The Bitter Truth

ELENA'S POV

The café smelled of freshly brewed coffee, but I could barely focus on anything beyond the rapid beating of my chest.

Penelope had asked to meet her again here. She supposedly had other important things to say. I glanced at her as she sat across the table. Her eyes were clouded with something I couldn't just name.

Dread.

"Elena," Penelope finally said, her voice soft yet unsteady. "There's something else you need to know about your father."

I straightened. "What about him."

Penelope inhaled deeply, as if bracing herself. "Edward Hart… was not your biological father."

Silence.

The words didn't register at first. I blinked at her, waiting for some kind of clarification. A joke. A mistake or maybe a prank.

But Penelope's face was lined with sorrow.

"Elena."

A hollow dry laugh escaped from my lips. "You're lying."

"I wish I was." Penelope sighed. "Edward loved you like his own, but the truth is… you weren't born his daughter. He adopted you under circumstances he never spoke about."

My breath came shorter, my hands gripping the edges of the table. "No. that's impossible."

My mind raced. If he wasn't my real father… who was?

I shook my head. "This doesn't make sense. My mother—"

"Wasn't your biological mother either." Penelope finished gently. "They raised you as their own, but your real parents… well, their identities were kept hidden for a reason."

I felt the world tilting. All my life was a lie…

"Why?" I whispered.

Penelope hesitated. Then after a long pause, she leaned in, lowering her voice.

"Because of the will."

My head snapped up. "What will?" At this point I was tired of surprises.

Penelope licked her lips, suddenly looking more nervous than ever. "Edward left behind a hidden will, separate from the official one. And in that will, he named you the rightful owner of something very important—something the Blackwoods have been trying to claim for years."

The mention of the name sent shivers to my spine. The Blackwoods were a ruthless family in the business world.

"The Blackwoods?" I echoed. "What do they have to do with this?"

Penelope hesitated before answering. "Edward knew that if the Blackwoods knew the full content of what was in the will, they would stop at nothing to take it away from you."

I frowned. "What exactly did he leave me?"

"I don't know the full details," Penelope admitted. "But I do know it's connected to his company… and something even bigger. They've been trying to get hold of it, even before his death. Penelope says the last part with a shrill tone.

I clenched my fists. "So you're saying they know something about—"

"—your dad's death. Yes the Blackwoods had something to do with it." Penelope's voice was barely a whisper.

A chill ran down my spine.

"If I'm not his real daughter," I asked slowly, "then who are my real parents?"

Penelope's gaze softened. "That's something you can't know yet, Elena. Edward made sure of that."

Frustration burned in my chest. "Why? Why keep it from me?"

"Because knowing it could put you in danger."

I exhaled sharply, running a hand through my hair.

This was too much. Too fast.

"Where is the will?" I asked finally.

Penelope shook her head. "I don't know. But if you really want to find it… you'll have to start looking where Edward kept his deepest secrets."

Later that evening, as I sat in my office, staring blankly at the documents on my desk, my phone buzzed.

Unknown Number: I know about the will. Meet me tonight. It's time you learned the truth.

My stomach twisted.

Another message followed. 

Unknown Number: Please come alone.

I hesitated, then typed back.

Who's this?

A pause. Then—

Unknown Number: Victoria

I frowned. The name didn't ring a bell.

Still, something about the message unsettled me.

Where?

The response came instantly.

Unknown Number: Belmont Hotel. Room 712. 9PM

The hotel room smelled faintly of jasmine, the scent clinging to the air like a memory.

I stepped inside cautiously, my heart hammering.

A woman stood by the window, her figure poised, elegant. Her sharp blue eyes assessed me with quiet intensity. Her eyes reminded me of Lucian. But I pushed the thought away.

"You're more like him than I expected," the woman murmured with a sad expression.

My brows furrowed. "Him"

Victoria smiled faintly. "Edward."

My chest tightened. "Who are you?"

I was once part of the Blackwood family," she admitted, her voice quieter now. "I was married to Richard Blackwood. But I left that life behind years ago."

The Blackwoods. The name sent a jolt of recognition and disdain through me. Penelope had just mentioned them—warned me about their role in my father's downfall.

I frowned. "Why are you telling me this?"

Victoria gave a knowing smile, one that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Because you're in the middle of something you don't understand yet. And if you're not careful, they'll destroy you just like they destroyed Edward."

 My breath caught. "Destroyed?"

She exhaled sharply, drumming her fingers against the table. "Edward Hart was a good man, but he got caught in a war he didn't even want to fight."

I clenched my fists under the table. "Are you saying the Blackwoods had something to do with my father's death?"

"I'm saying you need to start asking the right questions," she corrected. "There's more at play here than just corporate greed. Your father left behind something valuable, something they wanted. And you're standing in the middle of it now."

"Penelope mentioned the Blackwood but I didn't know they were this ruthless, and that my dad's death wasn't ordinary. That there's a hidden will."

A slow nod. " Your father left behind more than just his company, Elena. He left behind investments and secrets—ones that could destroy the Blackwoods if they ever came to light.

I inhaled sharply. "What do you mean?"

Victoria hesitated, as if choosing her words carefully. "Your father and I… were close once." A small, wistful smile played on her lips before vanishing just as quickly. "More than close." Also one of the reasons Richard hates him too.

I blink, my heart thudding. "You—"

She held up a hand. "That's all you need to know for now. But understand this—Edward wasn't just some rival businessman to the Blackwoods. He was a threat. And threats don't last long in their world."