Chapter 12 - The Man Who Wore His Father’s Face
The man stepped into the light.
Mara stopped breathing.
Dominic stared at him.
The elderly man smiled.
“You finally came home.”
Mara's fingers tightened around the old key.
“You're not my father.”
The man tilted his head.
“No.”
He pointed toward Victor's photograph on the wall.
“But I knew him better than anyone.”
Dominic raised his weapon.
“Where is my daughter?”
The man looked at him.
“Still alive.”
“Give her to me.”
“Not yet.”
Dominic took one step forward.
“I won't ask again.”
The elderly man smiled.
“You sound exactly like your father.”
Dominic's expression hardened.
“My father is dead.”
“Yes.”
The man paused.
“And that's what makes this so convenient.”
Mara stared at him.
“Who are you?”
The man looked at her.
“Your grandfather.”
Her heart sank.
“You're Victor's father?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did you let my mother die?”
His smile disappeared.
“Because your mother betrayed me.”
“She was trying to protect me.”
“She was trying to destroy my family.”
Mara shook her head.
“No.”
The man stepped closer.
“You have spent your entire life believing yourself to be a victim.”
His eyes moved toward Dominic.
“But you don't know what your mother did.”
Dominic stepped between them.
“Don't talk to her.”
The old man laughed.
“Still protecting her.”
“I always will.”
“That's why she chose you.”
Dominic frowned.
“What does that mean?”
The man pointed toward the document on the table.
“Read it.”
Dominic didn't move.
“Read it.”
Mara reached for the document first.
It was an old legal agreement.
Several pages.
Her mother's signature appeared at the bottom.
Mara scanned the first page.
Then stopped.
“What is this?”
Dominic looked over her shoulder.
A transfer of inheritance.
A clause naming Mara as successor to the combined Arden and Vascari estates.
But there was something else.
A condition.
The heir must marry Dominic Vascari.
Mara's face went pale.
She looked at Dominic.
“No.”
He shook his head.
“I never saw this.”
The old man smiled.
“Of course you didn't.”
Mara turned toward him.
“You arranged our marriage.”
“Yes.”
“Before we even met?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because your bloodline needed to be united.”
Dominic's voice became cold.
“You used us.”
“I protected the family.”
“You destroyed our lives.”
“No.”
The old man looked at Mara.
“I gave you a husband who could protect you.”
Dominic stepped forward.
“I wasn't your weapon.”
“No.”
The old man smiled.
“You were my insurance.”
Dominic's face hardened.
Mara looked at the document again.
Then noticed another signature.
Not her mother's.
Not the old man's.
Dominic's father's.
She stared.
“He signed this.”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Before you were born.”
Mara's hands trembled.
“Then he knew about me.”
“He knew everything.”
Dominic stared at the document.
“My father knew Mara existed before I met her.”
“Yes.”
“And he arranged the marriage.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't he tell me?”
“Because you would have refused.”
Dominic laughed once.
There was no humor in it.
“You're right.”
The old man looked toward Celeste.
She was still holding the baby.
“Celeste.”
She stepped forward.
“Grandfather.”
Dominic's eyes narrowed.
“You call him that?”
Celeste nodded.
“He raised me.”
Mara stared at her.
“You knew everything.”
Celeste looked at her.
“I knew enough.”
“You knew I was pregnant.”
“Yes.”
“You knew about my mother.”
“Yes.”
“You knew about Dominic's father.”
“Yes.”
Mara's voice shook.
“Why did you let me suffer?”
Celeste looked down.
For the first time, she seemed uncertain.
“Because I thought you had taken everything from me.”
“I didn't.”
“I know that now.”
Mara looked at the baby in her arms.
“Give her to me.”
Celeste hesitated.
Then stepped closer.
Dominic immediately moved forward.
The old man raised a hand.
“Wait.”
Dominic stopped.
Celeste looked at the baby.
“She hasn't stopped crying since they took her.”
Mara's eyes filled with tears.
“She's hungry.”
“I know.”
“She needs me.”
“I know.”
Celeste looked at Mara.
“I was supposed to hand her over.”
“To whom?”
Celeste looked at the old man.
Then back at Mara.
“To the person who paid for the operation.”
Dominic's expression changed.
“Operation?”
Celeste nodded.
“They weren't trying to kill you.”
Mara swallowed.
“Then what were they trying to do?”
“Take the baby before she was born.”
Dominic looked at the old man.
“Why?”
The old man smiled.
“Because a child born from your blood and Mara's blood creates something more valuable than money.”
Dominic's voice became quiet.
“What?”
“Control.”
He walked toward the fireplace.
“Your father spent decades building a private network.”
“Criminal?”
“Political.”
Dominic stared.
The old man continued.
“Banks. Judges. Corporations. Officials. Men who owed him favors.”
Mara frowned.
“And my blood?”
“Your mother came from the Arden line.”
Victor's family had controlled another network.
The old man smiled.
“When the two families were separated, their influence weakened.”
He looked at Mara.
“But you united them.”
Dominic shook his head.
“You wanted the child because of the inheritance.”
