CHAPTER TWO : THE TRUTH

Her father sighed, rubbing his temples as if this entire situation was nothing more than an inconvenience.

“I think we should sit down,” he muttered, already lowering himself onto the brown mahogany couch. His posture was relaxed, but she knew better. That particular sitting stance she has come to dislike .His Legs crossed, hands folded as If he ruled the world ,it was one he used when delivering news she wouldn’t like.

She remained standing.

Her father arched a brow, clearly annoyed by her defiance, but she didn’t care. She crossed her arms, the weight of frustration pressing against her chest.

“Suit yourself then,” he said, shaking his head.

She scoffed. “Just start talking, Father. I don’t have the patience for your games.”

His lips pressed into a thin line. “Then sit down.”

Her jaw clenched. She wanted to refuse on principle, but she needed answers more than she needed the upper hand in this power play. With a sharp breath, she sat across from him, her posture rigid.

“What does this have to do with the engagement?” she demanded, her voice colder than she intended.

Her father leaned back, exhaling slowly, as if preparing to unload a burden he never intended to share.

“After I signed the deal and your mother found out, she was furious,” he said, his voice quieter now. “We fought. She threatened to sue me and Greenberg.”

“As she should have,” she snapped.

His eyes darkened. “

What did you just say ?his eyes furrowed

" Nothing she replied barely Audible

" It’s more complicated than you Think .” He stated

A strange chill crept up her spine.

“What do you mean?” she asked, her heart beginning to beat faster.

Her father looked her straight in the eyes. “The signature was your mother’s.”

She stiffened. “That’s impossible. She wouldn’t have”

“She wasn’t aware she signed it.”

Her breath caught. A sick feeling twisted in her stomach. “What?”

He scoffed, shaking his head as if it were some cruel joke. “Your mother had already transferred all of her shares, including the ones she bought from impatient investors into your name.”

The room seemed to tilt. She blinked, certain she had misheard him.

“…What?”

“You own the mine and you are The Biggest Share Holder ,” he stated bluntly. “Not her. Not me. You.”

Her fingers dug into her palms. Her mother had given her everything. She had trusted her, protected her. And yet…

A sharp realization sliced through her.

“If she had already transferred the shares, then why did she still take legal action? She could have simply refused to acknowledge the deal.”

Her father’s jaw tightened. He didn’t answer.

Her pulse pounded in her ears.

“She didn’t know she had signed it…” she whispered, the pieces falling into place. “Did someone forge her signature?”she looked at him this time her face betraying her thoughts.

A muscle ticked in his jaw. His silence was answer enough.

Anger burned in her chest, but beneath it, something darker curled a deep, gnawing unease.

The Greenbergs must have found out about the ownership transfer and realized they had no real claim to the mine. That’s why they were furious. That’s why they wanted an engagement.

They needed leverage. Her head felt like it would explode,her thoughts keeps being out conspiracies that she isn't ready to face .Her Dad won't do this to her Mum.

This Truth Hurts deeper than a pen stabbed in your finger .

“So that’s it?” she forced out, her voice shaking. “You’re selling me off to fix your mistake?”

Her father exhaled, but there was no remorse in his expression. “Not selling. Securing your future.”

She laughed, the sound hollow. “My future?”

His gaze was unwavering. “They agreed that if you marry their son, they’ll keep 30% of the profits. Another 20% will go to me. The rest remains yours.”

Her head spun.He must be joking This is Her Mine her Right how could he ,the more she looks at her Father ,The more she sees layers of him that scares the living day light out of her .

Everything was a Lie, Does he even Love Mum she wondered .

“You mean to tell me,” she said slowly, voice dripping with disbelief, “That you negotiated my inheritance without my knowledge? And now you want to seal the deal with a goddamn wedding?”

Her father leaned forward. “You can’t inherit it without my consent. And you won’t be able to hold onto it without their protection.” Something in his tone made her stomach churn.

“You make it sound like you have full right to dictate my inheritance, Like I'm in Danger ” she said carefully.

For the first time since this conversation began, her father looked… tired.

“This is more complicated than you think, child,” he muttered. “The mine had many investors, people who didn’t appreciate waiting for your mother’s stubbornness.”

Her fingers curled against the fabric of the couch.

“I warned her,” he continued, almost to himself. “Told her to sell. She refused. Said it was her heirloom, passed down from mother to daughter. She swore it would thrive.” His lips twisted. “But the investors were growing impatient. And so, I had to act.”

Act.what does he mean Act her thought whriliing going to the dark place when didn't even want to think.of !

Her hands turned ice cold.

“What are you saying?” she whispered.

Her father finally met her gaze, and for the first time, she saw it. the flicker of something ugly. Guilt. Regret. Fear.

“The deal was signed,” he said. “The day your mother died.”

A sharp breath left her lungs, as if she had been punched.

She stared at him, unable to form words. Her heartbeat roared in her ears.

“The same day?” she choked out. “Are you telling me that ”

“No one killed your mother,” he cut in sharply. “It was an accident.”

"But was it? Her voice hoarse,her hands Shaking she has to cover it in her laps .

The room felt suffocating. Her mind spun with possibilities, each one more horrifying than the last.

Was her mother’s death truly a Heart Attack? She asked herself

Or was it something else? For all she knew her Father is not telling her the whole truth !

"Tell me now was Mum killed?! What did you do, Father? Tell me the whole truth, unless..."

Her voice trembled with a mix of rage and desperation, but she refused to back down.

"You won’t do a thing, Imani," he said, his voice cold and final.

She clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms. "I made your mother sign the marriage contract between you and Greenberg’s son."

"Or you forged it again?" she shot back, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. Hatred burned in her eyes as she glared at him.

They both knew. They both knew her mother would never have signed such a thing.

"Everything you do is illegal," she hissed, stepping closer, her voice low but sharp. "And I will be damned if I let you make me your puppet in this sick game of yours."

Her father’s expression didn’t change, but she saw it , The flicker of something in his eyes. Annoyance? Amusement? Or was it something darker?

"I would be careful if I were you," he murmured, his tone eerily calm. "I have your life in my hands. And not just that if you want to keep exclusive rights to the mine, you will do as I say. The Greenbergs are not people to be crossed."

He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "This deal is final. Neither you nor your mother will ruin this for me."

And just like that, he turned his back on her.

She stood there, frozen. And then, the weight of it all crashed onto her.

Her knees buckled as she stumbled, her breath hitching in her throat. Her heart pounded painfully against her ribs, and hot tears spilled down her face.

Her poor mother . she Cried , uncontrollably tears falling to her cheeks

How much had she suffered at the hands of this monster? How much had she fought, alone, trying to protect what was rightfully hers?

Imani clenched her jaw. No. She wouldn’t break. She couldn’t break.

Because if there was one thing she learned today, it was this:

This engagement. These mine rights. Everything depends on her now .She learnt something today if her Father Has all the Right he wouldn't sit still ,he would have acted by now ! So all hope is not lost " she said strengthen her resolve.

Her father wouldn’t have any power if she had all the rights.

And that meant she had a way out. A slow smile formed on her lips.

She wiped her tears, inhaled deeply, and stood up straighter. If her father thought he could take everything her mother worked for and sell her to the Greenbergs, then he clearly didn’t know her at all.

She would get to the bottom of this.

She would find out the truth.

And she would uncover whether her mother’s death was really just... a heart attack.