A cold wave of shock slammed into me. “What did you just say?”
Balthazar’s lips curled into a cruel leer. “You heard me. Emily is my daughter.”
A sickening silence fell over the room.
I stared at him, my skin crawling with dread. “That’s not possible.”
“Oh, but it is.” His voice dripped with satisfaction. “Ask Marcellious.”
Emily let out a strangled sob, her entire body quaking. “No. No, no, no! Say it isn’t true!” Tears poured down her face, her voice breaking withsheer anguish. “I’m the spawn of this—this thing? And Marcellious knew?”
I lunged at Balthazar, my fingers clamping around his arm. “Emily is not your daughter, you bastard! Stop tormenting her!”
Balthazar chuckled, effortlessly shaking me off. “Oh, Olivia. Always so dramatic.” His expression turned vicious. “Alina gave birth to her. That’s the missing piece from the journal.” He sneered, eyes gleaming with wicked delight. “She was with Philip at the time. But should I read it? So that you know I’m telling the truth?”
A sheen of cold sweat broke across my skin.
My mother. Had Balthazar’s child?
“No.” My voice came out hoarse, but I forced my body to move, to fight against the paralyzing terror. “You’re lying.” My jaw clenched, my nails biting into my palms. “That’s what you do, Balthazar. You lie. You manipulate.”
His smirk deepened.
And for the first time, I was afraid he wasn’t lying at all.
Balthazar slipped a hand into his coat pocket and withdrew a few sheets of paper—the exact size of the pages from Alina’s diary. His smirk widened as he extended them toward me.
“Here you go. Here’s your proof.”
Dread coiled in my stomach as I took the pages. My breath felt thin, my heart hammering against my ribs.
I forced myself to read aloud. “I have been keeping a dark secret. I’m pregnant with Balthazar’s child. I’ve fooled Philip into thinking it’s his, but it is indeed the seed of my true love.”
The words twisted like a dagger in my chest. My hands clenched, and without thinking, I flung the papers away, sending them fluttering to the floor like fallen leaves.
“My mother’s a fucking bitch!” The words tore from me in a guttural snarl. Rage and betrayal clawed at my throat. “How could she? I’d nearly forgiven her—but now this?”
“No,” Emily wailed, her face a mask of horror. “I can’t be your daughter. That makes me a monster, too!”
Balthazar’s expression softened—mockingly so. “Your eyes, child.” His voice was almost tender, which only made it more sinister. “Your eyes are the same color as mine. You cannot deny it.” He extended a hand toward her. “And now, I will take you home, where you belong. Where I will care for you.”
Before Emily could react, he pried Leo from her arms.
Emily screamed.
Leo let out a piercing wail, his tiny limbs flailing.
Balthazar cradled him like a cherished prize, rocking him gently and cooing in hushed tones. “Who’s a precious baby? You are.” He smiled down at Leo, a glint of something dark and possessive in his eyes. “You’re going to be my finest protégé.”
A gasp sounded from across the room.
Tristan stood frozen, his mouth agape, his face darkening with something between disbelief and rage. “But…” His voice cracked. “I thought I was your best protégé.”
Balthazar’s sneer was colder than death. He didn’t even look at Tristan when he spat out, “You were my biggest mistake.”
Tristan recoiled as if struck.
Meanwhile, Emily lunged forward, desperate to reclaim her son, but Balthazar’s grip tightened, blocking her at every attempt.
