Chapter Twelve: Revelation

Lucien stood by the door, his presence heavy, the air between them thick with a truth that could not be undone.

“I was there the night your father died,” he repeated, his voice lower this time. Almost broken.

Ariella felt like the ground had vanished beneath her feet. Her legs trembled, her hands balled into fists at her sides. “You were there?”

He nodded slowly, stepping into the room.

She backed away instinctively.

“Don’t,” she whispered. “Don’t come closer.”

“I’m not here to hurt you,” he said, stopping where he was. “I never was.”

Ariella’s breath caught in her throat. Her entire body was trembling now, from rage, confusion, betrayal.

“Then why did you lie to me? Why did you let me marry you thinking—thinking you killed him?”

Lucien closed his eyes briefly, as if in pain. “Because the truth would’ve destroyed you even more.”

“I was already destroyed!” she cried out. “The night my father died, my world ended. And then you—you made it worse.”

He walked over to the fireplace, his back to her, shoulders tense. “Your father trusted the wrong people. People who used him. People who used me.”

Ariella’s eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about?”

He turned to face her then, and something in his eyes had changed. There was no more coldness. No more control. Just… sorrow.

“I didn’t pull the trigger,” he said. “But I was there. I was supposed to stop it.”

Silence stretched between them like a wire, tight and dangerous.

Her voice dropped. “Then why didn’t you?”

Lucien looked at her for a long, heavy moment. “Because the person who gave the order was someone your father trusted even more than me.”

Ariella blinked. “Who?”

Lucien hesitated. Then: “Elise.”

Her mouth fell open.

“You’re lying.”

“I wish I was.”

Ariella shook her head violently. “Elise? No. She adored my father. She worked with him for years. She said—she said he was like a brother to her.”

Lucien’s expression twisted. “She said a lot of things. But she was the one who brokered the deal that cost him his life.”

“No…” Ariella whispered, tears blurring her vision. “No. You’re trying to deflect. To throw me off.”

“Think, Ariella.” His voice was sharper now, urgent. “Why else would Elise keep trying to control you? Why would she be so invested in making sure you didn’t find out the truth?”

“Because she’s always been like that!”

“Because she was covering her tracks.”

Ariella backed away until her spine hit the wall.

He approached her slowly this time. No longer as the enemy. Not quite as a friend.

“I didn’t kill your father,” he said. “But I failed him. I owed him everything. That’s why I married you. That’s why I paid the debt. Because I couldn’t save him—at least I could try to protect you.”

She stared at him, her whole body trembling.

“You let me hate you.”

Lucien’s voice broke. “I deserved it.”

She sank to the floor, burying her face in her hands. “Why didn’t you just tell me from the start?”

“Because Elise would’ve come for you. And if she thought you were on to her, she wouldn’t have hesitated.”

“I still don’t understand… why would she do it? What could my father have possibly done?”

Lucien sat down across from her, a bitter smile ghosting his lips. “He found out about something he wasn’t supposed to know. A money trail. An offshore account. Elise had been laundering money through your father’s company. He was going to expose her.”

Ariella froze.

“She had him silenced. I was supposed to deliver a warning. When I got there, it was already too late.”

Tears streaked down her face. “My mother… did she know?”

Lucien hesitated. “No. But Elise made sure to disappear her quietly after. Told her it was best for you and your brother to think she abandoned you.”

Ariella covered her mouth, a sob escaping her throat. “I’m going to kill her.”

“You’re not alone anymore,” Lucien said softly. “We’ll take her down. Together.”

Her eyes met his. They were red and puffy, but steady.

“I don’t know if I can ever forgive you,” she whispered.

“I’m not asking for forgiveness,” he replied. “Just a chance to make this right.”

Ariella stood, wiping her tears.

“Then we start now.”