His Mother
1797 Words
“Adrian!”
The woman's voice echoed down the staircase.
Adrian froze.
I had never seen him look like that.
The ruthless billionaire who could intimidate an entire boardroom was suddenly just a son hearing his mother's voice after ten years of believing she was dead.
“Mom?” he whispered.
His father smiled.
Adrian's expression changed instantly.
“Where is she?”
“Upstairs.”
“Take me to her.”
His father didn't move.
“Not so fast.”
Adrian stepped forward.
I caught his arm.
“Don't.”
He looked at me.
“We don't know what he's planning.”
“I don't care.”
“You should.”
His father chuckled.
“She's always been smarter than you.”
Adrian's jaw clenched.
“Shut up.”
The older man looked at me.
“You've got your mother's eyes.”
I stiffened.
“You knew my mother?”
“I knew her very well.”
“Then tell me where she is.”
“Upstairs.”
“Alive?”
He smiled.
“Very much so.”
My heart hammered.
Adrian took another step.
His father raised a hand.
“Before you see her, you need to understand something.”
“I don't need anything from you.”
“You've spent ten years believing I killed your mother.”
Adrian's eyes became cold.
“Did you?”
His father stared at him.
“No.”
Silence.
Adrian looked almost stunned.
“Then who did?”
His father smiled faintly.
“That's the question you've been asking for ten years.”
“Answer it.”
“Come upstairs.”
Adrian moved.
I held him back.
“Wait.”
He looked at me.
“It's a trap.”
“Probably.”
“Then why are you going?”
His eyes softened.
“Because she's my mother.”
I understood.
I let go.
“Then I'm coming with you.”
“No.”
“Adrian.”
“You stay here.”
“Absolutely not.”
His father laughed.
“You two really are alike.”
Adrian glared at him.
“Don't compare her to my mother.”
His father raised an eyebrow.
“Why not?”
Adrian didn't answer.
I stepped beside him.
“Let's go.”
His eyes remained on mine.
Then he nodded.
We climbed the stairs.
Every step seemed to echo through the abandoned hotel.
Adrian's hand stayed near mine, but he didn't touch me.
His father walked ahead.
At the end of the corridor was a wooden door.
He stopped.
“She's behind there.”
Adrian stared at it.
His breathing became uneven.
I whispered, “Are you okay?”
“No.”
It was the first honest answer I'd ever heard from him.
I reached for his hand.
His fingers immediately closed around mine.
He looked down.
Then at me.
“Don't let go.”
“I won't.”
His father opened the door.
“Adrian?”
The voice came again.
Adrian stopped breathing.
A woman stood beside the window.
She was older than the photographs.
Her dark hair was streaked with silver.
Her face was thinner.
But there was no mistaking her.
Adrian's mother.
Evelyn.
Adrian stared at her.
She stared back.
Neither moved.
Then her hand flew to her mouth.
“Adrian.”
He whispered her name.
“Mom.”
She crossed the room.
Adrian met her halfway.
And then he was holding her.
I looked away.
It felt too private.
Evelyn cried against her son's shoulder.
Adrian didn't speak.
His arms tightened around her as if he was afraid she might disappear again.
After a few seconds, he whispered:
“I thought you were dead.”
“I know.”
“You let me believe it.”
“I had no choice.”
“You always had a choice.”
His voice cracked.
Evelyn pulled back.
“I wanted to come home.”
“Then why didn't you?”
She looked toward her husband.
Adrian followed her gaze.
His expression hardened.
“You.”
His father folded his arms.
“Me.”
“You kept her from me.”
“I kept you alive.”
Adrian laughed bitterly.
“You expect me to believe that?”
Evelyn stepped between them.
“Adrian, listen to me.”
He looked at her.
“Your father didn't kill me.”
“Then who did?”
Her face went pale.
She looked at me.
Then at my father.
I realized my father had followed us upstairs.
He was standing near the doorway.
Evelyn's eyes filled with tears.
“Thomas.”
My father looked at her.
“Evelyn.”
Adrian looked between them.
“You know each other.”
My father didn't respond.
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
“You've known my mother all this time.”
“I told you,” my father said. “I promised her.”
“Ten years.”
“Yes.”
Adrian looked furious.
“Why?”
Evelyn answered.
“Because I was afraid.”
“Of what?”
She looked at her husband.
“Of him.”
Everyone went silent.
Adrian's father laughed.
“Still blaming me.”
“You know what you did.”
“I did what was necessary.”
Evelyn turned toward him.
“You nearly killed our son.”
Adrian froze.
“What?”
His father said nothing.
Evelyn looked at him.
“Tell him.”
He remained silent.
“Tell him what happened that night.”
Adrian stepped forward.
