Chapter 9: The Enemy Behind the Curtain
“Sarah.””
The name left Adrian’s mouth quietly.
But somehow, it sounded louder than every scream that had filled the ballroom that night.
My head turned.
Slowly.
Toward the woman standing near the exit.
My best friend.
The person who had defended me when Chloe accused me.
The person who had stood up and told everyone to stop.
The person I believed was on my side.
Sarah’s face changed.
Not dramatically.
Not like Chloe.
Not like Eleanor.
Just a small flicker.
A moment where she realized the truth had reached her.
The ballroom became completely silent.
“Sarah?”” I whispered.
She didn’t answer.
My chest tightened.
Because betrayal from enemies hurt.
But betrayal from someone you trusted?
That was something else.
That was the kind of pain that made you question every memory you had.
Every conversation.
Every moment you thought was real.
Sarah slowly stepped away from the exit.
“Emma…”
I shook my head.
“No.””
My voice was quiet.
“Don’t.””
She stopped.
Because she knew.
She knew that one word meant more than anger.
It meant disappointment.
“I don’t understand,” I said.
Her eyes filled.
And for a second, I saw the woman I thought I knew.
The woman who brought me soup when I was sick.
The woman who sat with me after my mother passed away.
The woman who promised:
“You’ll never have to face anything alone.””
But now she stood among the people who tried to destroy me.
Adrian held up his phone.
“The emergency transfer request came from Sarah’s device.””
Everyone looked at her.
Sarah immediately shook her head.
“No.””
Her voice cracked.
“That’s not possible.””
Adrian looked at her.
“The system recorded the access.””
“I didn’t do it.””
“Then explain why your credentials were used.””
She had no answer.
Chloe suddenly laughed.
A bitter sound.
“So that’s it?””
Everyone looked at her.
She crossed her arms.
“Sarah was the secret villain all along?””
I noticed something.
Chloe wasn’t surprised.
Not truly.
She was angry.
But not shocked.
I looked at her.
“You knew.””
The smile disappeared.
“What?””
“You knew Sarah was involved.””
“No.””
The answer was immediate.
Too immediate.
I stepped closer.
“Chloe.””
She looked away.
That was enough.
I felt my stomach sink.
How many people had been part of this?
How many conversations had happened without me?
How many times had I been the only person in the room who didn’t know the truth?
Sarah finally spoke.
“I never wanted this.””
I looked at her.
“Never wanted what?””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“This.””
She looked around.
“The humiliation. The accusations.””
I stared.
“But you helped create it.””
“No.””
“Yes.””
My voice shook.
“You knew Chloe planned to accuse me.””
Sarah looked down.
“I knew she was angry.””
“That’s not an answer.””
She stayed silent.
I felt something inside me break.
“Did you know she would tear my dress?””
Her eyes closed.
That was my answer.
A wave of anger moved through me.
“You knew.””
“I thought she would scare you.””
The words were almost a whisper.
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“Scare me?””
Sarah stepped forward.
“Emma, listen—”
“No.””
I backed away.
“You watched.””
Her face crumpled.
“I was trying to protect you.””
I stared at her.
“By standing there?””
She started crying.
“I didn’t know how to stop it.””
The ballroom remained silent.
Because everyone heard the excuse.
The same excuse I had heard all night.
I didn’t know.
I didn’t mean to.
I was trying to help.
But the truth was simple.
Someone could hurt you without being the person who caused the damage.
Sometimes they hurt you by refusing to stop it.
Adrian looked at Sarah.
“What was your arrangement?””
She looked at him.
“I don’t know what you mean.””
“Who asked you to access the trust system?””
Nobody moved.
Sarah’s expression changed.
And I saw it.
The fear.
Not of being caught.
Of someone else.
“Sarah.””
My voice softened slightly.
“Who?””
She looked toward Eleanor.
The entire room followed her eyes.
Eleanor’s face turned cold.
“Don’t.””
Sarah immediately looked away.
But it was too late.
I understood.
Eleanor.
Again.
The person behind everything.
The person who had been quietly controlling the situation from the beginning.
Adrian stepped forward.
“Eleanor, you need to answer.””
She laughed.
A controlled, confident laugh.
“You all think you’ve figured everything out.””
