Chapter 15 - THE BLOOD THAT CONNECTED THEM|
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Clara looked at Isabella.
Then at Aurelio.
Then back at the photograph.
"No."
The word came out quietly.
Isabella tried to reach for her.
Clara stepped away.
"Don't touch me."
Aurelio looked as though the room had collapsed around him.
"Mother, explain."
Isabella began crying.
Years earlier, before marrying Aurelio's father, she had been involved in a relationship with him. Their affair had ended when he chose to marry into another family alliance.
Isabella later became pregnant.
She gave birth to a daughter.
The baby was Clara.
But Clara's mother, Margaret Bennett, had been the woman who raised her.
The story was complicated.
Margaret had been unable to have children and had agreed to raise the baby after Isabella made a desperate arrangement to keep her away from the Marchetti family.
Edward had accepted the child as his own.
They had created a new identity for her.
The arrangement was supposed to protect Clara from the family feud.
But when Anselmo discovered the truth, he began using Clara's identity to gain control of Bellara.
"Why did my mother never tell me?" Clara whispered.
"She wanted you to have a normal life," Isabella said.
Clara shook her head.
"She was my mother. She raised me. She loved me. You don't get to erase that because you gave birth to me."
Isabella lowered her eyes.
"I know."
Aurelio turned away.
"You're telling me Clara is my sister?"
"Your half-sister."
He looked at Clara.
Neither spoke.
The man she had loved for two years was now standing in front of her with the same horror reflected in his eyes.
All the romantic memories suddenly seemed contaminated.
The rooftop.
The proposal.
The kisses.
The promises.
Clara felt physically ill.
"Did you know?" she asked him.
Aurelio shook his head.
"No."
"Not even a suspicion?"
"Never."
She looked at Isabella.
"Did Anselmo know?"
"Yes."
Clara's stomach tightened.
"Then the engagement dinner..."
Isabella nodded slowly.
"He wanted to make sure the families believed you and Aurelio were still committed to the marriage arrangement."
Aurelio's voice became dangerous.
"He knew who she was."
"Yes."
"And he allowed us to become engaged?"
"He wanted to control both sides of Bellara."
Clara walked toward the door.
Aurelio moved instinctively.
"Clara."
She raised her hand.
"Don't."
He stopped.
She looked at him with tears in her eyes.
"I don't know what hurts more. That your family planned to use me or that I loved someone who was part of it."
"I never knew."
"But you knew enough to lie."
He had no answer.
Clara left the house.
Outside, the night air felt painfully cold.
Thomas followed her.
"We need to verify everything before drawing legal conclusions."
"I know."
"And we need to protect you."
She looked back at the house.
"How?"
Thomas hesitated.
"By finding the second ledger and proving who knew what."
Clara wiped her eyes.
"Then let's find it."
Inside the house, Aurelio confronted his mother.
"Why did you let me propose to her?"
Isabella looked at him through her tears.
"Because I thought you deserved one thing in your life that was real."
Aurelio stared.
Then his phone rang.
Anselmo.
He answered.
His uncle's voice was calm.
"I hear you've been visiting your mother."
Aurelio said nothing.
Anselmo continued.
"Bring Clara to the mausoleum tomorrow night. Bring the ledger too."
"And if I refuse?"
May you like
A quiet laugh.
"Then the truth about her birth won't be the worst thing she learns tomorrow."
