Episode 9
1223 Words
The Secret Account
Lena couldn't speak.
Her mother's name stared back at her from the document.
Eleanor Carter.
The name was printed beneath the account information.
For several seconds, the room seemed to tilt.
“My mother couldn't have done this.”
Adrian watched her carefully.
“You're certain?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Because she doesn't even know how to use online banking properly.”
Ethan glanced at Adrian.
“That doesn't prove anything.”
Lena turned toward him.
“You think my mother stole money from your company?”
“No,” Ethan said. “I'm saying we don't know what happened.”
Adrian closed the folder.
“That's enough.”
Ethan nodded and left.
Lena remained standing.
“You don't believe she did it.”
Adrian looked at her.
“I don't believe anything yet.”
Her heart sank.
“But I believe you deserve the truth.”
He picked up his phone.
“I'm sending someone to investigate the account.”
Lena shook her head.
“No.”
Adrian frowned.
“Why?”
“Because I want to ask my mother myself.”
“You're too emotional.”
“She's my mother.”
“And whoever is behind this knows that.”
Lena stepped closer.
“You can't protect me by keeping me ignorant.”
Adrian stared at her.
She was right.
He hated that she was right.
“Fine.”
He picked up his keys.
“We're going to the hospital.”
---
The hospital room was unusually quiet.
Lena's mother was awake.
She smiled when she saw Lena.
“Good morning.”
Lena walked toward the bed.
“Mom, I need to ask you something.”
Her mother looked at Adrian.
Then back at Lena.
“What happened?”
Lena pulled out the document.
“Do you recognize this?”
Her mother looked at it.
The moment her eyes landed on the account number, the color drained from her face.
Lena noticed immediately.
“Mom?”
Her mother didn't answer.
Adrian stepped forward.
“Mrs. Carter.”
Her hands began trembling.
“Where did you get this?”
“Your name is attached to the account.”
Her mother closed her eyes.
“Oh, God.”
Lena's heart began racing.
“You know about it.”
“I didn't open that account.”
“Then how is your name on it?”
Her mother looked at Adrian.
“You're a Vale.”
Adrian's expression hardened.
“Yes.”
“You should ask your family.”
Lena frowned.
“What does my mother have to do with your family?”
Her mother looked frightened.
“Everything.”
Adrian stepped closer.
“What do you know about Isabella Vale?”
Lena's mother froze.
That was the answer.
Adrian's voice became colder.
“You knew her.”
Her mother looked away.
“Yes.”
Lena stared at her.
“How?”
“She came to me years ago.”
“Why?”
“She was afraid.”
“Of whom?”
Her mother hesitated.
“Your grandfather.”
Adrian went completely still.
“My grandfather?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Her mother swallowed.
“Because Isabella discovered something about the Vale family.”
“What?”
“I don't know everything.”
“Tell me what you know.”
She looked at Lena.
“I promised Isabella I would never speak about it.”
Lena took her mother's hand.
“Mom, people are threatening me.”
Her mother's eyes filled with tears.
“I was afraid this day would come.”
Adrian's expression changed.
“What day?”
“The day they found you.”
“Who?”
Her mother looked toward the door.
Then lowered her voice.
“The people who destroyed Isabella.”
A cold silence filled the room.
---
Outside the hospital, Adrian stood beside the car.
Lena stared at him.
“My mother knows your family.”
“Yes.”
“She knew Isabella.”
“Yes.”
“And someone has been watching me.”
“Yes.”
She hugged herself.
“Why do I feel like my entire life is connected to your family?”
Adrian didn't answer.
Because he was asking himself the same question.
His phone rang.
He answered.
“What?”
His security chief spoke.
“Sir, we found something.”
“What?”
“The account connected to Mrs. Carter was accessed yesterday.”
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
“From where?”
A pause.
“The Vale mansion.”
Lena heard him.
Her face went pale.
“That's impossible.”
Adrian looked at the mansion in the distance.
Someone inside his home had accessed the account.
Someone inside his family might be behind everything.
He ended the call.
“Go back inside.”
Lena stared at him.
“What?”
“Stay in the hospital.”
“Why?”
“Because I need to find out who is inside my house.”
She shook her head.
“I'm coming.”
“No.”
“Adrian.”
His voice became firm.
“Lena, listen to me.”
She stopped.
“I need you somewhere safe.”
She looked into his eyes.
“You're worried.”
“Yes.”
The answer came instantly.
No hesitation.
No attempt to hide it.
Lena's heart softened.
“Why?”
Adrian looked at her for several seconds.
“Because I can't lose you.”
Lena's breath caught.
Adrian seemed to realize what he'd said.
His expression changed.
“That isn't what I meant.”
“Of course.”
But neither of them believed him.
---
When Adrian returned to the mansion, he went straight to his private office.
The security team was waiting.
“Show me everything.”
They pulled up the camera recordings.
Adrian watched.
Nothing.
Then he saw it.
A figure entering the east wing.
He paused the footage.
“Zoom in.”
The image became clearer.
The person was wearing black.
A hood covered the face.
But the walk was familiar.
Adrian stared at the screen.
“No.”
His security chief looked at him.
“Sir?”
Adrian stood.
“Bring Ethan here.”
Minutes later, Ethan entered.
“What happened?”
Adrian pointed at the screen.
Ethan watched.
His expression changed.
“That's not possible.”
“You recognize the person?”
Ethan hesitated.
“Yes.”
“Who?”
Ethan looked at Adrian.
“Mother.”
Adrian's face went cold.
“Victoria?”
Ethan nodded.
“I saw her leaving the east wing last night.”
Adrian stared at the screen.
His mother had access to the mansion.
She knew about the family secrets.
She knew about Isabella.
And now there was evidence connecting her to the mysterious person watching Lena.
Adrian picked up his phone.
“Where is she?”
Ethan looked toward the door.
“She left twenty minutes ago.”
“Where?”
“I don't know.”
Adrian's phone suddenly vibrated.
A message appeared.
You're looking in the wrong direction.
Then another.
Victoria is not your enemy.
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
A final message appeared.
Ask your wife what her mother did twenty years ago.
Adrian slowly looked up.
Because suddenly, the biggest question wasn't whether Lena was telling the truth.
It was whether her mother had been telling her the truth.
Next.
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