Victoria stirred on the couch, her eyelids fluttering open as she let out a weak groan. Elena held a glass of water to her lips, urging her to drink. The room was still tense, Alessia and Zane standing nearby, their eyes filled with confusion and fear.
“Mom?” Alessia whispered softly, her voice trembling. “Are you okay?”
Victoria nodded weakly, taking a sip of the water before wiping her face. Her eyes were red and filled with unshed tears. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “I didn’t mean to… to scare you.”
“Mom,” Alessia said, her voice quieter but sharper now. “Zayden… he’s not my father? Is that true?”
The silence in the room was deafening. Victoria’s face crumpled, and the tears spilled over again. She reached out as if to comfort Alessia, but Alessia stepped back, her arms crossed tightly across her chest.
“Why haven’t you ever told me this?” Alessia demanded, her voice cracking. “What’s going on, Mom?”
Elena stepped forward, taking Alessia’s hand gently in hers. “Sweetheart,” she said carefully, her voice steady and calm, “there’s more to this story than you know. Your real father… he wasn’t a good man.”
“What?” Alessia’s head snapped toward Elena, confusion and panic flashing in her eyes. “What do you mean?”
Victoria’s voice was barely audible, but it carried the weight of decades of pain. “Your real father… Damian. He’s the one who tried to kill me.”
Alessia staggered back a step, shaking her head as if trying to make sense of what she’d just heard. “What are you saying? You’re my mom—how could he kill you and you’re still here”
Elena tightened her grip on Alessia’s hand, her eyes filled with sympathy. “Damian was a dangerous man, Alessia. He tried killing your mother but his plan failed.”
Victoria took a shaky breath, her voice trembling as she began to explain. “Damian… he was manipulative, controlling, and violent. When I realized I was pregnant with you, I wanted to leave him. I didn’t want to raise a child in that kind of life.”
Alessia’s throat tightened. “So you left him? And he tried to kill you for it?”
Victoria nodded, her tears streaming freely now. “I didn’t know the full extent of his darkness until it was too late. When I told him I was leaving, he snapped. He planned to kill me—and almost succeeded.”
Elena’s grip on Alessia’s hand tightened as she spoke, her tone resolute. “Victoria barely survived. Zayden found her after Damian’s attack. He saved her life and stayed by her side while she recovered. He didn’t just protect her—he protected you, Alessia. He’s the reason you’re here today.”
Alessia blinked back tears, her chest tightening. “I don’t understand. Why didn’t you ever tell me this? Why let me believe Zayden was my biological father?”
Victoria leaned forward, her voice raw with emotion. “Because I wanted to protect you. Damian was sent to prison shortly after his attack. I thought… I thought we were safe. Zayden loved you as his own from the moment you were born. He wanted to give you a life free from Damian’s shadow.”
Alessia’s mind raced, her thoughts spinning. “So Zayden isn’t my father by blood, but he’s the one who raised me. And Damian… he’s the one who kidnapped him?”
Victoria wiped her tears, nodding. “Yes. Damian has always blamed Zayden for taking you away from him. He sees you as something he lost, something he believes he’s entitled to.”
Zane stepped forward, his fists clenched. “This is insane. Why didn’t you tell us about Damian sooner? We could’ve been prepared for something like this.”
Victoria’s voice cracked as she responded. “I thought he was gone, Zane. He committed suicide. But I guess he is still alive.”