Dumped By The Alpha, I Married His Stepbrother
"Or rather, with your bloodline, once you'd produced an heir. Bartholomew's ultimate plan was never simply to elevate Caleb. It was to eventually control the succession entirely, through whatever child you and Caleb might have together."
The room went utterly silent, the horror of this revelation settling heavily over everyone present.
"That's why he needed my parents dead," I said slowly, pieces clicking into place with sickening clarity. "Not only to secure Caleb's position, but to ensure there was no one left who might interfere with his long term plan for my children."
"Yes," Ruth said. "Your mother uncovered this just before she died. She confronted your father with what she'd learned,