96 Secrets
Mara
“So where is it?” Darian asked, calm but cutting. “The money. I need it for business.”
He knew. I could see it in his eyes. Lucian must have told him-but now he was cornering her, waiting for her to lie.
“It’s my money,” Martha said, her voice shaking. “Ask your father-or your brother.”
“No, Mother,” he said, stepping closer. “Lucian has his mother’s legacy. The least you could do is help set me up. Unless…
you’ve spent it all.”
She looked down. Guilty silence.
“Then I need to know what you spent it on. You don’t have any responsibilities. Everything is covered. Even now that Lucian handles the accounts, he still makes sure your allowance is intact, the staff are paid, your wardrobe updated- alongside Mara’s, might I add.”
He paused, voice tightening. “So what did you use all that money for?”
Martha’s mouth opened, but nothing came out.
“Don’t make me investigate you, Mother,” Darian added.
And that was no idle threat.
Darian might not be the strongest Alpha-but when it came to digging up secrets, he was unmatched.
Fear flickered across Martha’s face. She looked at me. I looked away.
“I doubt the answer is written on Mara’s face,” Darian snapped. “Try again.”
“I… I spent it,” she said finally.
“On what?!” he shouted.
“You don’t understand,” she stammered. “It’s for our good. If I don’t pay, everything will fall apart. He’s dangerous, Darian.
Please… just let it go.”
That was all he needed. The panic in her voice, the vague excuse-she said nothing but revealed everything.
“Who is he?” Darian demanded.
Martha stood up, shaking her head, trying to leave.
“You don’t want me to investigate?” Darian warned. “Then tell me now-or I’m telling Father. And we’ll open this up like a murder case. You’ve done enough damage.”
“Darian, stop,” Lacy said, her voice trembling. “She’s going through enough already.”
He turned on her in an instant. “And who asked for your opinion? This isn’t your family. You’re a guest in this house, so
you keep quiet while I speak to my mother.”
Lacy bristled, ready to retort, but Martha shot her a look. One sharp shake of the head, and she fell silent.
That bond between them ran deep. Martha didn’t care for many-but she protected Lacy like a daughter.
“Don’t talk to your cousin like that,” Martha said, trying to deflect, to steer the conversation somewhere else.
But Darian wasn’t done.
96 Secrets
He stepped forward and grabbed her arm-not with violence, but with force. With truth.
“I swear, Mother-if I find out you were behind the attack on Lucian and Mara… I’ll hand you over myself.”
Martha’s eyes flew wide in shock. Not fake. Not offended. Shocked.
Which told us more than words ever could.
“I swear, Darian!” Martha hissed, trying to yank her arm free.
But he wouldn’t let go.
“Darian, let her go!” Lacy cried, standing now, voice shrill.
“Shut your trap, Lacy!” Darian roared, shaking with rage. “You’ve been running your mouth too long.”
His voice thundered through the breakfast lounge. Martha winced.
“Who have you been giving all that money to, Mother?!” he demanded again.
I saw it in her face-she wasn’t going to tell him. Whatever this was, it was bigger than pride. It was fear.
I reached out, gently touching Darian’s arm. “Darian—”
“Stay out of this, Mara,” he snapped, not even looking at me. “This is between my mother and me.”
I stepped back. Tiffany, ever soft-spoken, tried to intervene.
“Darian, please. Let her go.”
He didn’t even glance at her. “Who asked for your opinion?”
That was it. Martha wasn’t getting out of this without help, and I couldn’t let this blow up. Not here. Not like this. I thought about linking Lucian-but if I did, Vander would come too, and that would detonate whatever fragile dignity Martha had
left.
I tried again.
“Please, Darian. Don’t do this here,” I said, gently but firmly. “She clearly doesn’t want Alpha Vander to know. Give her a
chance to explain. Privately.”
Martha looked at me, stunned-and scared. I wasn’t defending her. I was giving her a lifeline.
“You don’t understand,” Darian growled. “I need that money for business, and-”
“No, you don’t,” I cut in softly.
He paused.
“You’re already being set up by Lucian. You don’t need that money. You want answers,” I said, meeting his eyes.
He didn’t deny it.
“Please,” I added. “Just… let her go.”
After a long silence, Darian finally let her arm drop.
“If you don’t tell me,” he said coldly, “I’ll tell Father. I’ll investigate you myself. And I will report everything I find.”
Martha broke down in tears. “Please, Darian. I did it for a better life. That’s all. He’s dangerous. Ruthless. But I am not
paying anyone to harm Lucian or Mara-I swear it.”
Her fear was real. Bone-deep. This man-whoever he was-held her by the throat. And she wasn’t ready to let go of her secrets, even if they were dragging her under.
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That’s when Lucian walked in.
“What’s going on?” he asked, eyes scanning the room.
No one spoke.
Darian finally answered. “She won’t say who she’s been giving the money to.”
Lucian turned to Martha. Calm. Controlled.
“Martha, if this man is that dangerous, you need to tell your mate,” he said, voice steady. “If you don’t, we can’t protect you. And you will lose everything anyway.”
She looked up at him, broken and cornered.
“If I confess, I lose everything,” she whispered. “If I stop paying, he’ll take everything from me. Either way, I’m doomed. I’l take my chances.”
Her words unsettled me. Something in that sentence wasn’t right.
But now wasn’t the time to dig.
I rose and walked to Lucian, threading my arm through his.
“I think it’s time we left,” I said quietly.
He nodded.
And we walked out, leaving the storm behind.
4-97 (Lucian’s POV) It’s Clear
