“Imagine knowing that you’re telling the truth while everyone around you calls you a liar.
Imagine losing your career, your home, your friends.
Every time she became angry, they pointed to her anger and said it proved she was irrational.”
Julian turned away.
“What did you do?”
“Not enough.”
“You visited her.”
Martha nodded.
“After she was hospitalized, I began visiting her in secret.”
“Why?”
“Because I was ashamed.”
“Did my father know?”
“No.”
“Martin?”
“I don’t know.”
“And Bianca?”
Martha was silent.
“Mom.”
“She was only a child.”
“What happened to her?”
“She lived with an aunt.”
“And when Elena got better?”
“They reunited.”
“So Bianca knew the entire story.”
“Yes.”
Julian rubbed his forehead.
“Then why did you let me continue dating her?”
“I didn’t know who she was in the beginning.”
“That seems impossible.”
“When you met her, she was using her father’s surname.”
Julian remembered.
Bianca Moreau.
Three years into their relationship, she had changed her surname to Laurent, explaining that she wanted to honor her mother.
Julian had found it touching.
“When did you realize who she was?”
“About eight months ago.”
Julian stood abruptly.
“Eight months?”
“I confronted her.”
“And you still didn’t tell me?”
“She begged me not to.”
“Why would you agree?”
“Because she told me she didn’t blame you.”
Julian turned toward her.
“She said she loved you.
She said the sins of a father should not become the punishment of his son.”
Martha laughed weakly.
“I wanted to believe her.”
“So did I.”
“For a while, she treated me kindly.”
“What changed?”
“The wedding announcement.”
Julian frowned.
Martha continued.
“The morning after the announcement appeared in the newspapers, she came here by herself.”
“What did she say?”
“She wanted to know whether I’d changed my will.”
Julian stared at her.
“What?”
“She asked who owned the mansion.”
“And what did you tell her?”
“The truth.”
Julian waited.
Martha looked at him.
“I own it.”
“Yes.
I already know that.”
“No, Julian.”
Something shifted in her expression.
“You don’t understand.”
She reached slowly for his hand.
“Your father never owned this house.”
Julian frowned.
“What are you talking about?”
Martha inhaled deeply.
“Because Elena Laurent did.”
The mansion had originally been designed in 1988.
At that time, Hale Industries had not yet become successful.
Arthur could not afford to build a property like it.
Elena could.
She had inherited a considerable amount of money from her father.
Her original plan had been to build an engineering laboratory on the land.
Arthur persuaded her to invest instead.
The property was initially bought through a partnership.
Later, after Arthur stole Elena’s cooling-system design, he pushed her out of that partnership as well.
“How?”
Julian asked.
“Martin.”
Of course.
Martin Vale had prepared the legal paperwork.
Elena signed documents while she was under severe financial pressure.
She believed she was only selling a minority interest in the company.
In reality, she also surrendered her control over the property.
“The mansion was built with money generated by the stolen technology,” Martha said.
“So everything is connected.”
“Yes.”
Julian stared around the hospital room as though the building itself had changed.
“What did you tell Bianca?”
“That I intended to correct what Arthur had done.”
“How?”
Martha looked away.
“I established a trust.”
Julian immediately became alert.
“What kind of trust?”
“I’ve been working on it privately.”
“With who?”
“Not Martin.”
“Thank God.”
“A different lawyer.”
“What does it do?”
Martha smiled sadly.
“Returns what can still be returned.”
“To Elena?”
“Yes.”
Julian froze.
“Did Bianca know?”
“I told her.”
“Then why would she threaten you?”
Martha looked genuinely confused.
“I don’t know.”
Julian began pacing.
The story no longer made sense.
If Bianca’s only motive had been revenge for property stolen from her mother, Martha’s plan should have pleased her.
Unless Bianca wanted more than restitution.
Or unless something remained hidden.
“What exactly were you planning to return?”
“The mansion.
A large portion of my shares.
And compensation calculated from the original patent.”
“How much?”
“Roughly eighty million dollars.”
Julian stared at her.
“And you thought I might object?”
“I didn’t know.”
“I wouldn’t have.”
“I know that now.”
Julian sat again.
“Bianca should have been relieved.”
“She was.”
“At first?”
Martha nodded.
“Then something changed.”
“When?”
“About three months ago.”
“What happened?”
“I don’t know.”
Julian’s phone vibrated.
Rebecca Shaw.
The lawyer Martha had quietly hired.
He answered immediately.
“Rebecca.”
“Julian, I’m sorry about what happened.”
“Thank you.”
“Your mother instructed me to call you if anything unusual occurred.”
Julian looked at Martha.
“She expected something?”
“Not this specifically.
But she had concerns.”
“About Bianca?”
There was a short pause.
“About Martin Vale.”
Julian stood.
“What did Martin do?”
“He tried to gain access to the Laurent restitution trust.”
“When?”
“Yesterday afternoon.”
