CHAPTER 5:THE PERSON WHO KNEW VICTORIA’S SECRET
The nursery went completely dark.
For a few seconds…
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
The only sound was the quiet heartbeat of my children sleeping against Emily’s chest.
Then—
Crash.
A glass shattered somewhere downstairs.
My instincts took over.
I stepped in front of Emily and the twins.
Protecting them.
The same way Emily had protected them moments before.
Victoria noticed.
And something flashed across her face.
Pain.
Not anger.
Not fear.
Pain.
Because she realized something.
I was no longer protecting her.
I was protecting them from her.
“Ethan…”
Her voice was softer now.
Almost human.
“Listen to me.”
I didn’t move.
“No.”
She stared at me.
“You don’t understand what’s happening.”
I looked toward the hallway.
“Someone just broke into our house.”
My voice was cold.
“And somehow…”
I looked back at her.
“I’m still more worried about what you’re hiding.”
Victoria’s expression hardened again.
The mask returned.
“You’re making a mistake.”
Emily whispered:
“No.”
Her eyes stayed fixed on Victoria.
“He’s finally seeing clearly.”
Before Victoria could respond—
A shadow moved outside the nursery door.
I immediately reached for my phone.
No signal.
Of course.
The power outage.
Someone had planned this.
The door creaked open.
Slowly.
A figure appeared.
A man.
Tall.
Wearing a dark jacket.
His face was partially hidden in the shadows.
Victoria stepped backward.
And for the first time all night…
She looked terrified.
Not pretending.
Actually terrified.
“Marcus…”
She whispered.
The man stepped into the room.
And smiled.
“Hello, Victoria.”
My eyes narrowed.
“You know him?”
Victoria didn’t answer.
That was enough.
I looked at the stranger.
“Who are you?”
The man looked at me.
Then at Emily.
Then at the twins.
And smiled.
“My name is Marcus Reed.”
He paused.
“And I’m the reason your wife has been so desperate to keep the truth buried.”
Victoria’s voice became sharp.
“Get out.”
Marcus laughed quietly.
“Still giving orders?”
He walked further into the room.
“You haven’t changed.”
I moved slightly closer to the twins.
“Someone better start explaining.”
Marcus looked at Victoria.
“She never told you, did she?”
I felt my stomach tighten.
“Told me what?”
Marcus reached into his coat.
Victoria immediately reacted.
“Don’t.”
One word.
But the fear behind it was obvious.
Marcus pulled out a photograph.
An old photograph.
He handed it to me.
I looked down.
And my entire world stopped.
The picture showed Victoria.
Years ago.
Holding a baby.
But that wasn’t what shocked me.
Standing beside her…
Was Marcus.
And behind them…
Was another woman.
A woman I recognized.
Emily’s mother.
I looked up.
“What is this?”
Marcus stared at Victoria.
“Tell him.”
Victoria said nothing.
“Tell him how you knew Emily’s family.”
Silence.
Then Marcus continued.
“Your wife wasn’t just connected to Emily’s father.”
“She was there the night he disappeared.”
Emily covered her mouth.
“No…”
Marcus nodded.
“Yes.”
My eyes moved toward Victoria.
“Is this true?”
She looked away.
That was the answer.
“Victoria…”
My voice dropped.
“What happened that night?”
Her jaw tightened.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Marcus stepped forward.
“I know exactly what happened.”
He pulled out another document.
“Because I helped cover it up.”
The room became silent.
Even Victoria looked surprised.
“You?”
Marcus smiled bitterly.
“You thought I would protect you forever?”
He looked at me.
“Your wife’s family destroyed innocent people to protect their empire.”
Emily’s eyes filled with tears.
“My father…”
Marcus nodded.
“He discovered they were stealing millions from their own company.”
Victoria finally spoke.
“He was going to ruin everything.”
Her voice was cold.
And that sentence confirmed everything.
I stared at her.
“You knew.”
She looked at me.
“Yes.”
My heart broke.
“You knew what they did.”
“Yes.”
“You let an innocent man disappear.”
Her silence was enough.
I felt something inside me die.
The woman I loved wasn’t just cruel.
She had built her entire life on secrets.
But then Marcus said something that made me freeze.
“There’s one more thing.”
Everyone looked at him.
He looked at the twins.
“Your children.”
My body became tense.
“What about them?”
Marcus took a deep breath.
“Their birth records were changed.”
Emily looked at him.
“What?”
Marcus looked at Victoria.
“She never told him.”
Victoria’s face went pale.
“Stop.”
Marcus ignored her.
“Ethan…”
His voice became serious.
“Those babies were the reason Victoria made sure you never discovered the truth.”
I felt my hands shaking.
“What truth?”
Marcus looked directly at me.
“Your twins are not only connected to you.”
A pause.
“They are connected to the secret Victoria has been protecting for years.”
My mind raced.
“No.”
Marcus nodded.
“Yes.”
I looked at Victoria.
“Tell me he’s lying.”
For the first time…
Victoria looked broken.
Not angry.
Not powerful.
Broken.
And then she whispered:
“I was trying to protect you.”
I laughed bitterly.
“Protect me?”
She looked at my children.
“I was trying to protect this family.”
Emily stepped forward.
“No.”
Her voice trembled.
“You were protecting yourself.”
Victoria’s eyes filled with tears.
And then she said the one sentence I never expected.
“The twins…”
She looked at me.
“They weren’t supposed to survive.”
The room went completely silent.
My heart stopped.
“What did you just say?”
Victoria closed her eyes.
And whispered:
“The night they were born…”
“I made a choice.”
A terrible feeling crawled through my body.
“What choice?”
She opened her eyes.
And the truth finally came out.
“The doctor who delivered them…”
“He wasn’t supposed to tell you everything.”
I stared at her.
“Why?”
Victoria looked at Emily.
Then at Marcus.
Then back at me.
“Because one of your children…”
“Was never meant to be yours.”
The words destroyed me.
My knees almost gave out.
Emily gasped.
Marcus looked away.
And somewhere in the darkness…
May you like
My children began to cry.
(Continued in Chapter 6: THE FINAL LIE VICTORIA TOLD ME)