Nobody responded.
She looked around the ballroom.
“At what point did everyone decide Emma was innocent?””
I frowned.
The question shocked me.
Because she still wasn’t admitting anything.
She was attacking.
Like always.
“She manipulated all of you.””
Eleanor pointed at me.
“She acts like a victim because people feel sorry for her.””
I stared.
After everything.
After the evidence.
After the recordings.
She still chose cruelty.
“You really believe that?””
“Yes.””
Her answer was immediate.
“Because I know what you are.””
I felt my jaw tighten.
“What am I?””
Eleanor smiled.
“Dangerous.””
The word surprised everyone.
Even Chloe.
Eleanor continued.
“You have no idea how much influence you have.””
I shook my head.
“No.””
She stepped closer.
“You never understood.””
Her voice lowered.
“Your grandfather built everything around you. Everyone respected you because of him.””
I stared.
“And you hated that.””
“Yes.””
The confession came so easily that the room froze.
Eleanor continued.
“You walked into this family and suddenly Dominic looked at you like you were the most important person in the world.””
She looked at Chloe.
“My daughter spent her whole life trying to earn approval.””
Then back at me.
“And you received it without trying.””
There it was.
The truth.
Not money.
Not inheritance.
Jealousy.
Eleanor had built an entire war because she believed I had taken something from her daughter.
But I hadn’t.
I had simply been loved.
And she couldn’t stand it.
Dominic looked at his mother.
“Mom…”
She turned toward him.
“Don’t look at me like that.””
He looked devastated.
“You ruined everything.””
Eleanor’s expression hardened.
“No.””
She pointed at him.
“You ruined everything when you chose her.””
I felt cold.
Because even now, Eleanor didn’t see people.
Only choices.
Only advantages.
Only what they could provide.
Sarah suddenly spoke.
“I can explain.””
Everyone looked at her.
She wiped her tears.
“Eleanor contacted me months ago.””
I looked at her.
My heart sank.
“Why?””
Sarah looked ashamed.
“She knew I was having financial problems.””
I stared.
She continued.
“She offered to help.””
“And what did she want?””
Sarah hesitated.
“Information.””
A chill went through me.
“What information?””
“About you.””
The answer hurt more than I expected.
“What kind of information?””
Sarah looked down.
“Your schedule. Your documents. Your conversations with Dominic.””
I felt sick.
My best friend had been reporting on me.
Sarah whispered:
“I told myself I was only helping her understand what was happening.””
I shook my head.
“You were spying on me.””
Tears rolled down her face.
“Yes.””
Nobody spoke.
Then Dominic suddenly looked toward Sarah.
“Wait.””
Everyone turned.
His face changed.
“What did you tell Eleanor about Emma?””
Sarah froze.
“What?””
Dominic stepped closer.
“What exactly did you give her?””
Sarah looked terrified.
“Dominic…”
“What did you give her?””
The question echoed.
Sarah’s silence was answer enough.
Dominic turned pale.
“Emma.””
I looked at him.
“What?””
His voice dropped.
“Sarah wasn’t only giving them information about your inheritance.””
My stomach tightened.
“What else?””
He looked at Sarah.
Then at me.
“She gave them information about the baby.””
The room went silent.
My hand immediately moved to my stomach.
The baby.
My child.
The one thing that had nothing to do with money.
Nothing to do with inheritance.
Nothing to do with their war.
I stared at Sarah.
“What did you tell them?””
She began shaking.
“I…”
“What did you tell them?””
She couldn’t answer.
Then the lawyer’s phone rang.
He checked the screen.
His expression changed instantly.
“Mrs. Carter.””
I looked at him.
“What?””
He held the phone tightly.
“We need to leave now.””
“Why?””
He looked at everyone.
“Because the hospital just contacted me.””
My heart stopped.
“The hospital?””
“Yes.””
He swallowed.
“They found a discrepancy in your prenatal records.””
I felt the room spinning.
“What kind of discrepancy?””
Nobody spoke.
Then he said:
“The person who accessed your medical information…”
A pause.
“The person wasn’t trying to control your inheritance.””
My blood ran cold.
“Then what were they trying to do?””
May you like
The lawyer looked at me.
“They were trying to prove your baby wasn’t yours.””
