Chapter 9: The Truth Buried Beneath the Vale Name
Dominic Vale had spent his entire life chasing the truth.
But he had never considered that the truth might be something he was not prepared to survive.
He stood alone in the underground archive, holding the letter his father had written to Elijah.
The words stared back at him.
*The person who betrayed this family was never Elijah.*
For twenty years, Dominic had believed the story.
Elijah was the dangerous one.
Elijah was the son who wanted too much power.
Elijah was the reason their father became distant and secretive.
But now the foundation beneath that story was cracking.
Because if Elijah was not the betrayer…
Then who was?
Footsteps approached behind him.
Dominic didn't turn.
"Vincent.""
The security chief stopped.
"Yes, sir.""
"Tell me the truth.""
Vincent remained silent.
That silence was enough to make Dominic close his eyes.
"All these years.""
His voice was low.
"How many lies have I been living with?""
Vincent looked down.
"More than I want to admit.""
Dominic turned.
"Start with my father.""
Vincent nodded.
"Your father wasn't trying to protect the company from Elijah.""
"Then what was he trying to do?""
"Protect Elijah from the company.""
The answer confused Dominic.
"Explain.""
Vincent walked toward the old files.
"When your grandfather built Vale Industries, he created a culture where power mattered more than people.""
Dominic listened.
"Your father inherited it. At first, he became exactly what everyone expected.""
"A ruthless businessman.""
"Yes.""
Vincent paused.
"Then Elijah was born.""
Dominic frowned.
"What does that change?""
"Everything.""
Vincent looked at the photograph of the family.
"Your father saw something in Elijah. He saw someone who cared about people more than profit.""
Dominic almost laughed.
"That's not the story I was told.""
"I know.""
"Who told me differently?""
Vincent looked at him.
"Your mother.""
The answer surprised him.
"My mother?""
"She believed Elijah was dangerous because he challenged your father's decisions.""
Dominic stared.
"She thought compassion was weakness.""
Vincent continued.
"She wanted the company to survive. She believed Elijah would destroy it by trying to make it something different.""
Dominic looked at the letter again.
"So she removed him.""
Vincent nodded.
"She created the story that Elijah died.""
The room became silent.
Dominic felt the weight of the words.
His mother.
The person he remembered as gentle.
The person who comforted him after Elijah disappeared.
The person who told him to stop asking questions.
She had been the one hiding the truth.
"Why?""
Vincent answered quietly.
"Because Elijah found something.""
"What?""
"A network.""
Dominic looked at him.
"Project Continuity.""
"Yes.""
"The original plan.""
"Yes.""
Vincent opened another file.
Inside were documents Dominic had never seen.
"The project wasn't designed to replace leadership.""
Dominic read the pages.
"It was designed to expose corruption.""
He looked up.
"Then why did everyone call it a replacement plan?""
"Because someone changed the purpose.""
Dominic's eyes narrowed.
"Who?""
Vincent hesitated.
Then said:
"Your mother.""
The answer hit harder than Dominic expected.
He turned away.
"No.""
"Dominic—"
"No.""
His voice became sharper.
"My mother loved this family.""
Vincent didn't argue.
"She did.""
"Then why?""
"Because she believed she was saving it.""
Dominic looked back.
"And she wasn't?""
Vincent shook his head.
"No.""
The next morning, Dominic gathered everyone in the great room.
Marcus.
Vincent.
Dr. Harris.
Clare.
Even Elijah.
The impossible family reunion nobody wanted.
The rain had stopped, but the sky remained gray.
Dominic stood at the center of the room.
His cane rested beside him.
For the first time in weeks, his leg felt like the least important problem in his life.
"I know the truth now.""
Nobody spoke.
Dominic looked at Marcus.
"You didn't create Project Continuity.""
Marcus looked surprised.
"No.""
"You were manipulated.""
Marcus lowered his eyes.
A painful expression crossed his face.
"I thought I was finally being chosen.""
The honesty caught Dominic off guard.
