Chapter 8: The Woman Who Was Supposed to Be Dead
My father's hand tightened around the steering wheel.
The woman in the red coat stood twenty feet away, her silver ring catching the glow of the headlights.
I couldn't see her face clearly.
But Harold could.
She whispered, “No.””
The woman smiled.
“Hello, Harold.””
Harold's entire body seemed to freeze.
Malik stared through the windshield.
“That's impossible.””
My father didn't answer.
He reached for the ignition.
The woman lifted one hand.
The men surrounding us immediately raised their weapons.
“Don't,” she called.
My father stopped.
She walked closer.
The red coat brushed against her ankles as she moved through the rain.
When she reached the headlights, I finally saw her face.
She looked older than the photograph in my father's office.
But her eyes were unmistakable.
Dark.
Cold.
Familiar.
I had seen those eyes before.
In the mirror.
In old photographs.
In the face of the woman who had raised me.
My breath caught.
“Mom?””
The woman smiled.
Not kindly.
Not lovingly.
Almost triumphantly.
“Yes, Ava.””
My whole body went numb.
Harold reached for me.
“Don't go near her.””
The woman laughed softly.
“You've spent seventeen years telling her that, haven't you?””
Harold's voice broke.
“You were supposed to be dead.””
“So was Daniel.””
My father stared at her.
“Maria.””
The name echoed inside me.
Maria.
My mother's name had always been Elena.
At least, that's what I had been told.
The woman touched the silver ring on her finger.
“Elena died seventeen years ago.””
I stared at her.
“No.””
She looked directly at me.
“She was never your mother.””
The world seemed to tilt.
I couldn't breathe.
“Then who are you?””
The woman stepped closer.
“I am your mother.””
Malik grabbed my arm.
I pulled away.
“Don't.””
He looked at me.
“Ava…”
“Don't touch me.””
My voice shook.
Everything inside me was collapsing.
My father was alive.
The woman who raised me wasn't my mother.
Harold had known.
Malik had known pieces of it.
And everyone had been lying.
Maria looked at Harold.
“You should have told her years ago.””
Harold's eyes filled with tears.
“I was protecting her.””
“You were protecting your promise to Daniel.””
My father opened the driver's door.
“Enough.””
Every weapon lifted.
Maria looked at him.
“Get back in the car.””
“You're not taking my daughter.””
Her expression hardened.
“She's my daughter.””
“She doesn't belong to you.””
“She belongs to the truth.””
Maria glanced at the pendant around my neck.
“And she has something I need.””
My hand closed around it.
“The ledger.””
“Yes.””
“No.””
Maria smiled.
“You haven't even asked what it's worth.””
“I don't care.””
“You should.””
She took a step closer.
“It isn't just a record of your father's business.””
She pointed at the pendant.
“It contains the identities of everyone Victor paid to destroy Northbridge.””
My father went pale.
Maria noticed.
“You didn't tell her that part, did you?””
He said nothing.
She laughed.
“Of course you didn't.””
I looked at my father.
“Is that true?””
He nodded.
“Yes.””
“What else haven't you told me?””
Maria answered for him.
“The ledger proves your father was framed.””
She looked at Malik.
“And it proves Elias was murdered.””
Malik's face tightened.
“So Victor killed my father.””
Maria nodded.
“He did.””
“Then why are you helping him?””
She looked at Malik.
“Because I'm not.””
The men around us exchanged glances.
Maria turned toward them.
“Lower your weapons.””
They did.
I stared.
“What?””
She walked toward the driver's side.
“These men work for me.””
My father looked surprised.
“Since when?””
“Since Victor stopped trusting me.””
Harold whispered, “You betrayed him.””
Maria looked at her.
“No.””
She smiled.
“I was waiting.””
“For what?””
“For the ledger to surface.””
I felt a cold shiver run through me.
“This was all planned?””
Maria looked at me.
“The wedding.””
My stomach dropped.
“What?””
“The wedding was never about marriage.””
Malik looked at her.
“What did you do?””
Maria ignored him.
She kept her eyes on me.
“Victor believed the ledger was hidden in the Hayes estate.””
Her gaze shifted to Harold.
“He searched for seventeen years.””
Harold said nothing.
“He couldn't find it.””
Maria's eyes returned to me.
“Because Daniel hid it inside the one person Victor would never suspect.””
My fingers tightened around the pendant.
“Me.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Because he trusted your love for your father.””
I stared at her.
She continued.
