The room froze in stunned silence, Christian’s phone still glowing with the ominous message on its screen: “I want my daughter, and you get your man.” Alessia stared at the words, her heart hammering in her chest. Slowly, she turned to her mother, who stood pale and trembling by the couch.
“Daughter?” Alessia asked, her voice rising with panic. “What does he mean by daughter?”
Victoria didn’t respond immediately. Her face had drained of color, her lips moving soundlessly. She reached out for the edge of the couch, her fingers trembling. Finally, she whispered, “He’s supposed to be dead.”
The tension in the room snapped like a live wire. Elena, who had been scrolling through files on her laptop, dropped her hands to her lap, her eyes widening to the size of saucers. “What did you just say?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Who’s supposed to be dead?” Zane demanded, stepping forward, his voice sharp and urgent. “Mom, what’s going on? What aren’t you telling us?”
Victoria’s gaze darted between her children, panic and fear flickering in her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words seemed to catch in her throat. Finally, she whispered, “Alessia’s father.”
Alessia’s breath hitched. “What are you talking about? Dad—Dad is my father.”
“No,” Victoria said weakly, her knees buckling. “No, I mean…”
Before she could finish, her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed onto the floor.
“Mom!” Alessia cried, rushing to her side.
Zane was already there, catching her before she hit the ground completely. “Mom, wake up!” he said, patting her cheeks gently. “Come on, stay with us.”
Christian crouched beside them, pulling out his phone. “She’s in shock. Let’s get her onto the couch. I’ll call the doctor.”
“No,” Alessia said quickly, her hands trembling as she cradled her mother’s head. “No doctors. She needs to wake up and tell us what’s going on.”
“Alessia,” Christian began, his tone calm but firm, “she fainted. We don’t know—”
“She knows something,” Alessia interrupted, her voice cracking. “Something about this Xanos guy, about me. We need answers.”