Chapter 392: The letter

Lucien’s POV

Hours before the bridge

I already thought today was chaotic after finding out Amelia faked her death to escape. Back then in the hall when the sonic sounds hit, I had a message from the police holding Amelia.

They informed me Amelia had passed away barely an hour ago and her corpse had disappeared. It was at that moment that I knew something was wrong.

Raphael realised before me and maybe if I had realised earlier he wouldn’t have died but there are no what-ifs in life.

The drive from Volkov Apex back home was usually quiet. Braelyn didn’t say a thing, we were both silent, processing everything. Today was meant to be a big celebration but the atmosphere turned mournful, and even the after-party had to be cancelled at the last minute.

The car pulled into the garage. The moment we parked, Braelyn reached for the door and stepped out. I sighed then turned off the engine before stepping out.

We got in through the side entrance leading from the garage. “Welcome back,” the housekeeper chimed as soon as she saw us walk in. A sharp gasp followed.

She froze on the spot, staring at us, unable to react. Lynn was covered in blood. Raphael’s blood, and some stained me too.

Lynn glanced at me before she continued inside. “I need a long soak,” she muttered before rushing upstairs.

I was about to follow when the housekeeper stopped me in my tracks. “Sir, a parcel arrived for you. The courier said it was from Mr Ronan Volkov,” she informed.

My brows furrowed. That was something that never crossed my mind. Ronan sending me a package. “Where is it?” I asked.

“It looked important so I placed it in your study,” she quickly replied. My gaze lingered on her a second longer before I rushed up.

“My car seats are stained. Get someone to handle it,” I said before vanishing at the top of the stairs. I walked past the master bedroom to the study.

The door creaked open and I stepped inside. The door closed behind me and my gaze immediately fell on the small manila envelope on the desk. My mind was already scrambling over what it might be.

From how small it was, I guessed it was a letter. I stopped at the table and picked up the envelope. I took my time opening it and pulling out a letter.

I unfolded it, my gaze following each line one by one. Slowly my expression cracked and everything I believed in shattered. Soon my hands were trembling uncontrollably.

*******

Dear Lucien,

I wish I could say all of this to you in person, but I cannot, not after everything that has happened. I do not dare to stand in front of you and say these words out loud, so I can only write. Thank you for not tearing it at first sight too.

By the time you are reading this, I will have already given Raphael a letter as well. I told him it came from Natalia. That was not the truth. I wrote it myself. There were things he needed to hear before stepping onto that stage, and I knew he would not accept it if he knew it came from me. As for Natasha, I will speak to her myself. She deserves the truth no matter how painful it is.

I did not uncover any of this on my own. The truth came to me through a man Natalia used years ago. A mercenary. He tried reaching her when she stopped paying him, but she had already disappeared once the police came after her. When he could not find her, he came to me instead. He sold me everything because she failed to keep her end of the deal.

Avelina did not kill your mother. Yes, what she did led to the accident and put Nadia in the hospital, but she was not the one who ended her life.

Natalia did.

She arranged for someone to tamper with Nadia’s drip while she was hospitalised. Toxins were introduced into her system in a way that would not raise suspicion. Your mother did not die from her injuries. She was murdered. After her death, her body was cremated quickly. There was no proper investigation, no second look. Everyone believed Avelina was responsible, and that was exactly what Natalia wanted. I have the evidence, video evidence and transaction history between Natalia and the mercenary, recorded conversations too.

I am sorry I did not tell you sooner. The truth is I only found out recently, and even then I hesitated. I have hidden too much already.

Before I married Natalia, I was in a relationship with your mother. We loved each other, but I let her go. I told myself it was the right decision and that I was protecting her. What I did not know was that she was already pregnant at the time. She was carrying my child.

You. I hated her for being with my father and worse, giving you the name Killian. I never called you by that name because when Nadia and I were dreamers we agreed it would be our first son’s name. So when she named you Killian I had no idea it was a hint.

I did not know this until after my father died. By then, everything had already fallen apart. I had spent years hating Nadia for becoming my father’s mistress without ever asking why. I never gave her the chance to explain herself. When I finally learned the truth, I did nothing. I was ashamed of what I had done and what I had allowed to happen.

Natalia, however, knew from the beginning. She knew Nadia was pregnant. She knew the child was mine, and she knew I never stopped loving her. That is why she killed her.

To make matters worse, Natasha is not my daughter. At this point, I do not even know what parts of my life were real.

As for Amelia, I am still trying to piece everything together, but what I know is this. She found out the truth about Nadia by accident. She overheard Natalia and the mercenary by accident. Once she did, she used it. She blackmailed Natalia for years. Everything that followed, Raphael’s marriage, the decisions that destroyed lives, the chaos we are dealing with now, all of it traces back to that. Natalia did it to hide her darkest secret.

I have already informed the Orlov family this morning. They deserved to know the truth about Nadia. I have also tracked Natalia’s phone. It is only a matter of time before we find her.

Lucien, I do not expect forgiveness. I do not deserve it. Neither you nor Raphael deserved any of this.

If you wish to speak about your mother or about any of this, I will be here.

I am sorry.

Ronan.

*********

What was this? Natalia was the one who killed Mum, and she ruined Raphael’s life just to hide the truth because of Amelia’s blackmail. A strange fury surged inside me because I couldn’t understand why a mother could be so cruel.

And that wasn’t all. Natasha wasn’t even a Volkov, although I suspected that too, but the one that shook me to the core was the ending. Raphael was my half-brother.

I didn’t care, I was still stained with blood. I walked straight to the master bedroom then the bathroom. Lynn was soaking in a tub when I entered.

“I need to leave,” I said. She glanced over, confusion filling her eyes.

“Where?” she asked.

I didn’t have time for words, I just gave her the letter and leaned over to kiss her forehead. “All the answers are here. Wait for me.” With that, I left. My hand was already dialling Ronan’s number.

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