Chapter 9
I brought Bianca into the library.
No jewelry now.
No engagement ring.
I had removed that privilege.
She looked at Marcus first.
His face told her enough.
“You told him.”
He laughed.
“You made me.”
She turned toward me.
“What exactly do you think you know?”
“Your mother is alive.”
For the first time that day, Bianca lost control completely.
Her mouth opened.
Nothing came out.
I leaned back.
“Interesting.”
She recovered.
“You have no idea why.”
“Then explain.”
“Celeste had enemies.”
“Marcus already used that one.”
Her jaw tightened.
I continued.
“She built an oversight plan.”
Silence.
“She approached Sofia.”
Nothing.
“She asked what happened to Lucy’s voting shares if Sofia died.”
Bianca’s eyes changed.
There.
I saw it.
“Why?”
“She was gathering information.”
“For what?”
“To protect Marcus.”
“From what?”
“Your family.”
I almost laughed.
“You were trying to enter my family.”
“Yes.”
“And protecting yourselves from us required controlling my daughter.”
“No.”
I pushed Emma’s phone across the table.
Eleven videos.
Bianca did not touch it.
“Then what do you call this?”
Her face hardened.
“Lucy hated me.”
“She was three.”
“She rejected me constantly.”
“She had a mother.”
“Dead.”
The word came too casually.
I felt my voice go colder.
“Say Sofia’s name.”
Bianca stared.
“Why?”
“Because you keep calling her dead like that is all she was.”
Silence.
“Say her name.”
Bianca looked away.
She could not.
That told me something.
Not only jealousy.
Sofia frightened her even after death.
Because Sofia had seen her.
Documented her.
Protected Lucy from her.
I leaned forward.
“What did Sofia know about Celeste?”
Bianca’s face went pale.
May you like
There it was.
The real hinge.