Marcus continued.
"All my life, I was the backup plan.""
Dominic said nothing.
"I thought if I helped remove you, I would finally become more than your brother's shadow.""
A pause.
"But I didn't realize I was someone else's tool.""
Dominic looked away.
For years, he had seen Marcus only as competition.
He never considered that jealousy could be a weakness someone else could exploit.
Then he looked at Dr. Harris.
"You.""
The doctor straightened.
"I made mistakes.""
"Yes.""
Dominic's voice was cold.
"You did.""
Dr. Harris accepted it.
"I was threatened.""
"By who?""
The doctor looked toward Elijah.
Then away.
"Your mother.""
Dominic froze.
Again.
"Explain.""
"She knew about the original Project Continuity.""
Dr. Harris swallowed.
"After your accident, she wanted control transferred quickly.""
Dominic stared.
"My mother has been dead for twenty years.""
The doctor nodded.
"Yes.""
The room went silent.
Then Dr. Harris said:
"But the person giving the orders wasn't her.""
Dominic's expression changed.
"What?""
The doctor looked terrified.
"Someone was using her identity.""
A cold feeling moved through Dominic.
"Who?""
Nobody answered.
Then Elijah spoke.
"I know.""
Everyone turned.
Elijah looked at Dominic.
"The person who took over Project Continuity wasn't our mother.""
He stepped forward.
"It was someone who knew everything about this family.""
Dominic waited.
"Someone who knew how she thought.""
"Someone who had access to her records.""
"Someone who could imitate her decisions.""
Elijah's eyes hardened.
"The only person close enough to do that.""
A pause.
Then:
"Was our father.""
The room went silent.
Dominic stared.
"My father?""
Elijah nodded.
"Your father didn't die before the truth came out.""
"What are you saying?""
"He was alive when the project changed.""
Dominic's breathing slowed.
"No.""
"Yes.""
"You saw him?""
Elijah looked away.
"Not after the accident.""
"What accident?""
Elijah's expression changed.
The pain there was real.
"The accident that killed him.""
Dominic froze.
Elijah continued.
"Our father wasn't the victim.""
The room became unbearably quiet.
"He was trying to expose someone inside the family.""
"Who?""
Elijah looked directly at Dominic.
"You.""
Dominic's face hardened.
"Me?""
"Not you now.""
Elijah shook his head.
"The younger you.""
The words made no sense.
"I was twenty-four.""
"You were ambitious.""
"So?""
"You wanted control.""
Dominic stared.
"I was building the company.""
"You were also making decisions your father feared.""
The truth hurt because part of it was familiar.
Dominic had always believed power was the only protection.
Elijah continued.
"Our father discovered something.""
"What?""
"That someone had been influencing you.""
Dominic went still.
"Who?""
Elijah looked toward the staircase.
Toward where Ellie had been standing earlier.
Toward the innocent witness who saw everything adults ignored.
Then Elijah answered.
"The same person who has been watching your entire life.""
Dominic felt a chill.
"Who?""
Before Elijah could answer, every security alarm in the manor activated.
Vincent immediately checked his phone.
His face changed.
"What happened?""
Vincent looked up.
"Someone accessed the main system.""
"From where?""
Vincent hesitated.
Then:
"Inside the house.""
Dominic turned.
"Impossible.""
Vincent shook his head.
"No.""
He looked at the security monitor.
"It was authorized access.""
Dominic's eyes narrowed.
"Authorized by who?""
Vincent slowly turned the screen toward him.
A login name appeared.
A name connected to the highest level of Vale security.
A name that should have been impossible.
Dominic stared.
Because the system showed the person who had entered.
The person who had been monitoring them.
The person who had controlled everything from the shadows.
The name was:
*Clare Rowan.*
Dominic looked toward the hallway.
Where Clare had been standing.
Where Ellie had been.
May you like
And for the first time since this nightmare began, Dominic wondered if the one person he had protected…
was the person he should have feared.
