Chapter 7 - Loven Was Built on a Lie—And Lorenzo Revealed the One Secret He Had Kept From Both His Sons and MeLorenzo told us everything.
He had met Maria two years before the night everyone remembered.
She had treated him after an assassination attempt.
But before that—
she had saved his life as a child.
His family had known her family.
The Richis had been connected to the Blackwoods for generations.
My grandmother had once worked with Lorenzo's father.
She had helped hide money from corrupt relatives.
She had protected people.
Then she discovered a secret trust.
A trust that could remove control from the family if the empire became criminal.
The heir would be the first daughter born to Lorenzo.
Me.
That was why I had been hunted.
My birth wasn't an accident.
It was a threat.
Silas wanted the trust.
My father wanted freedom.
My mother wanted me alive.
The Blackwood family had been fighting over me before I could walk.
I looked at Lorenzo.
“You could have told me.”
He nodded.
“I should have.”
“Why didn't you?”
“I wanted one thing in my life that wasn't political.”
I smiled sadly.
“Your daughter.”
“Yes.”
He touched my hand.
“Mine.”
Adrien looked away.
I realized something.
He had spent his life believing he was protecting his father.
Now he was protecting me.
Family wasn't blood.
Not entirely.
It was choice.
We finally found Celia.
She surrendered.
She wasn't trying to destroy us.
She wanted to expose her mother.
Evelyn had been one of the people who altered records.
Celia had discovered it.
She had spent years collecting evidence.
She showed us documents.
Hospital files.
Trust agreements.
Payments.
Letters.
Everything.
The Archivist wasn't Celia.
It was Evelyn.
Still alive.
And she had been working with Silas.
But why?
Because Evelyn believed Lorenzo had destroyed her family.
She wanted revenge.
We found her in Ohio.
My mother's hometown.
She was waiting for me.
“You look like your mother.”
I stared.
“You almost killed me.”
“No.”
She smiled.
“I protected you.”
“By erasing me?”
“By hiding you.”
“You forged my records.”
“To keep Silas from finding you.”
“You worked with him.”
“I had no choice.”
“You always have a choice.”
She looked tired.
“So did your father.”
I stepped closer.
“Tell me the truth.”
She did.
Silas had murdered Isabella.
He had orchestrated the false records.
He had threatened my mother.
He had manipulated the trust.
Evelyn tried to stop him but failed.
Eventually she became part of the machine.
She had been The Archivist.
But she wasn't the mastermind.
There was one person above her.
Lorenzo's father.
He had ordered the entire operation.
He wanted the trust controlled.
He had separated Lorenzo and Maria.
He had caused Isabella's death.
He had manipulated everyone.
My grandfather.
I stared.
“He's dead.”
“Yes.”
“Then who continued?”
Evelyn looked at me.
“You're still missing one person.”
“Who?”
She smiled.
“Your grandmother.”
I froze.
“My grandmother is dead.”
“No.”
“She died when I was ten.”
“She disappeared.”
My world tilted.
Evelyn gave us an address.
A small town in Vermont.
We went.
An elderly woman opened the door.
I knew her immediately.
My grandmother.
Alive.
Tears filled her eyes.
“Claraara.”
I couldn't breathe.
She pulled me into her arms.
I cried.
“You're alive.”
“Yes.”
“Why did you leave?”
“To protect you.”
“From whom?”
She looked toward Lorenzo.
“From your grandfather.”
Then she whispered,
“And from your father.”
I stepped back.
“Why?”
“Because Lorenzo wanted to fight.”
“And you didn't?”
“I wanted you to live.”
She gave me a box.
Inside was the original trust.
And one photograph.
My father.
My mother.
My grandmother.
Lorenzo.
And Isabella.
All together.
The night before I was born.
On the back:
One family. Four secrets. One child.
I stared.
“What happened that night?”
My grandmother answered.
“Your mother was supposed to disappear.”
“But she didn't.”
“No.”
“Who helped her?”
May you like
She looked at Lorenzo.
“I did.”
Related Stories
