CHAPTER 14 — MY MOTHER KNEW THE TRUTH ALL ALONG
The lake house sat at the edge of Lake Michigan.
Dark.
Silent.
Beautiful.
And completely wrong.
Dominic killed the headlights nearly a mile away.
We continued on foot.
Rain soaked my coat.
The lake thundered in the distance.
“You said this was your father's private property.”
“It was.”
“Was?”
“After he disappeared, the ownership changed.”
“To whom?”
Dominic looked at me.
“Linda.”
I stopped.
“What?”
“Your mother owns the lake house.”
I stared at him.
“That doesn't make sense.”
“It does if Anthony transferred it to her.”
“Why would he?”
“To hide assets.”
I shook my head.
“Linda never told me.”
“She couldn't.”
“Everyone keeps saying that.”
Dominic looked at me.
“I know.”
We approached the house from the rear.
No guards.
No vehicles.
No lights.
Too quiet.
Dominic touched my shoulder.
“Stay here.”
“No.”
“Avery.”
“I've spent my entire life being kept outside the room where decisions about me were made.”
I looked at him.
“Not anymore.”
He studied me for a moment.
Then nodded.
We entered together.
The house smelled old.
Dust.
Wood.
Rain.
I remembered coming here once as a child.
I had forgotten.
But the moment I stepped inside—
something came back.
A fireplace.
A blue sofa.
A wooden staircase.
And a woman carrying me.
Linda.
But she wasn't alone.
There was another woman.
Tall.
Dark hair.
Elegant.
She was holding a baby boy.
Dominic.
I stopped breathing.
“I remember.”
Dominic turned.
“What?”
“My mother.”
“Linda?”
“No.”
I closed my eyes.
“She wasn't Linda.”
Images flashed through my mind.
A woman singing.
A silver necklace.
A crescent-shaped birthmark.
A man's voice.
Don't let them find her.
I opened my eyes.
“Isabella.”
Dominic stared at me.
“You remember her?”
“Not clearly.”
I touched my temple.
“But I remember her voice.”
A floorboard creaked upstairs.
Dominic drew his weapon.
We moved silently.
At the end of the hallway was a locked bedroom.
The door had a small black circle carved into it.
I pulled out the key.
It fit.
The door opened.
Inside was a child's bedroom.
Two cribs.
Two small beds.
Photographs.
Toys.
And an old wooden chest.
I walked toward it.
My hands trembled.
“Dominic.”
He came closer.
Inside the chest were letters.
Dozens.
All addressed to me.
Avery.
I picked up the first.
The date was twenty-six years ago.
Then another.
Twenty-five years ago.
Another.
Twenty-four.
My father had been telling the truth.
Isabella had tried to contact me.
For years.
I opened one.
My daughter,
I don't know if you will ever know who I am.
But I need you to understand one thing.
I never gave you away.
I lost you.
My eyes blurred.
I opened another.
Linda is protecting you.
Trust her.
The next.
Anthony is protecting Dominic.
Michael is protecting both of you.
Another.
If Gabriel ever comes to you, listen.
I stopped.
Gabriel had known.
Everything.
The final letter was dated eight years ago.
The night my father supposedly died.
I unfolded it.
Avery,
Tonight, Michael and Anthony are going to disappear.
If you hear that they are dead, don't believe it.
They are trying to protect you from the person inside our family.
If they fail, Linda will take you and raise you as her own.
My breath caught.
The next line was underlined.
Never let anyone tell you Linda abandoned you. She saved your life.
I closed my eyes.
All those years—
I had never known.
I had blamed my mother for being secretive.
For being afraid.
For refusing to answer questions about my father.
But she had been carrying the truth alone.
A sound came from the doorway.
I turned.
Linda stood there.
Alive.
Weak.
But standing.
“Mom?”
She smiled through tears.
“I'm sorry.”
I ran to her.
She wrapped her arms around me.
I held her so tightly it hurt.
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
“All of it?”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“But enough.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because your father made me promise.”
“You lied to me.”
“I protected you.”
I pulled back.
“Everyone keeps calling lies protection.”
Linda touched my face.
“Because sometimes it is.”
I looked at her.
“How did you get here?”
She glanced at Dominic.
“Anthony.”
Dominic froze.
“My father?”
