Chapter 70: Ghosts of the Past

I couldn't find sleep. 

Despite the kiss and Dominic holding me close while softly assuring me that it was all finally finished, a part of me remained alert.

I was aware of the truth. 

This was not the end. 

It was merely the start.

By morning, the penthouse was quiet. Too quiet. But when I entered the lounge, I found them there.

Victor Caldwell.

Olivia Sinclair.

Dominic stood between them, a fragile bridge made of shattered glass. 

They resembled the remnants of a once-beautiful structure—two individuals who had loved passionately, yet tragically, sacrificing everything in the process.

I didn’t speak. I just stood at the edge of the room as Olivia turned toward me with eyes too familiar.

“Elena,” she said softly. “You deserve the truth.”

Victor nodded. “All of it.”

I settled into my seat, my hands clenched tightly in my lap. Dominic was next to me, close enough for me to sense his warmth, yet distant enough to allow me my space. He was giving me the choice to either forgive or confront. 

Olivia spoke softly, her tone tinged with sorrow. "I encountered Victor during my college years. He was untamed, exceptionally intelligent—everything your father lacked. We never intended to fall for each other, but it happened anyway."

Victor’s eyes met mine. “I would’ve burned the world for her.”

“And nearly did,” Olivia said with a bitter smile. “When I got pregnant… everything shattered.”

I swallowed hard. “Richard found out.”

“Yes,” she whispered. “And he made me disappear.”

Victor's hands tightened into fists. "He claimed she perished in a car accident. I dedicated years to uncovering the truth behind his lies. By the time I located her, it was already too late. You were firmly under his control." 

I felt an urge to scream. 

But instead, I questioned, "Why didn't you intervene when you had the opportunity?"

“I tried,” Victor said. “But Richard had powerful allies. And I was reckless. My mistakes gave him leverage. I lost control of Caldwell Enterprises for nearly a decade.”

Dominic’s jaw tightened. “And that’s when he started grooming me.”

My head snapped toward him.

He stared at the floor. “Richard positioned himself as a mentor after my mother died. I was just a kid looking for structure, for control. He used me like he used everyone else.”

I looked between them all—my mother, my biological father, the man I was supposed to hate but couldn’t stop loving—and something inside me fractured.

“This entire feud,” I whispered. “The Sinclairs. The Caldwells. It was all a cover for your mistakes.”

Victor nodded. “Yes.”

“And now what? We’re all just supposed to move on?”

“No,” Olivia said gently. “We’re supposed to end it.”

Dominic stood. “There’s something you need to see.”

He walked over to the bar and retrieved a sleek black folder. When he handed it to me, I felt the weight of it before I even opened it.

Documents. Photos. Confidential records.

Blackmail material.

My father’s fingerprints were all over them.

Embezzlement.

Backdoor deals with foreign corporations.

Political sabotage.

Even ties to the private contractor that had faked Olivia’s death.

“This is enough to bury him,” I whispered.

Victor nodded grimly. “And all of it will go public—when the time is right.”

I looked up. “And until then?”

Dominic’s voice was like steel. “We let him believe he still has control. He’ll expose himself.”

Olivia stood, walking over to me slowly. She knelt in front of me, her fingers brushing mine.

“I don’t expect you to forgive me,” she said, eyes glistening. “But I never stopped loving you. Every single day I was gone, I dreamed of this moment. Of telling you the truth.”

I didn’t know what to say.

So I did the only thing I could—I hugged her.

Not because I was ready to forgive her.

But because I finally knew who I was.

And that was a start.

Later That Day – Private Estate in Long Island

Dominic insisted we leave the city. Too many eyes. Too many cameras. Too much risk.

So we ended up at one of the Caldwell family’s off-the-radar properties: a sprawling modern estate tucked behind private cliffs and dense woods.

Liam was already there when we arrived.

He leaned against the balcony railing, a drink in one hand and suspicion in the other.

“You brought her?” he asked Victor.

“She deserves to be here,” Victor replied calmly.

Liam’s eyes flicked to me. “And what about her?”

I stiffened.

Dominic stepped in. “She stays. She’s part of this now.”

Liam snorted. “Of course she is.”

I ignored him and walked past toward the firepit where a breeze rustled the trees.

Dominic followed.

“You okay?” he asked quietly.

I looked at him. “Do you think we’ll survive this?”

He didn’t answer right away.

But when he did, it wasn’t what I expected.

“I don’t know,” he said. “But if I lose you again… I don’t think I’ll recover.”

That confession—such unguarded honesty from the most formidable man I had ever encountered—it broke something within me.

So I moved closer.

And pressed my lips against his.

This time, it wasn’t chaotic or filled with rage or longing.

It was genuine.

And in that kiss, I knew we were on the same side now.

But just as I pulled away, Liam’s voice rang out across the patio.

“We have a problem.”

We turned.

He was holding a phone, eyes locked on the screen.

“What is it?” Dominic asked.

Liam looked up, face grim. “Senator Sinclair just announced an emergency press conference.”

“About what?” I asked.

Liam turned the screen toward us.

On it, was a photo of me.

The headline read:

“BREAKING: Journalist Elena Sinclair Accused of Espionage and Corporate Sabotage—Evidence Tied to Caldwell Enterprises.”

Dominic's grip tightened around my hand, and it hit me—

My father wasn't backing down. 

He was preparing for battle.