Chapter 10%
The limousine took me far from the city, winding through quiet backroads and dense tree lines until it pulled up in front of a grand white mansion I had only ever seen in magazines.
I blinked. Fountains danced in the counyard. Marble pillars lined the entrance. The glass doors shimmered like a dream, and gold accented balconies overlooked a perfectly sculpted garden.
I had seen this estate before–in business features, Forbes spreads, and whispered gossip at mafia dinners.XX
Cameron had once mentioned it bitterly.”
“Roger Vales,” he said through gritted teeth. “That bastard’s got more money than God and fewer morals than the devil. If he weren’t protected by legacy and law, I’d have ruined him already,”
And now… I was here.
And Roger??
He was waiting for me.
I was escorted through the foyer, led down a hallway of oil paintings and polished floors until I stepped into a sunlit room with a large desk, bookshelves lining the walls, and a man standing near the window.
Tall, silver–haired, impeccably dressed in a navy suit.
He turned at the sound of the door and smiled.
“Alicia.“E
My breath caught. There was something familiar in the way he said my name–like it had been whispered in my dreams as a child “You’re…” I started, hesitating, “Roger Vales?“”
He nodded. “I’ve waited a long time to meet you again.”
“Again?” I asked, confused. “We’ve met?”
“Once,” he said gently. “You were just a little girl. Your father’s pride and joy. He brought you here when you were four, and y whole day chasing butterflies in the garden.“||
My throat tightened. “You knew my father?“”
you spent the
Roger’s expression softened. “I was his best friend. We are not related. But our families were close. That’s why I called myself your uncle. It’s how he always introduced me to you!
I swallowed hard. “You knew what happened to them?
His smile faded.
“Yes.“L
“Then why didn’t you save them?”
He sighed, the weight of guilt clear on his face. ” was too late. and also because if I had interfered, Alicia… if I had waged war on Cameron back then, it wouldn’t have saved them. It would’ve destroyed you too. I waited. I waited for the day you would call. And now, finally, you have.”
I stood there, torn between relief and heartbreak. “But he destroyed me “He did.”
“I’m sorry. Alicia, for being late.“%
I nodded. It wasn’t his fault that Cameron was evil, but she was glad that she found someone close to the family.}
There was still one thing I needed to ask.
“One more thing,” I said, voice low. “Did my parents… did they really kill Cameron’s parents? N
Roger looked at me for a long moment!
Then shook his head.
“No,” he said. “Absolutely not. Your parents and Cameron’s parents were partners. Close ones. They built businesses together, raised families side by side. But something changed. Another partner–Nathan Elren–wanted control. He manipulated them. Framed your family. When the fire happened it was staged. A setup. But by the time the truth began surfacing, it was too late.“%
My heart pounded!
“All these years,” I whispered “Cameron believed I was the reason for his pain…”
“He believed what he wanted to believe,” Roger said. “Pain needs a target. But the truth is… you were all pawns in someone else’s game.“!!
I nodded slowly, the realization leaving a strange ache Inside me X
“I hated him,” I whispered. “And maybe I still do.. but now, I wonder if he ever really knew. He’s been investigating. Maybe he found something”
Roger stepped closer and gently placed a hand on my shoulder.!!
And I’ll stand by
“You have every right to feel what you feel. But now, you get to decide what happens next. You have power now, Alicia And you in whatever you choose”
Looked up at him ⠀
“I already made my choice”
A soft smile tugged at the corner of his mouth
“Then it’s time to meet someone else” he said. “Someone who’s been waiting to see you”
I tilted my head. “Who?”
He walked to the door and opened it
A man stepped in.
e looked confident, charming, dangerous
Tall, built like he could fight armies, with deep brown eyes and a smirk that could melt steel. He a completely different way from Cameron.
And yet there was something familiar in him.
Roger spoke. “Alicia, meet my son–Jackson.”
Jackson smiled.
The memory hit me like a wave.
The boy in the garden.
The one who gave me his cookie, then cried when I fell and scraped my knee.
“You’re-”
“Yep,” he said, grinning. The one who gave you a pink Band–Aid and swore I’d marry you one day”
I blinked, stunned.
Jackson stepped forward and winked.
“So. I’m your groom. When’s the wedding?“%
I laughed.
The sound surprised me–light real.
“We’re not getting married,” I said quickly. “Not really,”
He lifted a brow. “No?”
“No,” I repeated, walking closer. “We’re just going to make it look like I’m cheating on Cameron. He needs to catch us. He needs to feel what I felt”
