Part 20 –
The storm hadn't passed.
It had only gotten darker, heavier, and far more dangerous.
But now Lila understood something important:
Standing beside Ethan Wolfe meant standing in the fire and never backing down.
And she was ready.
Even if it cost her everything.
The Secret Hidden in Plain Sight
It was a single name that set everything into motion.
Catherine Wolfe.
Ethan's late mother.
It was strange, almost cruel, that in all the chaos of the boardroom wars and public scandal, nobody had mentioned her.
Catherine Wolfe had once been beloved by the public an elegant philanthropist, known for building the foundation of Wolfe Enterprises' charity division.
But then she had died suddenly.
And quietly.
Without much investigation.
Too quietly.
Lila stared at the old articles late into the night, cross-referencing dates and corporate filings.
That's when she found it.
A private trust fund, transferred two months before Catherine's death
to an unnamed heir.
An heir Ethan had no idea existed.
A brother.
Or a sister.
Someone who, if they stepped forward now, could lay claim to Wolfe Enterprises.
Someone who might already be pulling the strings behind Julian Drake's sudden power play.
The Risky Move
Lila knew she should tell Ethan immediately.
But she also knew the board was watching him closely.
If word leaked that there might be another Wolfe heir, it would destabilize the company beyond repair.
No.
This was something she needed to verify herself.
Quietly.
Carefully.
She made an appointment with the one person who might know the truth:
Miranda Steele, Catherine Wolfe's former personal assistant.
But when Lila called Miranda's listed number, it rang straight to voicemail.
And when she tried again the next morning, it had been disconnected.
That left only one option:
visit her in person.
Danger Lurking in the Shadows
The house was tucked away at the edge of the city an old, crumbling Victorian-style home that looked like it had seen better decades.
Lila parked across the street and sat for a long moment, gathering her courage.
Everything about this felt wrong.
The street was too quiet.
The curtains were drawn.
There was a black SUV parked three houses down engine idling but no driver in sight.
Her instincts screamed at her to leave.
But if she walked away now, she might lose the one thread that could unravel the entire conspiracy.
She tucked a pepper spray bottle into her coat pocket and stepped out of the car.
Every step toward the house felt heavier.
At the door, she knocked.
No answer.
She knocked again, louder this time.
Finally, she tried the handle.
To her surprise, it turned.
Inside, the house was dark, cold, and filled with the heavy scent of dust and something metallic.
Blood?
A shiver raced down her spine.
"Ms. Steele?" she called, voice shaking slightly.
No response.
She edged further inside, heart hammering.
That's when she saw it a file sitting neatly on the coffee table, with her name scribbled across the top.
Almost like it had been left there… waiting for her.
Swallowing her fear, Lila crossed the room and picked it up.
Inside were photocopies of trust documents, photographs, birth certificates
enough to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Catherine Wolfe had another child.
And that child was now working with Julian Drake to destroy Ethan.
Too Late
As Lila clutched the folder, footsteps sounded behind her.
She spun around.
Two men stood in the doorway, both dressed in black, faces hidden behind masks.
"Hand it over," one growled.
Lila's heart raced.
She backed toward the window, calculating her chances.
Not great.
But she wasn't going to hand over the only leverage they had without a fight.
She hurled the pepper spray toward the nearest man's face and bolted toward the window, clutching the folder to her chest.
The glass shattered as she threw herself through it, landing hard on the overgrown front lawn.
Pain tore through her arms and knees, but she didn't stop.
She ran.
She didn't look back, not even when the sound of pounding footsteps grew louder behind her.
She made it to her car, slammed the door, and locked it.
The black SUV roared to life but Lila was already speeding away, tires screeching as she shot down the street.
Her hands shook violently on the steering wheel, but she didn't dare slow down.
She needed to get to Ethan.
Now.
Before they realized exactly what she had taken.
The Only Safe Place Left
When she finally burst into Ethan's penthouse, bruised and bleeding, he was already halfway across the room to catch her.
"Lila—" His voice broke as he took in the cuts on her hands, the terror in her eyes.
She didn't give him time to ask.
She thrust the file into his hands.
"They're coming for you," she gasped out. "You have a brother."
Ethan stared at her, stunned, as the weight of the truth slammed into him.
For a long moment, neither of them moved.
And then Ethan crushed her to his chest, holding her like she was the only thing keeping him standing.
"We'll fight this," he whispered fiercely against her hair.
"Together."
Lila closed her eyes, feeling the tremble in his arms.
They didn't just have enemies now.
They had family secrets buried so deep they were soaked in blood.
And the only way to survive...
Was to tear down every lie built to destroy them.
Even if it destroyed them too.