What if I used this information to get a divorce from him, then?
The thought ca uninvited...almost brutal.
It etched into my head like a whisper I wasn’t supposed to hear, but once it was there, it refused to leave.
I stared blankly at the folder for a long mont, the weight of everything pressing down on until my chest ached.
Divorce.
The word itself felt heavy, like a stone sinking deep inside . On the sa ti, it gave a sense of hope.
Hope of a new beginning.
And maybe... maybe using this info I could get out of his world forever.
If I used what I knew...this scandal, this hidden truth. I could force him to let go.
I could finally break free from the cold marriage that was nothing but a stage play. Whether it was true or not, whether he had actually done it or not, I didn’t care anymore.
He had lied to .
He had pretended.
If he wanted to play gas, I could play too.
Yes, it would be ruthless to blackmail, but hadn’t he been ruthless first?
Hadn’t he lied to , married with that blank, emotionless face, knowing he was hiding sothing that big?
If he had wanted honesty, he should have started with it.
I would not stay silent anymore.
I would not be the naïve girl who cried for him when he left.
I definitely wouldn’t be the dutiful wife who waited for affection that never ca.
He wanted deception? Fine. I would give him deception on the silver platter. With garce.
My fingers tightened around the folder. The decision was ugly, but it was mine.
Mine alone.
Matteo must have noticed sothing in my face because he smiled, not mockingly, but it wasn’t friendly one either.
He leaned back, tapping the edge of his cigar against the ashtray, "I can almost hear the gears turning in your head, Mrs. Morris." The last words sent a shiver down my spine making snap my head in his direction.
I could not just lash out on him, so I clenched my jaws as I gritted out, "First thing, don’t call that."
He just smirked making shut up for a mont.
"You said yourself this kind of truth can destroy him." I said silently.
"I did," he said, exhaling a thin stream of smoke.
"And I trust you’ll make use of it in the best possible way." There was sothing unsettling in his tone like he knew exactly what I was planning, maybe even wanted it.
I t his gaze steadily this ti, "Anything else I should know?"
He chuckled softly, that low, smooth sound that didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Oh, there’s always sothing else."
Then he straightened up, folding his hands over the desk. "For instance... your grandfather’s property."
That pulled out of my spiraling thoughts, "Excuse ? My grandfather’s what?"
"The Kingsley estate. The deed of his, to be exact." He said.
I stared at him with urgency, "What about it?"
"It’s in my hands now." He just said simply as if he was stating the weather.
I blinked, not sure if I had heard correctly, "I am sorry...what?"
He smiled faintly, almost enjoying my confusion, "You heard . The deeds, the docuntation, the official transfer rights. They all are in my possession now."
I stared at him, utterly bewildered, "That can’t be possible. My grandfather’s estate was passed down to Gregory, my brother. I rember clearly. My mother even said..."
"That your grandfather left everything to his brother?" Matteo finished, his tone mildly amused.
"Yes, I am aware of that story. It’s what your family told everyone."
I frowned, trying to piece it together. "So, what are you saying? That they lied?"
He tilted his head slightly, the smirk on his face turning razor-sharp, "I am just saying the Morris was a family of snakes, but your family, my dear, might be the deadliest of all of them."
I felt heat rush to my face. One part was angery, and the second part was in disbelief, "Speak clearly, Matteo."
He obliged, leaning forward, his eyes glinting with a kind of dark satisfaction.
"In your grandfather’s original will," he began, "eighty percent of his total assets...land, company shares, everything was left to you. Not to Gregory."
For a few seconds, I just stared at him. The words didn’t make sense.
"That’s not true," I said automatically, shaking my head.
"There must be a mistake. My grandfather...he loved us both. He would never... he wouldn’t do that."
Matteo shrugged, "Love has nothing to do with it. Maybe he trusted you more. Maybe he saw what Gregory really was, but the docunts are real. I verified them myself."
He reached into a drawer, pulled out a sleek black folder, and slid it across the desk.
I hesitated before opening it. Inside were copies of official papers, seals, signatures...my grandfather’s handwriting. I knew it instantly. That slanted, elegant script and my na was there.
In undeniably bold and clear letters.
Suddenly I felt dizzy, "But... this can’t be right. Why did not my family ever tell ?"
"Because Gregory didn’t want you to know," Matteo said smoothly.
"He forged a new will, one that gave him everything. The original was quietly buried under ’misfiled docuntation.’ He thought no one would ever dig deep enough to find it."
I looked up at him sharply, "And you did?"
He smiled, a flash of teeth, "Information is my business. The Kingsley files crossed my path months ago when I was running an audit on property exchanges related to the Morris group. Imagine my surprise when your na popped up where it shouldn’t have."
My pulse was racing at every beat of second.
If what he was saying was true, then my entire life had been built on lies.
My mother had known.
She had to have known.
Father, even Gregory would have known...they had all played a part. They had watched struggle, watched think I had nothing, while they divided what was rightfully mine.
A sharp, bitter laugh escaped before I could stop it, "So that’s what we are now...snakes and thieves."
"Don’t take it personally," Matteo said dryly. "Every family with power has its poison."
I glared at him. "And what do you gain from telling this?"
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