“Your father knew he might die. He knew Elias might die. He knew Victor would search everywhere.””
“And you?””
“I disappeared.””
My father stepped forward.
“You ran.””
Maria's expression hardened.
“I survived.””
“You left Ava.””
“I was being hunted.””
“You let her believe you were dead.””
“Because that was the only way to keep her alive.””
Harold stepped from the car.
“You didn't do it for her.””
Maria looked at her.
“You know nothing about what I did.””
“I know you abandoned her.””
“I watched from a distance.””
“That's not motherhood.””
Maria's eyes flashed.
“And what exactly did you do, Harold?””
Harold stopped.
Maria pointed at her.
“You took my child.””
“I raised her.””
“You raised her under a false name.””
“I kept her safe.””
“You stole seventeen years.””
Harold's voice broke.
“I gave her a childhood.””
The two women stared at each other.
I felt tears burning my eyes.
“Stop.””
Neither moved.
“Both of you.””
I stepped out of the car.
My father reached for me.
I shook my head.
“I need the truth.””
Maria nodded.
“Then listen carefully.””
She pointed toward the black SUV.
“Get inside.””
My father immediately said, “No.””
Maria looked at him.
“Daniel, you have five minutes before Victor's men arrive.””
He went still.
“How do you know?””
“Because I gave them your location.””
Everyone froze.
Malik stared at her.
“You what?””
Maria smiled.
“Your mother wasn't the only one watching.””
I looked at her.
“You betrayed us.””
“No.””
She looked toward the road.
“I created a choice.””
Then headlights appeared in the distance.
One set.
Then another.
Then three more.
Maria's men raised their weapons.
My father cursed.
“Victor.””
Maria nodded.
“He found us.””
The first SUV stopped across the intersection.
Doors opened.
Men poured out.
A voice shouted through a loudspeaker.
“Maria!””
She turned.
Victor stepped into the road.
He wore a dark suit and a red tie.
The exact same color my father's recording had warned me about.
My heart stopped.
He looked directly at me.
Then at the pendant.
He smiled.
“Hello, Ava.””
My father moved in front of me.
Victor laughed.
“You look exactly like your mother.””
Maria raised her weapon.
“Stay where you are.””
Victor lifted his hands.
“I don't want a fight.””
“Then leave.””
“I can't.””
“Why?””
Victor's gaze never left me.
“Because she has something that belongs to me.””
My father shouted, “It belongs to Ava.””
Victor shook his head.
“No.””
He touched the red tie.
“It belonged to Daniel.””
He looked at me again.
“And Daniel promised it to me.””
I heard Maria whisper something.
“What?””
She stepped closer.
“Victor, you don't understand.””
“What?””
“You still think the ledger is on the film.””
He frowned.
Maria smiled.
“It isn't.””
Victor's face changed.
“What did you do?””
Maria looked at me.
Then at the pendant.
“Nothing.””
She reached into her coat.
She pulled out a second pendant.
Identical to mine.
Victor's expression went blank.
My father stared.
“What is that?””
Maria opened it.
Inside was another strip of film.
Victor took one step backward.
“No.””
Maria smiled.
“You spent seventeen years chasing the wrong girl.””
I felt the blood leave my face.
She pointed at me.
“The ledger isn't inside Ava's necklace.””
Then she looked at Harold.
“It was never inside hers.””
Harold's eyes widened.
Maria's gaze dropped to the silver chain around Harold's neck.
“The real ledger is inside yours.””
Everyone turned toward Harold.
She slowly reached under her blouse.
A silver pendant emerged.
The exact same design as mine.
Malik stared at his mother.
“You had it?””
Harold's hands began to shake.
“I didn't know.””
Maria laughed.
“You knew.””
Harold closed her eyes.
“I knew there was something inside.””
Victor suddenly raised his gun.
“Give it to me.””
My father stepped forward.
“No.””
Victor aimed at him.
Maria shouted,
“Daniel, move!””
A gunshot exploded through the night.
I screamed.
My father staggered backward.
Malik caught him.
And Harold's pendant flew from her hand, spinning through the rain before landing at my feet.
I dropped to my knees.
I grabbed it.
Inside, beneath the silver shell, was a tiny folded strip of paper.
Not film.
Paper.
I unfolded it.
There were only six words.
*THE OWNER OF NORTHBRIDGE IS AVA.*
I looked up.
Victor was staring at me.
His face had lost all color.
May you like
And Maria whispered,
“Now you finally know why they tried to stop your wedding.””
