LOGIN~ ISLA ~Tribeca Heights came into view just as the sky dipped into shades of muted gold and bruised violet.It was six in the evening—the city lights were beginning to blink awake one by one, but inside me, everything felt dim—hollowed out, unsteady.I stepped out of the car and stood there for a moment longer, my heels planted on the pavement as if moving forward required more strength than I had left.Liana’s voice wouldn’t leave me alone. It followed me like a shadow, wrapping itself around my thoughts, tightening with every breath I took.Dr. Allison Reed. The toxicologist accused of poisoning her best friend. Alistair’s mother.And she’s… my biological mother.The realization sat heavy in my chest, pressing down until breathing felt like work. The dread didn’t rush in—it seeped, slow and insidious, sinking into the deepest parts of me, curling tightly around my bones.No.I shook my head faintly, as if denying it might undo everything. But the truth didn’t care about denial. Lia
~ ALISTAIR ~The CEO’s office had never felt this tight before.I sat calmly in my chair, fingers resting lightly against the wooden desk, my eyes sharply fixed on the financial report projected onto the laptop Evan was showing me.One of the three minority shareholders under the Montgomery Group umbrella had already sold his shares—quietly, efficiently. Not to a third party. Not to a proxy firm.But to Rebecca herself.My jaw almost broke from clenching it so hard, though my expression didn’t change.I had anticipated that Rebecca’s scheme would eventually take place. She had already fooled Albert into transferring the shares to her with alarming ease. That foolish man. I still didn’t know what Rebecca had fed him to make him so stupid as to trust his venomous wife.And now, Rebecca was aiming for the remaining fifteen percent of the company’s shares, because if she succeeded, she would take over my position.However, what angered me more was that the person Grandma and I had believe
~ ISLA ~I stepped out of the greenhouse, the warm scent of damp soil still clinging to me, but my mind was ice.My legs moved on their own, carrying me toward the path back to the living room—but on my way, I nearly collided with someone.Liana.She stood there with her arms crossed loosely, her mouth curved in that familiar smug smirk she always wore when she thought she was one step ahead of me. One glance at her eyes—bright with triumph, dripping with satisfaction—and I knew.She heard.She heard everything. My hand clenched around the envelope—tight.“Well, well… look who finally came home,” she purred, tilting her head as if she were genuinely delighted. “Dear sister.”The words came out like she was tasting something bitter, then enjoying it anyway.I didn’t have the energy for her games right now. Not when the truth inside me still felt raw and bleeding.I moved past her without a word.But she followed. Of course she did—the Bennetts never knew when to stop pushing.Her heels
~ ISLA ~The greenhouse fell into a suffocating silence.The air smelled of damp soil and roses—warm and sweet—but there was a pressure in my chest that made it hard to breathe. Bethany waited, pruning shears loosely held between her fingers. Her posture stayed elegant, composed, but there was a subtle shift in her expression.I didn’t bother easing into it. I didn’t have the strength for subtlety anymore.I met her eyes and asked, quietly but clearly—“Are you my biological mother?”The question hung in the air as if filled with thorns, pricking at our skin.Bethany’s hands paused. Her eyes couldn’t look straight at me anymore—but I saw through her already by. That tiny flicker in her expression, something sharp and quick, like fear she tried to swallow before it could show.Then she blinked, her face smoothing over too carefully.“What are you talking about?” she countered, her tone still calm, almost bland. “I am your mother. What nonsense are you spouting?”A practiced lie—meant t
~ ISLA ~My head was still buzzing long after our conversation ended.It felt like my thoughts were trying to rearrange themselves into something coherent but kept slipping apart, refusing to settle. Every step I took out of the private lounge with Antonio and Luca felt distant, like I was walking underwater, my mind far behind my body.Outside, the chilled afternoon air brushed against my skin, grounding me only a little.Antonio stopped beside me, his expression gentler than I had ever seen it.“I’ll take you back to the hospital,” he said.The offer was naturally soft—nothing like the powerful, intimidating man everyone spoke about. For a heartbeat, he simply looked like a father hoping to take care of his daughter.But I couldn’t do it. I was still processing everything, and it may take time for me to completely understand and accept my real identity.“I appreciate it,” I murmured, “but I can go on my own.”He didn’t insist. He didn’t even look disappointed—just quietly accepting.
~ ISLA ~A few minutes had passed, yet I still couldn’t speak.My brain didn’t seem to understand the words that came out of Antonio Vitale’s mouth. They just hung in the air—heavy, impossible, and so wrong.‘She’s your mother…’Everything inside me froze.My fingers tightened around the photographs without me realizing it. The edges dug into my skin, but I couldn’t feel anything. My heartbeat wasn’t even beating—it was pounding, erratic, confused.I blinked, staring at him.“What—what did you say?” I whispered, the words barely scraping out of my throat.He didn’t flinch. He didn’t hesitate. His voice remained calm, but there was a quiet pain beneath it.“Allison Reed,” he repeated slowly, “is your biological mother.”For a moment, the room felt too bright and quiet.Biological mother.The words didn’t fit me. They didn’t belong anywhere in the life I had known. Because that wasn’t possible.“I—I don’t understand.” My voice trembled. “How? That can’t be—my mother is Bethany Bennett.







