“And then you will learn why he eventually stopped refusing.”

I stared at him.

“What happened to him?”

Victor looked directly at me.

“He realized that power isn't something you own.”

“It is something other people allow you to hold.”

Then he walked toward the door.

“Three days, Claire.”

I followed.

“Victor.”

He stopped.

“If I don't sign?”

He turned.

“You lose everything.”

“Everything?”

“Yes.”

“My house?”

“Yes.”

“My father's companies?”

“Yes.”

“My trust?”

“Yes.”

“My mother's protection?”

“Yes.”

“My brother?”

His smile disappeared.

“Don't threaten my family.”

“I didn't.”

He opened the door.

“I warned you.”

Daniel stood outside.

He immediately stepped toward me.

“What happened?”

I looked at him.

“He offered me a deal.”

Daniel's expression hardened.

“What deal?”

“I give up the inheritance.”

He laughed.

“Of course.”

“And in return?”

“Freedom.”

Daniel looked at Victor.

“That's not freedom.”

Victor smiled.

“No.”

“It's surrender.”

Victor walked past him.

“You're learning.”

Adrian came toward us.

“Where is he going?”

Daniel answered.

“Back to his kingdom.”

Victor stopped.

He looked at Adrian.

“You should come with me.”

Adrian's expression hardened.

“No.”

“You still have time to fix what you broke.”

“I know.”

Victor looked at me.

“Ask him about the money.”

Then he walked away.

I turned toward Adrian.

“What money?”

He didn't answer.

“Adrian.”

He looked at me.

“Your father transferred money into my account.”

“How much?”

“Twenty million.”

My stomach dropped.

“For what?”

“To sign the agreement.”

“The one giving me to Meridian?”

“Yes.”

“You took it.”

“Yes.”

“Did you keep it?”

“No.”

“Where is it?”

“I transferred it to a charity.”

I stared at him.

“What charity?”

“A hospital.”

“Why?”

“My mother died there.”

I didn't know what to say.

Adrian looked away.

“I didn't want the money.”

“But you took it.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because refusing would have made my father suspicious.”

Daniel crossed his arms.

“Convenient.”

Adrian looked at him.

“You think I wanted any of this?”

“I think you don't know what you want.”

Adrian's jaw tightened.

“Maybe.”

I looked between them.

“Enough.”

They stopped.

I turned toward Victor's disappearing figure.

“Where are the Ashfords going?”

Daniel answered.

“Back to their headquarters.”

“Where?”

He hesitated.

“Ashford House.”

“That's not a company.”

“No.”

“Then what is it?”

“The oldest private residence in the city.”

“Can we get in?”

Adrian laughed.

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because nobody gets inside without an invitation.”

I looked at him.

“Then we'll get one.”

Daniel shook his head.

“You're not serious.”

“I am.”

“You've spent thirty-one years being kept away from this world.”

“Exactly.”

I looked toward the elevator.

“And I'm tired of being the last person to know what's happening in my own life.”

Two hours later, we were standing outside Ashford House.

The estate was nothing like the Vale mansion.

It wasn't enormous.

It didn't need to be.

It sat behind black iron gates on a hill overlooking the city.

Stone walls.

Old trees.

No cameras visible.

No guards.

That made it more frightening.

Daniel looked at the gate.

“We shouldn't be here.”

Adrian stood beside him.

“For once, I agree.”

I looked at them.

“Do you two ever agree on anything?”

“No.”

“No.”

I smiled despite myself.

Then the gate opened.

Neither man touched it.

A voice came through a speaker.

“Ms. Vale.”

I looked up.

“Who is this?”

“Come inside.”

Daniel grabbed my arm.

“No.”

The voice continued.

“Your mother is waiting.”

I froze.

“What?”

Adrian looked at me.

“That's impossible.”

The gate opened wider.

A black car waited beyond it.

The rear door opened.

My mother's face appeared.

I stared.

“Mom?”

She looked terrified.

“Claire.”

She glanced behind me.

“Don't bring them.”

I looked at Daniel.

Then Adrian.

“Why?”

Her eyes filled with fear.

“Because Victor isn't the one who invited you.”

The car door closed.

My mother disappeared.

The gates began closing.

I ran forward.

“Mom!”

Daniel pulled me back.

“Claire!”

The gates slammed shut.

A figure appeared on the other side.

Not Victor.

Not Edward.

A woman.

Silver dress.

Dark hair.

The same woman from the photograph.

Victoria Ashford.

She looked at me through the bars.

Then smiled.

“Welcome to the family.”

I stared.

“You're Victor's daughter.”

“Yes.”

“What do you want?”

She tilted her head.

“To tell you something your mother should have told you years ago.”

“What?”

Victoria stepped closer.

“The Ashfords aren't the third family.”

I frowned.

“Then who is?”

Her smile vanished.

“The third family died eleven years ago.”

My stomach tightened.

“Who?”

She looked directly at me.

“Yours.”

Then she turned and walked away.

The gates opened again.

But this time, nobody invited us inside.

Instead, a small envelope slid beneath the gate.

I picked it up.

My name was written on the front.

Inside was a photograph.

I stared at it.

It showed my mother.

My father.

Daniel.

Me.

And another man.

Standing behind us.

My grandfather.

But Thomas Vale had died years before the photograph was supposedly taken.

I turned it over.

A date was written on the back.

Three days before the night your mother died.

My hands began to shake.

Then I saw the final line.

Your father didn't make your mother disappear.

She disappeared because of you.

I looked at Daniel.

He had gone completely pale.

“What's wrong?”

He stared at the photograph.

“I've seen this before.”

“Where?”

“In Grandfather's last file.”

“What did it say?”

Daniel looked at me.

“That if this photograph ever surfaced…”

He stopped.

“What?”

He swallowed.

“It meant the Ashfords had found the original heir.”

I stared at him.

“I am the heir.”

“No.”

He shook his head.

“That's the problem.”

I felt the blood drain from my face.

“Then who is?”

Daniel looked toward the Ashford estate.

“The girl in the photograph.”

::