The city buzzed outside the penthouse windows, but inside, Alicia felt a quiet storm brewing. The press conference had been a success—if you could call being exposed like that a success. But for the first time, she felt like she was taking control of her life. It wasn't perfect, and it wasn't the way she'd planned, but at least the truth was out. Or so she thought.
Dominic hadn't left her side, not since the press conference. He stayed close, his quiet support a constant comfort. But something had shifted between them. There was a distance now—an invisible wall that neither of them spoke about. He had always been a man of action, of control. But now, he was more reserved, even distant.
As the days passed, Alicia tried to go back to some semblance of normalcy. She spent her mornings at the office, overseeing the expansion of her own startup, and the evenings at home, where Dominic would often retreat into his study, his phone glued to his hand. But she couldn't ignore the tension in the air.
One evening, as she poured herself a glass of wine, her phone buzzed with a message from an unfamiliar number.
Unknown: Alicia, I know you want the truth. But are you ready for it? The deeper you dig, the more you'll lose.
Alicia's pulse quickened. She stared at the message for a moment before responding.
Alicia: What truth?
She stared at the screen, waiting for a response. Nothing. Her heart beat faster as she tried to make sense of the cryptic message. Could this be someone from her past? Someone who knew too much about the Weston family's secrets?
A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. She quickly tucked her phone into her pocket and opened it to find Dominic standing there, his expression unreadable.
"You look troubled," he said softly, his eyes scanning her face for any hint of what she was feeling.
Alicia hesitated, her thoughts still racing. "I just got a strange message," she said, voice tight. "Someone claiming to know the truth about my family."
Dominic frowned but stepped inside. "Do you think it's from your mother?"
"No," Alicia said, shaking her head. "It's someone else. I've never seen this number before."
"I don't like this," Dominic said, his voice hardening. "I want to find out who this is, and I want to do it now."
Alicia's gaze softened. "I don't want to drag you into this. You've already done enough for me."
Dominic's lips pressed into a thin line. "You're not alone in this, Alicia. We're in this together."
He moved to the desk and began typing on his laptop. Alicia watched him, feeling a strange mix of relief and guilt. She knew he was trying to help, but she couldn't shake the feeling that this was a fight she had to face on her own.
Just then, her phone buzzed again. She pulled it out, her heart sinking as she read the new message.
Unknown: It's not just your mother you need to worry about. The Weston family has a much darker secret, and someone in your life is hiding it. Are you really ready to know everything?
Alicia swallowed hard. "This is getting out of hand," she muttered.
Dominic looked up, his eyes narrowing. "Who's sending these messages?"
"I don't know. But I feel like someone is watching me."
Dominic's jaw tightened. "We'll find out who's behind this. No more games."
The next day, Dominic hired a private investigator to track down the source of the mysterious messages. Alicia spent her day in meetings, but her mind kept drifting back to the words in the texts. Was there something darker buried within her family's past? Could her mother be the only one hiding secrets?
That night, as Alicia returned home, she was greeted by an unexpected visitor.
"Mom?" Alicia's voice was a mixture of surprise and disbelief as she stood at the entrance of the penthouse.
Her mother stood in the doorway, her eyes colder than ever. "We need to talk."
Alicia's stomach churned, but she stepped aside to let her mother in. She couldn't keep running from her, no matter how much she wanted to.
"What are you doing here?" Alicia asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
Her mother didn't answer immediately. Instead, she walked into the living room and turned to face her daughter. "I don't like what you're doing, Alicia. You think you can just air our family's dirty laundry for the world to see? You think this will end well?"
Alicia crossed her arms, her resolve hardening. "You never cared about me, Mom. You only cared about the family name, the legacy. You don't get to control me anymore."
Her mother's eyes darkened. "You're making a mistake. You don't know what you're getting into. The Weston name isn't just a name. It's power. And you're about to find out just how deep the rabbit hole goes."
"What do you mean?" Alicia asked, her voice trembling.
Her mother's lips curled into a cruel smile. "I mean that the Weston family has always been more than what it seems. And there are people who would do anything to keep the truth buried. Even if that means destroying you."
Alicia's blood ran cold. "What truth?"
Her mother took a step forward, her voice lowering to a whisper. "The truth about your father. About how he built his empire. And how it was all funded with blood."
Alicia recoiled, a sick feeling rising in her stomach. "No. You're lying."
Her mother's smile only widened. "You can deny it all you want, but it's the truth. And the longer you dig, the more you'll realize that you're not just fighting your family. You're fighting the people who hold the real power."
Alicia's world seemed to tilt. "Who are you talking about?"
Her mother's gaze flicked to the door. "I'm not the one who will tell you the rest. But know this: once you open that door, there's no going back."
Alicia stood frozen, trying to process what her mother had just said. But before she could ask anything else, her mother turned and left, leaving Alicia standing there with more questions than answers.
That night, Alicia lay awake in bed, Dominic beside her, but sleep was impossible. The words her mother had spoken echoed in her mind. "Blood." "Power." "Destroying you."
Who could her mother be talking about? And why had her father's empire been built on blood?
Dominic stirred beside her, sensing her restlessness. "Alicia?"
"I can't stop thinking about what she said," Alicia whispered. "The Weston family… It's not just about money. There's something darker. Something they've been hiding."
Dominic sat up, his expression intense. "Whatever it is, we'll face it together."
Alicia turned to him, her eyes searching his face. "What if it's more than we can handle? What if everything I thought I knew about my family is a lie?"
Dominic took her hand in his. "Then we'll uncover the truth, no matter what it costs."
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End of chapter ✍️ .