I stared at my mother.
Then at Malik.
Then back at her.
"He is?"
My voice barely existed.
My mother nodded.
"He's the one you should be afraid of."
I looked at Malik.
He didn't defend himself.
That frightened me more than anything.
"Malik?"
He lowered his head.
"Lina, let me explain."
"No."
I stepped backward.
"Don't explain."
My mother moved toward me.
"Lina, listen to me."
"You're telling me Malik is dangerous?"
"Yes."
"The same Malik who saved me?"
My mother hesitated.
"Yes."
"The same Malik I have loved?"
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Yes."
I felt something inside me crack.
"Then why?"
She looked toward Richard.
"Because your life was never simple."
Richard smiled.
"Tell her the rest."
My mother glared at him.
"Stay out of this."
He laughed.
"You've been hiding the truth for twenty years."
"I was protecting my daughter."
"You were protecting yourself."
My mother turned back to me.
"Lina, Malik was ordered to watch you."
My stomach tightened.
"By who?"
She looked at Richard.
"Your father."
I shook my head.
"No."
Richard stepped closer.
"I sent him."
I looked at Malik.
"Is that true?"
He nodded slowly.
"Yes."
My heart sank.
"When?"
"When you were eighteen."
I stared at him.
"So you came into my life because he told you to?"
"Yes."
"Not because you loved me?"
His eyes filled with tears.
"At first, I was following an order."
"At first?"
His voice broke.
"Then I fell in love with you."
I laughed through my tears.
"That is supposed to make me feel better?"
"No."
He stepped closer.
"I know it doesn't."
I moved away.
"You lied to me."
"Yes."
"You watched me."
"Yes."
"You reported everything about me to Richard?"
Malik closed his eyes.
"At first."
"At first?"
"I stopped."
"When?"
"The moment I realized what he wanted."
"And what did he want?"
Malik looked at my mother.
She answered.
"He wanted the evidence."
I touched the flash drive in my pocket.
"This?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because it could destroy him."
Richard's expression hardened.
My mother continued.
"Samuel had discovered everything Richard had done. Before he died, he copied the evidence and gave it to me."
"Then why didn't you expose him?"
"Because Richard threatened you."
My tears fell.
"He said he would kill you if I went to the police."
I looked at Richard.
"You destroyed my family."
He shook his head.
"Your mother did that herself."
My mother stepped forward.
"Don't listen to him."
Richard smiled.
"She deserves to know everything."
I looked at him.
"Then tell me."
He stared at me for several seconds.
"Your mother wasn't always innocent."
My heart tightened.
"What did she do?"
"She helped Samuel."
"With what?"
"Stealing from me."
My mother shook her head.
"You're lying."
Richard laughed.
"You stole my money."
"I stole money you took from innocent people."
"And you gave it to Samuel."
My mother looked at me.
"I was trying to expose him."
Richard's smile disappeared.
"You betrayed me."
"You deserved it."
The room fell silent.
Then Richard looked at me.
"And Samuel wasn't killed because of the money."
I swallowed.
"Then why?"
"Because he found out about you."
"What?"
"He discovered that you were my legal heir."
I frowned.
"What?"
Richard smiled.
"Everything I own would eventually belong to you."
My blood ran cold.
"But I'm not your biological daughter."
"You didn't need to be."
I stared at him.
"The law recognized you as my daughter."
My mother stepped forward.
"That was exactly why I needed to hide you."
Richard continued.
"Samuel wanted to take you away from me."
"He wanted to protect me."
"He wanted control of my empire."
"No!"
My mother shouted.
"Samuel wanted Lina safe!"
Richard ignored her.
"And that is why I had to remove him."
I felt sick.
"You ordered his death."
Richard didn't answer.
That was enough.
Then Daniel suddenly spoke.
"You used me."
Richard looked at him.
"Yes."
"You made me kill him."
"I gave you a choice."
"You lied."
"Yes."
Daniel's eyes filled with rage.
"I trusted you."
Richard shrugged.
"You were a child."
"So was Lina!"
For the first time, Richard's expression changed.
Daniel stepped forward.
"You destroyed both of us."
Richard said nothing.
Daniel looked at me.
"I'm sorry."
I couldn't answer.
There was too much pain.
Too many lies.
Too many people who had known the truth while I had been living inside a story that wasn't real.
Then my mother grabbed my hand.
"Lina, we have to leave."
I looked at her.
"Where?"
"Somewhere Richard can't reach us."
Richard laughed.
"You still don't understand."
He pulled out his phone.
"It's already too late."
A notification appeared on my mother's phone.
She looked at it.
Her face went white.
"What happened?"
She couldn't speak.
I took the phone.
There was one photograph.
My house.
Taken only minutes ago.
Underneath it was a message.
I KNOW WHERE YOU ARE.
Another message appeared.
AND I KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE.
I looked at the flash drive.
Then at Richard.
He smiled.
"You have something that belongs to me."
I tightened my grip.
"No."
His eyes darkened.
"Give it to me."
"No."
He took one step toward me.
"Lina…"
I stepped backward.
For the first time, I wasn't afraid.
I was angry.
"You spent my whole life controlling me."
My voice shook.
"You lied about my father. You lied about my childhood. You used Daniel. You used Malik. You destroyed my mother's life."
I raised the flash drive.
"But you made one mistake."
Richard frowned.
"What?"
I smiled through my tears.
"I already copied it."
His face changed.
Malik looked at me in shock.
My mother stared at me.
Even Daniel smiled.
Then the lights suddenly went out.
And a voice came from the darkness.
"Good girl."
I froze.
I knew that voice.
Adrian.
But he wasn't alone.
When the lights came back on, Richard was gone.
And Adrian was standing beside the open door.
"Now," he said, "we finally have him exactly where we want him."