Chapter 8 - The Truth Revealed
Maya looked down at Tristan, who was still kneeling in the grass, broken and weeping.
"I didn't come here to ruin your life, Tristan," Maya said softly, but firmly. "Your mother sent me this invitation to mock me. To show me that I was nothing. But I came here to show you exactly what I am."
Tristan looked up, his eyes bloodshot. "Maya... they're mine. Let me be a father. Please. I'll leave my mother. I'll leave all of this."
"It's too late," Maya said. "A father is someone who protects his family. When the fire got hot, you let me burn. Alexander is their father. He has been there for every fever, every nightmare, and every milestone. You are just a biological footnote."
Tristan let out a gut-wrenching sob, burying his face in his hands again. He realized in that agonizing moment that he hadn't just lost Maya four years ago; he had lost the only real family he would ever have, all for a legacy built on lies.
Eleanor, realizing she had just lost her son's bride, her social standing, and potentially her business, lunged forward. "You vindictive witch—"
Before she could get within three feet of Maya, Alexander stepped perfectly into her path.
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"Eleanor," Alexander said, his voice laced with ice. "I own fifty-one percent of the holding company that currently finances your vineyards. You have twenty-four hours to step down from the board, or I will liquidate your entire estate."
Eleanor gasped, clutching her chest as if she had been shot. She looked around for help, for her high-society friends, but they were already whispering, turning their backs, and heading for the exits. The Sterling name was no longer royalty; it was a scandal.
