Where are you Bianca Lynox?

Chapter Twenty-Two

Claudia sat in her dimly lit office, the weight of her knowledge pressing upon her as she revisited the past. Her mind drifted back to that fateful day eight years ago, the day when everything began to unravel.

The memories swirled like mist, taking her back to the hotel lobby where she found Rachel, disoriented and oblivious to the chaos she had unwittingly sown. The air crackled with tension as Claudia approached her, masking her own surprise at the situation.

"Rachel, dear," Claudia's voice had been laced with forced calmness, hiding the urgency within. "You disappeared last night. Where did you go?"

Rachel's confusion had been palpable. "I don't... I can't remember. I must have gone out."

The truth had dawned upon Claudia in that moment, a truth she chose to conceal—a night of passion between Rachel and Liam, a night Rachel couldn't recall.

Weeks had passed in a flurry of whispered secrets and clandestine meetings. Claudia vividly remembered the conversation that changed everything—the one where she probed Rachel about that fateful night.

"Rachel," Claudia's voice had been gentle yet probing, "whom did you spend the night with?"

Rachel's brow furrowed in genuine confusion. "I have no idea, Claudia. I can't remember a thing."

Claudia's heart had sunk as she realized the gravity of the situation. A few weeks later, Rachel's pregnancy confirmed her worst fears. Liam's child, hidden beneath layers of secrecy and lies, was on the way.

Now, in the present, Claudia's reverie broke as the weight of her actions and their consequences bore down on her. Guilt gnawed at her conscience as she reflected on the manipulation and deception that had haunted her ever since.

The sound of her phone ringing shattered her thoughts, jolting her back to the present. With a deep breath, she composed herself, knowing that the repercussions of her actions were far from over.

Claudia's hand trembled slightly as she reached for the phone, her heart pounding with apprehension. Ronald's name flashed on the screen, a stark reminder of the tangled web of deceit she had woven.

She hesitated for a moment before gathering the courage to answer. "Ronald," her voice wavered, betraying the turmoil within.

"Claudia, finally. We need to talk," Ronald's tone held a mixture of urgency and anticipation, unaware of the storm about to hit him.

Claudia steeled herself, knowing the impending revelation would shatter the facade of normalcy they had maintained for years. "Ronald, there's something you need to know about Bianca."

A pregnant pause hung in the air, Ronald's voice tinged with concern. "What about her? Is she okay?"

"She's fine, but... she's not yours, Ronald." Claudia's voice faltered as she uttered the words, the weight of guilt heavy on her shoulders.

Silence stretched between them, broken only by Ronald's incredulous whisper, "What do you mean?"

Claudia's admission spilled forth, the truth unravelling like a thread from a tangled knot. "She's Liam's daughter. Rachel's daughter."

Shock reverberated through the line, followed by a stunned silence on Ronald's end. Claudia's chest tightened as she braced for his response, the weight of her betrayal hanging heavy in the air.

"You've known all this time?" Ronald's voice cracked with a mixture of anger and disbelief.

Tears welled up in Claudia's eyes as she nodded, though he couldn't see. "Yes, and I'm sorry. I should've told you."

Ronald's voice softened, laced with hurt. "Why didn't you?"

"I was scared, Ronald. Scared of ruining everything, of losing you," Claudia confessed, her voice trembling with remorse.

The line fell silent for a moment, the weight of their shared secrets hanging between them like an unspoken accusation. "I need time to process this," Ronald finally spoke, his voice heavy with the weight of betrayal.

As the call ended, Claudia sat in a haze of guilt and regret, knowing that the consequences of her actions were finally catching up to her. The truth had been unveiled, leaving behind a trail of broken trust and shattered relationships.

The weight of guilt and fear settled heavier on Claudia's shoulders as Ronald's call ended. She knew that the truth she revealed meant the end of her relationship with him. Her heart ached with the realization that the trust they once shared had shattered irreparably.

Wiping away tears, Claudia steadied herself, grappling with the fallout of her confession. Ronald's request to meet up struck a chord of apprehension within her. She knew what he intended—the protection of Bianca, his assumed daughter, and the security of his future inheritance.

Meeting Ronald at the secluded spot they often frequented, Claudia noticed the lines of tension etched on his face, anger seething beneath the surface.

"Claudia, Volkov can't find out. We need to move Sofia," Ronald's urgency matched the gravity of the situation.

A pang of guilt struck Claudia's heart at the mention of Bianca's safety. "But where?"

Ronald's voice was strained. "I have a government associate. He's aiding us in keeping her hidden."

Claudia's mind raced, torn between her guilt and the need to protect Bianca. "Ronald, this changes everything. You know that, don't you?"

His eyes flashed with a mix of anger and desperation. "Yes, it changes everything! If I'm not related to Bianca, the inheritance I've been counting on..."

The reality hit Claudia like a sledgehammer. Her revelation not only fractured their relationship but also jeopardized Ronald's aspirations. Guilt churned within her as she grappled with the repercussions of her silence.

"I never meant for any of this," Claudia's voice trembled with remorse, tears clouding her vision.

Ronald's gaze was cold, his disappointment palpable. "You've cost me everything, Claudia. I trusted you."

As Ronald stormed away, Claudia sank to the ground, consumed by remorse and the realization that her actions had irreversibly altered the lives of those she cared about.