Chapter 9 BLOOD NEVER LIES, BUT IT DOES BETRAY

Adrian didn't sleep.

He sat alone in the penthouse office of Blackwood Corp, staring at the photo Elena gave him - the one of the little boy with his eyes.

His son.

The weight of it nearly crushed him.

But beneath the guilt, something darker stirred:

Who made this happen? Who benefitted the most when Elena fell?

Because Cassandra was cruel. But she wasn't clever enough to orchestrate all of it alone.

And now... Adrian needed answers.

The Forgotten File

In the archives of Blackwood's legal division, Adrian found a case folder dated the week after Elena's crash.

Case File: Hart v. Blackwood – Terminated. Sealed by executive order.

"Executive order?" Adrian muttered, flipping through.

Then he saw it.

His father's signature.

Michael Blackwood.

The man who had died only months later of a heart attack. The man who taught Adrian to always protect the empire - no matter the cost.

Adrian's hands went numb.

His father had personally sealed the lawsuit Elena tried to file.

A Visit to the Grave

By sunrise, Adrian stood before the Blackwood mausoleum, a bouquet of white lilies clutched in his hand - not for respect. For regret.

"You taught me loyalty, Father. But you never told me it was built on silence."

He dropped the flowers.

"You destroyed her. And I let you."

Meanwhile – Elena Gets a Call

Elena sat curled on the window bench, holding her son's small blanket. She hadn't cried in years.

But something about seeing Adrian's eyes break that way... it shook her.

Nora walked in.

"Vivienne called. She says you were right. Michael Blackwood buried the medical report after Elena's crash - forged the toxicology, paid off the doctors. Cassandra helped, but he gave the orders."

Elena closed her eyes.

"He was afraid I'd uncover the patent fraud."

"Yes."

Elena rose.

"Then we end this. For good."

Adrian's Breakdown

Back in his penthouse, Adrian slammed the decanter of whiskey to the ground.

Shards of glass sprayed across the floor like a mirror to his failure.

"She tried to sue us. She tried to tell the truth. And I-"

He stopped.

Because another file sat waiting on his desk.

Not planted. Not recent.

A paternity test.

Dated two years ago.

And signed by Cassandra.

"She knew," Adrian whispered. "She knew Elena was pregnant."

His blood turned to ice.

She hadn't just manipulated him...

She'd stolen his right to be a father.

Final Scene – The Reckoning Begins

Elena stood at the head of a long table at Voss Enterprises.

Liam, Nora, and Vivienne flanked her.

She dropped a thick folder on the table.

"Inside is everything tying Michael Blackwood to the corporate fraud, the sealed legal file, and the suppression of my medical records."

She looked up, eyes burning.

"We leak this anonymously. Let the empire rot from the inside."

Nora whispered, "And Adrian?"

Elena hesitated. Just for a second.

Then:

"If he wants to help fix what his family broke... he'll find a way."

Because now?

This wasn't just about revenge.

It was about legacy.