Chapter 2 Unveiled Secrets

A tortured expression crossed my face as I curled deeper into the duvet. The darkness and eerie feeling from the dream pervaded my sleep, trembling in fear from the horror of my past. My father's violent rage and my mother's desperate pleas overwhelmed my thoughts.

Izalea awoke abruptly, heart palpitating. The constant buzzing of her phone broke through her agony, bringing her back to reality. The phone had been a delightful diversion, but now it was interfering with the quiet.

It buzzed nonstop, but I ignored each ring. I turned over and reached for my phone, intending to turn it off. A loud, insistent knocking echoed on my white door. With a groaning expression, I mumbled, "Go away," my voice heavy with discomfort and sleep.

"Izalea, are you okay?" My PA's voice, laced with a sharp edge of worry, filtered through the door.

Okay? Why wouldn't I be? Confusion clouded my blissful mood. "Why wouldn't I be okay?" I called back, feeling a flicker of irritation.

"Can you open the door?" she pressed further.

Pulling the plush duvet tighter, I whined, "I don't want to. I want my alone time!"

"You have to open this door. If you don't open the door, Izalea, we will break it down!"

Why would she want to break down my door? Panic surged through me. What in the world was going on? Was there a fire? Had I missed some earth-shattering news while I was blissfully asleep? A million questions swirled in my head, each more urgent than the last.

I heaved myself out of bed, legs shaky with a sudden, unsettling premonition. With a sigh, I shuffled towards the door, my heart pounding against my ribs.

Belle and Leonard's worried faces appeared behind the door as I opened it. "What is it?" I asked, searching their eyes for answers.

Belle was the personal assistant my agency got for me since I signed my contract with them. She has been my support system. She wanted what I wanted before I could say it. She reads my thoughts before she hears my voice. Honestly, I can't do anything without her.

"Are you okay?" Belle asked again, adding to my worries.

"Why are you asking? Did something bad happen?" Anxiety was an understatement of what I was feeling as I stared at their faces. "Can someone answer me?"

I could read on their faces that they were hiding something terrible from me. I feel like screaming and pulling my hair out. What was the worst that could have happened? Trolls?

"You've not seen the news?" Leonard's voice came out laced with concern. Since Belle had become mute, my assigned driver did the talking.

"What news? Is it different from the ones those trolls had been posting about me?" My questions met deaf ears again. I rolled my eyes because I couldn't contain the irritation.

"So you guys disturb my sleep because of those trolls? Are you kidding me?" I placed my hand on my face in resignation. Belle? I faced Belle, demanding answers.

"It is different, Izalea. It is bad and unfortunate." Belle broke her silence. Her gaze was fixed on me as she spoke. Whenever she doesn't do this, it will be a serious situation.

I sighed as the gravity of the situation hit me in the face. I don't know what it was yet but my heart is racing. "What the fuck happened?" I mustered the courage to ask.

She fumbled for something in her bag, she took out her phone from her bag. After scrolling through her phone, she passed it to me.

"Can't you just say it?" I don't have time to read anything, hearing it from her was better than reading it myself.

"I'm sorry, I can't read it." I took the phone from her to read whatever she wanted me to read. My stomach lurched, and my vision swam. Leonard's hands, thankfully, clamped down on my shoulders, anchoring me before I could crumple to the floor.

What had I just stumbled upon on Belle's phone? What the hell was this? The headlines screamed accusations, each one a fresh slap on my face, my past had resurfaced, and the nightmare was far from over.

"Your favorite actress, Izalea, rose to the spotlight by lying. She hid her identity and changed into someone else. Who knows whose identity she stole?" Every word crackled with accusation and hatred.

Izalea, the darling of Hollywood, built her career on lies. Who wrote all this shit about me? How did the media have access to my secret?

The accusations didn't stop there. The next headline sent a cold shiver down my spine. "Trending news: Izalea, whose real name is Jazlyn Gabby. Does the name Gabby ring a bell?" The name echoed in my head, a familiar ghost from the past. Could it be...?

The final headline landed with the force of a wrecking ball. "Izalea, the star of the latest movie, has been living under a different identity. You won't believe who her descendants are."

My heart hammered against my ribs. Everything became blurry as my head began to ring. Who told the media all this? And how did they know I was related to Gabby? This was the secret I had buried with Jazlyn, nobody knew about it.

The weight of the situation threatened to suffocate me. Was this how my life would crumble? What would happen to me, my career, and my mother? The thought of my mother made me panic. She had made sure to live her life away from the spotlight. What can I do now?

My legs and hands were shaking in fear. Tears welled up in my eyes. I avoided Belle's gaze. I don't want to know what she was thinking at the moment. I clung to Leonard's grip, desperate for a lifeline in this storm of the situation.

Finally, Belle's voice shattered the silence, "Are all these true? I know there are not, but I want you to confirm it yourself."

I returned her phone to her, I released myself from Leonard's grip. "Please, leave. I want to be alone". I ignored her questions.

"Izalea?" Belle and Leonard echoed at once. Their gaze was fixed on my face.

I avoided eye contact and turned my back on them. "I'm sorry," I said before I locked my doors behind me.