Linda nodded.
“He came for me.”
“When?”
“Three days ago.”
I stared.
“Anthony is alive?”
“Yes.”
Dominic looked stunned.
“Where is he?”
Linda's eyes filled with sadness.
“He was captured.”
“By Richard?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
Linda looked toward the window.
“Isabella.”
Silence.
My heart stopped.
“Isabella is alive?”
Linda nodded.
“She has been alive all these years.”
Dominic took a step back.
“My mother…”
“She isn't the woman you think she is.”
I looked at Linda.
“Then what is she?”
Linda's voice trembled.
“A survivor.”
Dominic shook his head.
“She built the network.”
“She built part of it.”
“She hurt people.”
“Yes.”
“She threatened my father.”
“Yes.”
“She tried to take Avery.”
Linda looked at me.
“Yes.”
“Then why call her a survivor?”
“Because after Alexander Moretti died, someone took control.”
“Who?”
Linda hesitated.
Then said:
“Richard Cole.”
I felt cold.
“Richard worked for Alexander.”
“Yes.”
“And then for Isabella.”
“Yes.”
“But Gabriel said Richard was behind Project Heir.”
“He was.”
“Then why did Isabella let him?”
“Because she didn't know.”
Dominic looked confused.
“How could she not know?”
“Because Richard betrayed her too.”
The room fell silent.
Linda continued.
“He told Isabella that Avery had died.”
My heart stopped.
“He lied?”
“Yes.”
“He told her I was dead?”
“Yes.”
“And she believed him?”
“For years.”
I looked at the letters.
Twenty-seven years of unanswered letters.
A mother writing to a daughter she believed dead.
My throat tightened.
“Where is she now?”
Linda looked at me.
“She wants to meet you.”
“When?”
“Tonight.”
Dominic stepped forward.
“No.”
Linda looked at him.
“She is your mother.”
“She is dangerous.”
“So is everyone who has survived this long.”
Dominic's eyes hardened.
Linda reached into her pocket.
She pulled out a small photograph.
It showed Isabella.
Older.
Gray streaks in her dark hair.
Standing beside a man.
Anthony.
Both were alive.
Behind them was a large stone mansion.
I recognized it immediately.
“That's…”
Dominic whispered:
“Blackwater Estate.”
Linda nodded.
“That's where they're holding Anthony.”
“And Isabella?”
“She owns the estate.”
I looked at Dominic.
“We're going.”
“No.”
I frowned.
“You're not stopping me.”
“I'm not.”
He looked at me.
“I'm coming with you.”
Linda suddenly grabbed my wrist.
“Wait.”
I turned.
Her eyes were terrified.
“There is something you must know before you meet Isabella.”
“What?”
Linda's voice dropped.
“She didn't send for you because she wants forgiveness.”
I felt a chill.
“Then why?”
Linda looked toward the dark window.
“Because she has discovered who the real mastermind is.”
“Who?”
Linda swallowed.
“The person who has been controlling Richard.”
“Who?”
She whispered:
“Michael.”
My heart stopped.
“My father?”
Linda shook her head.
“No.”
She pointed toward the photograph.
At the man standing beside Isabella.
Anthony.
“The man controlling Richard…”
Her voice broke.
“…is your father's best friend.”
I stared at the photograph.
Gabriel.
But Gabriel had just been shot.
He was supposed to be dying.
And yet—
Linda whispered:
“Gabriel never betrayed your father.”
I looked at her.
“He betrayed Isabella.”
She nodded.
“He betrayed everyone.”
“Why?”
“Because he made a deal.”
“With who?”
Linda's eyes filled with tears.
“To save you.”
A distant car engine roared outside.
Dominic turned toward the window.
Headlights appeared through the rain.
One vehicle.
Then another.
Then five more.
Dominic's expression changed.
“We've been found.”
Linda gripped my hand.
And from outside came a voice through a loudspeaker.
“AVERY CARTER.”
I froze.
The voice continued.
“COME OUT.”
A pause.
“Your father is waiting.”
Then another voice spoke.
A voice I had heard only moments ago.
My father's.
“Don't listen to them, Avery.”
I stared at the window.
Because his voice came from the speakers outside.
And then—
my phone rang.
May you like
The caller ID displayed one word.
DAD.
