Chapter 2

The Unveiling

Victor was shattered. He couldn't stop thinking and wanted to know what really happened five years ago. The betrayal by someone he trusted and thought loved him felt unbearable, like his whole life had been a lie. Desperate for answers, he picked up his phone, called his secretary, and asked her to dig up everything about it.

The next day, Victor rushed to his office, anxious to hear what his secretary had found out. He opened the door to find her waiting with a thick folder in her hands. Her face was pale, and her eyes showed just how serious the news she was about to share was.

"Sir," she began hesitantly, "I found what you asked for. The truth about what happened five years ago… it's more complicated than we thought."

Victor’s jaw clenched as he sat behind his desk, his eyes locked on hers. "Tell me everything. I need to know."

The secretary took a deep breath. "Five years ago, you were attacked by another warlord. It was a planned ambush, and you were severely injured. You were found and saved by a woman who took care of you until help arrived. That woman was not who you thought she was… It wasn’t Maria."

Victor’s heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean? Maria told me she saved me, that she was the one who nursed me back to health."

The secretary shook her head, her voice trembling. "It was Maria's sister, Emma. She’s the one who found you bleeding out in that abandoned cabin. She nursed you back to life and stayed by your side until you were stable. But… there’s more. Your grandfather, knowing you were in a vulnerable state, saw an opportunity. He… he drugged both of you while she was caring for you."

Victor’s eyes widened in shock. "What? He drugged us?"

"Yes," the secretary confirmed, her voice soft but firm. "He drugged both of you and after that night… she became pregnant. She had a child, your child, out of wedlock. But your grandfather lied to you, telling you it was Maria who saved you. He used that lie to manipulate you into treating Maria like your wife, playing on your sense of honor and responsibility."

Victor sprang to his feet, his blood boiling with rage. "So, I've been lied to all this time? I married Maria, thinking she saved my life, while Emma, the one who actually saved me, was left to raise our child on her own?”

The secretary nodded, her eyes filled with sympathy. "Your grandfather wanted to secure his position by marrying you off to Maria, but he didn’t care how it affected you or Emma . He played his games, and you were just a pawn."

Victor’s fists clenched at his sides, his anger barely contained. "And Maria… Did she know about this?"

"Yes," the secretary replied, her voice hardening. "She knew everything. Your grandfather used her as well, but she played along, knowing it would elevate her status. She treated Emma with contempt, keeping her hidden and making sure she never got close to you or the child."

The room was filled with tension, and Victor’s anger was clear. He felt betrayed by Maria, his grandfather, and the life he’d lived for the past five years, all based on lies and deception. The love he had for Maria was built on a lie, while the woman who really saved him was left unnoticed and disrespected.

His thoughts were interrupted by the secretary’s voice, pulling him back to the present. "Sir… there’s more. Tonight, there’s a grand party held by all the warlords. It’s the perfect opportunity to confront them, to expose the truth."

Victor’s eyes narrowed, perfect timing it is then, "I’ll be there," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "And when I get there, they’ll all pay for what they’ve done. Maria, my grandfather, and everyone who played a part in this will regret ever crossing me. And I’ll bring back Emma, the woman who truly deserves to stand by my side."

The secretary nodded, stepping back as Victor stormed out of the office. His mind raced as he made his way to his car, his anger fueling him. The truth had been revealed, and now it was time for retribution. He would take back what was his, starting with the woman he should have cherished from the beginning.

Victor rushed out and entered his car with the anger boiling inside of him, they had underestimated me, but that was their mistake. They think they’ve won," he muttered to himself, eyes narrowed on the road ahead. "But they’ve got another thing coming.”

I will show them that I'm no longer the man they had manipulated. I'm stronger, smarter, and ready to teach them a lesson they would never forget.

Victor got to the estate within 30 minutes and he was ready to unleash his anger on all the people who had made him suffer.

They underestimated me," He said through gritted teeth, a grim smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "That was their mistake.”

As Victor stepped out of the car, his face was so masked and cold, he knew one thing for certain: the night would end with his enemies on their knees, and Emma back where she belonged, with him.

He could already picture the looks on their faces when he walked through those doors, when he exposed their lies for everyone to see. They thought they had buried him, but all they did was make him stronger. And tonight, he was going to take back what was his, his rightful place, and the woman they had wronged.

But as he approached the mansion’s entrance, a figure stepped into his path, blocking his way. The sight of her stopped him in his tracks, it was Emma who stood there with a determined look in her eyes, her presence got Victor thinking but before he could speak, she whispered, "You don’t know everything, Victor. There’s more you need to hear… before you do anything rash."