chair, his heartbeat quickening as the pieces clicked into place. No… it couldn’t be.
His mind raced. He had discovered Fabian’s involvement with Tania, but this was a bombshell he hadn’t anticipated. Grace wasn’t Ethan’s daughter.
She was Fabian’s.
Derek immediately thought of Ella. She deserved to know the truth, but he knew how devastating this news would be. After all the chaos and betrayal, this revelation could change everything.
Without hesitating, he grabbed his phone and called Ella. His voice was calm but filled with urgency.
“We need to meet. Now.”
Ella sat in the quiet of her apartment, her mind replaying the events of the past few days.
Her phone buzzed, pulling her from her thoughts. Seeing Derek’s name, she answered, her voice steady.
“What is it?”
“I’ve found something,” Derek said without preamble. “You need to hear this in person.”
Ella’s heart sank. “Derek, just tell me. I don’t have time for more secrets.”
Derek hesitated for a moment before speaking. “It’s about Grace… She’s not Ethan’s daughter. Fabian is her father.”
The words hit Ella like a punch to the gut. She gripped the phone tighter, struggling to process the information.
“How… how do you know this?”
“I did some digging. I found medical records that confirm it. Apparently they had something to do with each other years ago.
Ella’s breath caught in her throat as a wave of emotions crashed over her anger, disbelief, sadness. Grace wasn’t just a reminder of Ethan’s betrayal. She was the child of the man Tania hired to kill her, a man she once called a friend
“What do I do?” Ella whispered, her voice barely audible.
Derek’s voice softened. “You’ll figure it out. But whatever happens, you need to be ready.
Ella nodded, though Derek couldn’t see her. She hung up the phone, her mind swirling with the revelation. The pieces of her life, already fractured, felt like they were shattering once again.
But this time, Ella wouldn’t let the chaos consume her. She would stay strong, for her children, for herself. And maybe, just maybe, she could find a way to heal from the wounds of the past.
But first, she had to face the truth about Grace, and what it meant for her future with Ethan, Fabian, and the tangled web they were all trapped in.