“Not just inheritance.”
The old man pointed toward the baby.
“Her name will carry both families.”
Mara stared.
“My daughter is not a name.”
“No.”
The old man's expression hardened.
“She is a key.”
Dominic's hand tightened around his weapon.
“She is a child.”
“She is both.”
Mara stepped forward.
“You will never use her.”
The old man smiled.
“You think you have a choice?”
“Yes.”
She held up the key.
“This belonged to my mother.”
The man's expression changed.
Mara noticed.
For the first time, he looked afraid.
“What does that key open?”
He said nothing.
Mara turned toward the fireplace.
She remembered Michael's words.
The box your mother hid.
She looked behind the painting.
A small metal panel was hidden beneath the frame.
Dominic followed her gaze.
“Mara.”
She inserted the key.
Click.
A section of the wall opened.
Inside was a narrow compartment.
A black box rested inside.
The old man's face went white.
“No.”
Mara pulled it out.
Dominic moved beside her.
“What is it?”
Mara opened it.
Inside were photographs.
Letters.
A cassette recorder.
And a small envelope.
The envelope carried her mother's handwriting.
Mara recognized it instantly.
Her hands trembled.
She opened it.
The first line made her heart stop.
Mara, if you found this, then your grandfather is still alive.
She looked up.
The old man had gone silent.
The letter continued.
Do not trust the man who claims to be your protector.
Mara's eyes moved to Victor's name.
Then Dominic's.
Then Michael's.
Three names.
Three warnings.
Her mother's final sentence was underlined.
The person who caused the crash is not Celeste.
Mara looked at Celeste.
Celeste's face changed.
“I told you.”
Dominic stared at the letter.
“Then who?”
Mara kept reading.
The next sentence was written shakily.
It was the man I trusted most.
She stopped.
Dominic looked at her.
“Who?”
Mara read the final words.
The man who helped me escape.
Her eyes moved toward Michael.
He was standing near the staircase.
His face had gone completely white.
Dominic turned.
“Michael.”
Michael didn't move.
Mara looked at him.
“You helped my mother escape.”
“Yes.”
“You knew about the crash.”
“Yes.”
“You knew Celeste wasn't responsible.”
“Yes.”
Dominic stepped forward.
“Then who caused it?”
Michael lowered his head.
“I didn't want it to happen.”
“But you knew.”
“Yes.”
“Who ordered it?”
Michael's eyes filled with tears.
“Your father.”
Dominic froze.
“My father is dead.”
Michael nodded.
“I know.”
“Then how could he order the crash?”
Michael looked at the old man.
“He didn't.”
Dominic's expression changed.
Michael whispered,
“The order came from someone using his name.”
Mara's breath caught.
“Who?”
Michael looked toward Celeste.
Then toward the baby.
“I was told the order came from Dominic.”
Dominic stared.
“But it wasn't me.”
“I know.”
“Then who impersonated me?”
Michael said nothing.
Dominic walked closer.
“Who?”
Michael finally answered.
“Your twin.”
The room went silent.
Mara's eyes widened.
“The other baby.”
Michael nodded.
“He survived.”
Dominic's face went pale.
“You told me he died.”
“I was told to say that.”
“By whom?”
Michael looked toward the staircase.
“By your father.”
Dominic shook his head.
“My father wouldn't hide my own brother.”
“He did.”
“Why?”
Michael's voice broke.
“Because your brother wasn't just your father's son.”
Dominic stared.
“Then whose was he?”
Michael looked at Mara.
“He was Victor's.”
Mara froze.
Dominic's twin.
Victor's son.
Her half-brother.
The same bloodline connecting both families.
The old man suddenly stepped backward.
“Enough.”
Dominic turned.
“Where is he?”
The old man said nothing.
“Where is my brother?”
The elderly man smiled.
“You've already met him.”
Dominic stared.
“No.”
“Yes.”
Mara's mind raced.
The photographs.
The hospital.
The security chief.
The old watch.
The man beside Celeste.
The man who had been declared dead.
Then Dominic suddenly remembered the photograph from the tunnel.
The older man beside Celeste.
The silver watch.
The face.
He knew it.
He had seen it before.
Not in the hospital.
Not in his childhood.
In his father's office.
A portrait had hung behind the desk for years.
Two boys.
Identical faces.
One was Dominic.
The other was—
Dominic's phone suddenly rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
No one spoke.
Then a man's voice whispered,
“Hello, brother.”
Dominic went completely still.
Mara looked at him.
The old man's smile disappeared.
Celeste lowered her eyes.
The voice continued.
“You finally found me.”
Dominic's hand tightened around the phone.
“Who are you?”
A quiet laugh came through the speaker.
“You know.”
The call ended.
At that exact moment, the front doors of the mansion slammed open.
A man stepped inside.
Same height.
Same dark eyes.
Same scar along the jaw.
Same voice.
He looked directly at Dominic.
Then at Mara.
Then at the baby in Celeste's arms.
And he smiled.
“Brother…”
May you like
He took one step forward.
“…you've been raising my wife.”
