Chapter 7: The Letter My Mother Never Wanted Me To Read
My hands refused to stop shaking.
The paper felt fragile between my fingers.
Twenty-eight years.
Twenty-eight years of wondering if my mother remembered me.
Twenty-eight years of wondering if she ever loved me.
And now I was holding her words.
Her handwriting.
Her final message.
The room disappeared.
The Thompson mansion.
The people around me.
The betrayal.
The anger.
Everything faded.
There was only one thing left.
My mother’s voice.
Even though she wasn’t standing there.
Even though I had never heard it.
I could feel her.
I looked at Vincent.
He didn’t speak.
He simply nodded.
Giving me permission to read.
I unfolded the letter.
And began.
*My precious Emily,*
*If you are reading this, then something went wrong.*
*I prayed every night that you would never need to see these words.*
*I prayed that you would grow up believing you were ordinary.*
*That you would fall in love.*
*That you would laugh.*
*That you would have a life where nobody knew your last name.*
My vision blurred.
I pressed my lips together.
I kept reading.
*Your father will tell you that he searched for you. Believe him. He loved you more than anything in this world.*
I looked at Vincent.
His eyes were fixed on the letter.
A single tear moved down his face.
He quickly wiped it away.
Like he was ashamed of it.
But I saw.
*But there is something your father does not know.*
My heartbeat slowed.
*Someone close to us betrayed our family.*
The room became silent.
Everyone was listening.
Even Victoria.
*The person who betrayed us was not interested in money. Money was only a tool.*
My fingers tightened.
*They wanted access to something much more dangerous.*
I swallowed.
*They wanted the bloodline.*
I looked up.
Vincent’s expression changed.
“What does that mean?”” I whispered.
Nobody answered.
I continued.
*Emily, you were born into a world where names have power. Your name can open doors. Your name can start wars.*
*That is why I hid you.*
*Not because I was ashamed of you.*
A tear fell onto the paper.
I quickly wiped it.
*Never believe that.*
My breath caught.
Because those were the words I had needed my entire life.
Not from a stranger.
From her.
*You were the greatest gift I ever received.*
I closed my eyes.
For years, I thought nobody chose me.
But she had.
She had.
I continued.
*The person who betrayed us knew about the inheritance. They knew about the companies. They knew about the trust.*
*But they wanted more.*
*They wanted control over you.*
The room felt colder.
*Because when you turn twenty-five, something your father and I created becomes yours.*
I frowned.
Something?
Vincent looked confused too.
I looked at him.
He shook his head.
He didn’t know.
I kept reading.
*A power that cannot belong to anyone else.*
My heart raced.
*If anyone tries to force you to sign documents, trust them only if they can answer one question.*
I reached the next line.
And froze.
*What was the name of the song I sang when I held you as a baby?*
I looked up.
“What?””
Nobody spoke.
Victoria suddenly looked terrified.
Not confused.
Terrified.
Vincent noticed.
“What do you know?””
Victoria’s face went pale.
“I…”
She stopped.
Vincent stepped closer.
“What do you know?””
She looked at the letter.
Then at me.
“That question.””
Her voice shook.
“That question was never supposed to matter.””
A chill went through me.
“What does that mean?””
Victoria didn’t answer.
I looked back at the letter.
There was more.
*Only three people knew that answer.*
*Me.*
*Your father.*
*And the person who betrayed us.*
My heart dropped.
Because suddenly I understood.
The question wasn’t just a memory.
It was a test.
A secret.
A way to identify the person who had been lying.
I looked at Vincent.
“Do you know?””
He slowly shook his head.
“No.””
I looked at Victoria.
She looked away.
My stomach twisted.
“You know.””
Her silence was enough.
Vincent turned toward her.
“Victoria.””
She closed her eyes.
“I remember.””
The room went still.
“You remember the song?””
Victoria nodded slowly.
“Isabella sang it the night she gave Emily to me.””
I stared.
“You were there?””
“Yes.””
My chest tightened.
“You were there when my mother left me?””
Victoria looked at me.
“I was there when your mother trusted me.””
The pain in her voice sounded real.
But I didn’t know if I could believe anything anymore.
“What happened that night?””
Victoria looked down.
“She came to my house.””
She swallowed.
“She was scared.””
“Of who?””
Victoria looked at Vincent.
“Of someone you knew.””
Vincent’s expression hardened.
“Who?””
Victoria hesitated.
Then:
“Your closest advisor.””
The room froze.
Vincent’s eyes narrowed.
“Ethan?””
Victoria shook her head.
“No.””
A pause.
“Someone before him.””
Vincent went silent.
That scared me.
Because Vincent Gallo didn’t look surprised easily.
“Who?”” he asked again.
Victoria whispered:
“Marco Bellini.””
The name meant nothing to me.
But it meant something to Vincent.
His face changed.
Like someone had pulled away a mask.
“No.””
Victoria nodded.
“Yes.””
Vincent stepped back.
“Impossible.””
“Isn’t that what everyone said about Isabella being dead?””
Nobody spoke.
I looked between them.
“Who is Marco Bellini?””
Vincent’s jaw tightened.
“A man who worked beside me.””
“Worked beside you?””
“He was my closest friend.””
The room became heavier.
“And he betrayed you?””
Vincent didn’t answer immediately.
Then:
“Yes.””
I looked at the letter again.
My mother had known.
She had known someone close to Vincent was dangerous.
She had known.
And she still protected me.
I read the final lines.
*Emily, I don’t know who will be reading this.*
*Maybe your father.*
*Maybe someone who loves you.*
*Maybe someone who wants to use you.*
*But if you are reading this, remember one thing.*
*Your greatest danger will not come from strangers.*
*It will come from the person who knows exactly how much you trust them.*
The bottom of the page had one final sentence.
A sentence that made my blood turn cold.
*And Emily, if James Thompson is the one who married you, then I am sorry.*
I stopped breathing.
Everyone saw it.
James stepped forward.
“What does it say?””
I looked at him.
The man who had been my husband.
The man who had lied to me.
The man my mother somehow knew about before I ever met him.
My hands tightened around the paper.
Vincent took a step closer.
“Emily.””
I couldn’t speak.
Because beneath that sentence was another line.
A warning.
A final message from my mother.
One that changed everything.
*“Do not trust James Thompson. He was never chosen to protect you.””*
*“He was chosen to deliver you.””*
The room exploded into chaos.
James went completely pale.
“No.””
I looked at him.
“Why?””
His lips parted.
“I can explain.””
I laughed.
A broken, empty sound.
“Everyone always says that.””
James stepped toward me.
“Emily, please.””
I backed away.
“No.””
My voice shook.
“But this time…”
I held up the letter.
“This time, I want the truth.””
Vincent turned toward James.
His voice was colder than I had ever heard it.
“Where is Marco Bellini?””
James didn’t answer.
Vincent’s eyes narrowed.
“James.””
Still nothing.
Then Sophia suddenly spoke.
“He’s here.””
Everyone turned.
Sophia looked terrified.
“What did you say?””
She swallowed.
“He’s here.””
My heart stopped.
Vincent stared at her.
“Where?””
Sophia looked toward the mansion entrance.
And whispered:
“He came with me.””
The front doors opened.
A man stepped inside.
Older.
Elegant.
Calm.
A man who looked like he had been waiting years for this moment.
Vincent’s face went completely still.
Because he recognized him.
“Marco.””
The man smiled.
And the first words out of his mouth made my blood freeze.
“Hello, Vincent.””
His eyes moved to me.
Then he smiled.
“Hello, Emily.””
May you like
A pause.
“I’m sorry it took so long to come home.””
