Chapter 31 - The Truth in Blood

A Shocking Discovery

Hope's legs felt unsteady as she stepped into her office. The news article about her parentage was still open on Liam's phone, but her mind was spinning too fast to process the words.

Could it be true?

Raymond shut the door behind them, his face unreadable. "We need to confirm this before the media tears you apart."

Hope took a shaky breath. "I don't understand. Richard never mentioned anything about this. He always said he adopted me because he felt a connection, not because I was his… his own flesh and blood."

Liam clenched his jaw. "Victoria must have found something, some document, some record. She wouldn't make a move like this unless she had proof."

Hope sat down, pressing her fingers against her temples. Victoria's game was dangerous. If she had faked this information, Hope could sue her for defamation. But if it was true…

Then everything Hope thought she knew about her life was a lie.

Raymond pulled out a folder and placed it on the desk. "I had a private investigator dig deeper into Richard's past. And Hope… there's something you need to see."

Her hands trembled as she reached for the folder. She flipped it open and gasped.

Inside was a birth certificate.

Her birth certificate.

But this one wasn't the version she had always known. This one listed her father's name.

Richard Sinclair.

Her breath caught. "No…"

Liam leaned over, his eyes darkening. "This means Victoria isn't lying."

Hope's world tilted. Richard had been her father all along. He had known. He had taken her in, raised her, but never told her the truth.

"Why?" Her voice was barely above a whisper. "Why would he keep this from me?"

Raymond's expression hardened. "Because if Victoria found this… she must have something else. Something bigger."

Hope's heart pounded. "What else could she possibly have?"

Liam's voice was grim. "A will."

Victoria's Trump Card

At that very moment, Victoria was sitting in a luxury penthouse, sipping champagne as she scrolled through her phone.

Her plan was unfolding beautifully.

Hope had fought back, but she hadn't been prepared for this. The revelation of her parentage was only the beginning.

Victoria smiled as she picked up the document on her desk. The real weapon in her arsenal.

Richard Sinclair's last will and testament.

And with it, she would destroy Hope once and for all.

Desperate Search

Hope paced the office, her mind racing.

Richard's will. That was the key.

"If Richard knew I was his daughter, then the will might reflect that," she said. "Maybe he left something to me maybe that's why Victoria is doing all this."

Liam nodded. "Then we need to find it before she does."

Raymond was already on his laptop, typing furiously. "There's one problem," he said. "Richard's official will the one on file with his lawyers doesn't mention you at all. It was changed a year before his death, and everything was left to Victoria and her son."

Hope swallowed. "So you're saying I was written out?"

Raymond hesitated. "No. I'm saying there might be a second will. A secret one."

Hope's pulse quickened. A second will.

If it existed, it could prove that Richard intended for her to inherit Sinclair Holdings. It could strip Victoria of everything.

And Victoria must have realized that.

That's why she was trying so hard to discredit Hope.

Liam clenched his fists. "If she gets her hands on it first, she'll destroy it."

Hope straightened, determination hardening in her chest. "Then we need to find it before she does."

The Race for the Truth

A Missing Piece

Hope's heart pounded as she gripped the folder tighter. The truth about her being Richard Sinclair's daughter had shattered everything she believed. But now, she had something bigger to fight for the missing will.

Victoria wasn't just trying to humiliate her. She was trying to erase her completely.

Hope turned to Liam and Raymond, determination burning in her eyes. "If a second will exists, where would Richard have hidden it?"

Raymond sighed, rubbing his temples. "If Richard suspected Victoria of foul play, he wouldn't have kept it somewhere obvious. We need to think where would he trust it to be safe?"

Hope racked her brain. Richard had always been a careful man. He had kept detailed records, but he never left important documents where just anyone could find them.

Then it hit her.

His private study.

Not the office in Sinclair Holdings the one in their family mansion.

Hope looked up, her breath catching. "The study. It has to be there."

Liam and Raymond exchanged glances.

"It's possible," Liam admitted. "But Victoria lives in that house. She might have already searched for it."

Hope clenched her fists. "Then we go before she does."

Raymond stood. "We should move now. If Victoria hasn't found it yet, we don't have much time."

Hope nodded. She grabbed her coat, her pulse quickening.

This wasn't just about inheritance anymore.

This was about proving her place in the Sinclair family.

Dangerous Intruder

The Sinclair mansion loomed in front of them, its grand exterior glowing under the night lights. Hope hadn't been back since Victoria had thrown her out, and now, stepping onto the driveway, a flood of memories rushed in.

But she had no time to dwell on emotions.

Liam parked the car a few blocks away, keeping a cautious eye on the security guards patrolling the gates.

Raymond pulled out his phone. "I'll disable the security cameras for ten minutes. That's all we'll have."

Hope exhaled sharply. "Then let's not waste time."

The three of them slipped past the gates and into the shadows.

Hope knew the mansion like the back of her hand. She led them through a hidden side entrance, one Richard had once shown her when she was younger.

They moved quickly down the dim hallways, avoiding the house staff.

Richard's study was on the second floor.

But as Hope reached the staircase, a voice rang out behind them.

"Well, well. Look who decided to come home."

Hope froze.

Victoria stood at the end of the hall, dressed in an elegant silk robe, a glass of wine in her hand. Her lips curled into a knowing smirk.

"I was wondering when you'd figure it out," Victoria said, swirling the wine in her glass. "You're smarter than I gave you credit for, Hope."

Hope's blood ran cold.

Victoria knew why they were here.

And she had been waiting for them.

Battle of Wills

Hope straightened, refusing to let Victoria see her fear.

"You've been lying to me my whole life," Hope said coldly. "You knew I was Richard's daughter, and you hid it. Why?"

Victoria chuckled. "Because, darling, the truth wouldn't have served me. You were a pathetic orphan easy to manipulate. If Richard had made your true identity public, you would have had real power." She took a slow sip of wine. "And I couldn't let that happen."

Liam stepped protectively in front of Hope. "Where's the will?"

Victoria smirked. "Oh, I destroyed that a long time ago."

Hope's heart clenched. No.

She had to be lying.

Hope's voice shook. "Richard wouldn't have trusted you with something so important. He hid it somewhere."

Victoria's smile faltered just slightly.

That was all the confirmation Hope needed.

She still didn't have it.

Which meant the will was still somewhere in this house.

Hope squared her shoulders. "You won't stop me from finding it."

Victoria's eyes darkened. "We'll see about that."

And then, without another word, she turned and walked away, her heels clicking against the marble floor.

Liam exhaled. "She's letting us search. Why?"

Hope clenched her fists. "Because she's confident we won't find it."

Raymond checked his watch. "We have five minutes before the security system comes back online. We need to move."

Hope's determination hardened.

Victoria had spent years manipulating and controlling her.

But tonight, that ended.

Tonight, she would find the truth.

And when she did, Victoria Sinclair would lose everything.