Chapter 2: The Truth No One Told
The party dissolved into whispers and stares, but Lily barely noticed as Vanessa grabbed her wrist.
“Come with me,” Vanessa said.
“No,” Lily pulled back. “Not until you explain why you pushed me.”
Vanessa hesitated. For the first time that night, she looked unsure. Vulnerable.
“I thought you were trying to take something from me,” she admitted. “Ethan… my life… everything.”
“I didn’t even know who you were,” Lily shot back. “But now I do.”
They stood there, breathing the same air, sharing the same storm.
Vanessa finally spoke again, quieter this time. “There’s something you need to see.”
An hour later, they stood in a dimly lit study inside Vanessa’s mansion. A portrait hung above the fireplace—a younger version of Vanessa’s mother, elegant and composed.
Lily felt her chest tighten.
Because the woman in the painting looked exactly like her own mother.
“This is my mom,” Vanessa said. “Or… at least, the version of her everyone knows.”
May you like
Lily shook her head. “My mom told me she used to work for a wealthy family. She never said she was the family.”
Vanessa swallowed. “What if she didn’t leave by choice?”
