Chapter 9: The Man Behind the Collapse
I didn’t sleep that night.
Not because I was afraid.
Because every memory I had of my marriage was changing.
Every dinner.
Every conversation.
Every moment Garrett told me he was protecting me.
Maybe he wasn’t protecting me.
Maybe he was protecting himself.
At sunrise, Claire arrived with another folder.
“I found something.””
I looked at her.
“About my father?””
She nodded.
My chest tightened.
For years, I had believed my father’s company collapsed because of a bad investment.
My father lost everything.
Then he disappeared from our lives.
Garrett always told me he was irresponsible.
That he abandoned us.
That he was the reason my childhood became difficult.
But what if that was another lie?
Claire opened the folder.
“Your father’s company didn’t fail.””
I stared at her.
“What?””
“It was purchased.””
“By who?””
She looked at me.
“An investment group connected to Garrett.””
I felt the room spin.
“No.””
“I checked everything.””
“That’s impossible.””
Claire placed the documents in front of me.
Names.
Dates.
Transactions.
All connected.
Garrett had been involved.
Before I even knew him.
Before our first date.
Before he promised to love me.
“He knew who I was.””
Claire nodded.
“He didn’t meet you by accident.””
I sat back.
My entire body felt numb.
Eight years ago, I thought Garrett found me because we had chemistry.
Because we connected.
Because we fell in love.
But maybe he had chosen me.
Not loved me.
Chosen me.
I remembered our first meeting.
The way he asked about my family.
The way he seemed interested in my past.
I thought he cared.
He was collecting information.
My mother entered the room.
She immediately saw my face.
“What happened?””
I couldn’t speak.
Claire answered.
“Garrett knew about your father’s company.””
My mother went still.
“No.””
The word came out like a whisper.
“You knew?””
She looked at me.
Pain filled her eyes.
“I suspected.””
I stood.
“You suspected?””
“Alessia…”
“How long?””
She looked down.
“Before your wedding.””
My heart broke.
“You knew something was wrong, and you let me marry him?””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I tried to stop you.””
“When?””
“Three days before the wedding.””
I remembered.
A strange conversation.
My mother asking if I was absolutely sure.
Me laughing.
Telling her she worried too much.
She had tried.
I just hadn’t listened.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
I looked at her.
And all the anger disappeared.
Because my mother wasn’t protecting Garrett.
She was carrying the guilt of failing to protect me.
I sat beside her.
“We’re going to expose him.””
She looked at me.
“Alessia.””
“No.””
I shook my head.
“He took years from us.””
I looked at the documents.
“He took my father’s company.””
I looked at the photograph.
“He tried to take my future.””
Then I looked at Claire.
“What’s next?””
Claire closed the folder.
“Tomorrow, we file.””
“With what?””
She smiled slightly.
“With everything.””
For the first time in days, I felt something I hadn’t felt since the fountain.
Control.
But that feeling lasted only a few hours.
Because that evening, Garrett sent me a message.
Just three words.
*“Ask your mother.””*
My blood went cold.
A second message appeared.
*“Ask her what she really did the night your father disappeared.””*
I stared at the screen.
Because suddenly, Garrett wasn’t attacking me anymore.
He was pointing at someone else.
Someone I trusted more than anyone.
My mother.
May you like
And for the first time, I wondered if Garrett’s biggest secret wasn’t what he had done.
But what my mother had been hiding.