“What happened?”
Evelyn's eyes filled with tears.
“Your father discovered I had evidence against him.”
“Evidence of what?”
“Money laundering. Fraud. Bribery.”
Adrian's expression hardened.
“And my father?”
“He was involved.”
My father finally spoke.
“More than involved.”
Adrian looked at him.
“What does that mean?”
My father swallowed.
“Your father wasn't the one controlling the operation.”
Adrian frowned.
“Then who was?”
My father looked toward the hallway.
Before he could answer, a loud crash came from downstairs.
Everyone froze.
Adrian immediately moved toward me.
“Stay behind me.”
Evelyn looked terrified.
Her husband cursed.
“Who is that?”
Another crash.
Then footsteps.
Several people.
Adrian's father looked toward the door.
“They found us.”
“Who?” Adrian demanded.
His father didn't answer.
Adrian grabbed his collar.
“Who?”
Evelyn shouted, “Adrian, stop!”
“He knows who they are!”
“Because he works for them!”
Silence.
Adrian slowly released him.
“What?”
Evelyn's voice trembled.
“Your father wasn't the mastermind.”
Adrian stared at her.
“Then who was?”
Evelyn looked directly at me.
My stomach tightened.
“Your mother.”
I couldn't breathe.
“My mother?”
Evelyn nodded.
“She was the one who discovered everything.”
Adrian looked confused.
“Then why would she be involved?”
“She wasn't.”
Evelyn shook her head.
“She discovered what your father was doing. She tried to expose him.”
“Then why did you say—”
“Because your mother disappeared after she found out who was really behind it.”
My father stepped forward.
“Evelyn.”
She turned toward him.
“It's time.”
He shook his head.
“No.”
“We can't keep hiding.”
“What about Elena?”
Evelyn looked at me.
“That's why they came.”
My heart pounded.
“Why me?”
She walked toward me.
“Because your mother left something with you.”
I frowned.
“I don't have anything.”
“You do.”
“What?”
Evelyn looked at my necklace.
My hand immediately went to the small pendant I'd worn since childhood.
My mother had given it to me before she disappeared.
“This?”
Evelyn nodded.
“Your mother gave that to you.”
“Yes.”
“Open it.”
I stared at her.
“It doesn't open.”
“Look closer.”
I turned it over.
There was a tiny seam I'd never noticed.
Adrian stepped beside me.
“Give it to me.”
I handed it over.
He examined it carefully.
Then used the edge of a key to pry it open.
The pendant clicked.
Something tiny fell into my palm.
A memory card.
I stared at it.
“What is this?”
Evelyn's face filled with fear.
“Everything.”
My father's expression changed.
“Evelyn, we need to leave.”
Adrian looked at him.
“Why?”
Then we heard a voice from downstairs.
A man's voice.
Calm.
Familiar.
“Because you won't have much time.”
Adrian went still.
I looked at him.
“Who is that?”
He stared toward the staircase.
His face had gone pale.
“I know that voice.”
“Who?”
Adrian whispered:
“My father's business partner.”
His father looked terrified.
Evelyn grabbed my arm.
“Give me the card.”
I tightened my fingers around it.
“No.”
Everyone looked at me.
I stepped backward.
“If this contains everything, I'm keeping it.”
Evelyn's eyes widened.
“It's too dangerous.”
“So is everything else you've kept from me.”
Adrian moved beside me.
“She has a point.”
His mother stared at him.
“You don't understand what you're holding.”
“Then tell us.”
Before Evelyn could answer, the lights went out.
Darkness swallowed the room.
Someone screamed.
Then a gunshot shattered the silence.
I felt Adrian's arms wrap around me.
“Get down!”
We hit the floor.
Another shot.
Then another.
Evelyn cried out.
“Mom!”
Adrian lunged toward her.
I reached for his hand.
“Adrian!”
He stopped.
In the darkness, his fingers found mine.
Then someone whispered from behind us.
“Give me the card, Elena.”
My blood froze.
The voice was familiar.
Too familiar.
I turned slowly.
A shadow stood in the doorway.
And then the emergency lights flickered on.
I saw his face.
My father's face.
Except this wasn't my father.
It was the man from the photograph.
The man who had supposedly been dead for years.
He smiled.
“Hello, Elena.”
Adrian stared at him in disbelief.
His father whispered:
“No.”
The stranger's smile widened.
“Did you really think I was dead?”
I couldn't move.
Because suddenly I understood.
The man Adrian's family had spent ten years blaming...
The man my father had feared...
The man who had been controlling everything from the shadows...
Was standing right in front of us.
And he was looking directly at me.
“Give me your mother's memory card,” he said.
“Or Adrian's mother dies for real this time.”
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