Tania awoke in the middle of the night to her phone buzzing on the bedside table, pulling her out of her thoughts. It was a message from Crystal: We need to talk. Now.
Tania didn’t want to deal with Crystal. She threw the phone aside and buried her face in her hands. Still feeling exhausted from the lack of sleep she had for days she drifted back to sleep
Downstairs, Grace continued to wait for her father. Her eyes heavy, she had curled up on the couch by the fire, still longing for someone to explain why her world had changed so drastically. She thought about Leo and Liam again, how she used to play with them during recess at school. Why won’t they talk to me anymore?
When Ethan finally returned home, he found Grace fast asleep by the fire. He approached her gently, his heart aching at the sight of his daughter curled up alone, waiting for him. He brushed a stray hair from her forehead, his chest tightening with guilt. I should’ve been here, he thought.
Just as he was about to head upstairs, his phone buzzed. It was another message from Victor: We need to talk again. There’s more.
Ethan’s mind was still reeling from what Victor had told him earlier, but he knew he couldn’t delay any longer. He tiptoed out of the room and returned to his study, dialing Victor’s number.
“Ethan, there’s something else you should know,” Victor’s voice was low, cautious. “I’ve dug deeper into Tania’s past… and I found more connections between her and Fabian. It seems their alliance goes back further than we thought. She’s been pulling the strings from the very beginning.”
Ethan clenched his jaw, his mind racing. “Tell me everything.”
Victor hesitated before continuing. “Tania didn’t just hire Fabian to kill Ella. She’s been working with him for years. She’s been manipulating you, Ella, everyone… this was never just about getting rid of Ella. It’s about control and power”
Ethan’s breath caught in his throat. This isn’t just betrayal it’s a web of lies. And I’m trapped in it.