Ayishetu

In a world of wealth, power, and whispered betrayals, Jade Sinclair is an outsider. When she marries **Alexander Middleton**, heir to a powerful and ruthless family, she knows the life she’s stepping into is one of scrutiny and silent warfare. But what no one knows is that Jade didn’t just marry into this world for love—she has her own secrets, her own motives.  

At every turn, she faces resistance. **Victoria Middleton**, Alexander’s calculating mother, sees her as nothing more than an inconvenience, an unworthy intruder in their empire. And then there’s **Liliana Carter**, Alexander’s ex and the woman society expected him to marry, who is determined to reclaim her place by his side.  

But Jade is no naive socialite. She knows that in a world like this, survival isn’t about playing by the rules—it’s about rewriting them.  

When **Lady Eleanor Middleton**, the true matriarch of the family, summons Jade for a private meeting, everything changes. The old woman sees more than Jade expected, sensing the deeper game at play. As the stakes rise, Jade is forced to confront not just the enemies in plain sight but the ones lurking in the shadows—secrets buried within the Middleton family that could destroy them all.  

As deception weaves through every relationship and trust becomes the most dangerous currency, Jade must decide:Is love worth the price of power? And in a game where masks are everything, who will survive when the veil is finally lifted

the veil of deception

Chapter Thirteen: Unmasking the Past

Jade had spent years perfecting the art of self-preservation. She knew when to run, when to fight, and when to hide in plain sight.

But as she stood in front of Alexander that night, she knew she had run out of places to hide.

The bedroom was dimly lit, the glow of the city filtering through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows. Alexander leaned against the dresser, his shirt unbuttoned at the collar, his expression unreadable.

"I'm listening, Jade," he said, his voice steady but firm. "Tell me everything."

Jade took a slow breath. "I wasn't born into privilege, Alexander. I grew up in a world where survival meant making choices most people wouldn't understand."

He didn't react, just watched her with those dark, penetrating eyes.

She continued. "My mother… she was barely a mother at all. She had her demons—drugs, bad men, worse decisions. We moved constantly, usually running from debt collectors or some new trouble she had found herself in."

Jade's fingers trembled, but she forced herself to go on. "By the time I was fifteen, I learned that the only person I could count on was myself. That was when I met Jonathan Pierce."

Alexander's jaw tensed. "Your lawyer?"

Jade nodded. "Back then, he was just a street-smart legal intern, always looking for a way to get ahead. He saw potential in me—not the kind a mentor sees in a student, but the kind a man like him could use."

Alexander's eyes darkened. "Use how?"

Jade swallowed. "I became valuable to him. I learned things. I was smart, I knew how to listen, how to blend in. He introduced me to people, powerful people, and I learned how to make myself indispensable to them. But it was never just business. He knew things about me, about my past, and he held it over me like a chain I could never break."

Alexander's fists clenched. "He blackmailed you?"

She let out a bitter laugh. "Not in the way you think. Jonathan never had to threaten me outright—he just reminded me what I would lose if I stepped out of line. And when I met you…" She hesitated, searching his face for any sign of anger. "When I met you, I saw something I never thought I'd have—a chance at something real."

Alexander pushed off the dresser, stepping closer. "So, what now, Jade? Are you telling me Jonathan still owns a piece of you?"

Jade looked away. "He thinks he does. And maybe, in a way, he always will. But I never meant to lie to you, Alexander. I was just scared. Scared that if you knew everything, you'd look at me differently."

He reached for her then, tilting her chin up so she had no choice but to meet his gaze. "I do see you differently," he admitted.

"I see you as someone who fought to survive," he interrupted. "Someone who clawed her way out of the darkness and built something out of nothing. And yes, I hate that you felt like you had to lie. But I don't love you any less, Jade."

Jade's breath hitched. "You… still love me?"

Alexander exhaled sharply, brushing his thumb along her cheek. "I do. But love isn't enough if you keep shutting me out."

Tears welled in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. "I don't want to shut you out. Not anymore."

A flicker of relief crossed his face before it hardened again. "Then let me in. Tell me—what does Jonathan have on you? And how does Mara fit into all of this?"

Jade hesitated. She had come this far. There was no turning back now.

But before she could answer, Alexander's phone buzzed on the nightstand.

He glanced at it, and his entire demeanor shifted.

"What is it?" she asked, her pulse quickening.

His expression turned grim as he read the message. Then he looked up at her, his gaze sharp. "It's Elara. She found something."

She wasn't the only one digging into the past anymore.

And whatever Elara had uncovered… it could destroy everything.

Unmasking The Past