Found Obsession

Chapter 51: Greco's case II: The mark

"Rose," her mother whispered, leaning in as if the walls themselves might betray her. "I was a CIA agent."

The words sent a chill down Rose's spine. She stared at her mother, her mind reeling.

"No one knows," her mother continued, her voice barely audible. "Not even your father."

Rose felt frozen in place, her thoughts racing but unable to land on anything solid. This revelation was like a bomb exploding in slow motion.

"I left everything when I met your father. I fell hard for him. We had trouble conceiving due to an accident he had, and when we found out you were on the way... we were overjoyed. You were our miracle, and we did everything to secure our positions, to protect you." She paused, her gaze hardening. "To protect this family. Every decision we've made since then has been to maintain that protection. One wrong move, and everything could come crashing down."

Rose’s heart pounded in her chest. It was a lot to take in, but her mother wasn’t finished.

"You always showed extraordinary skills—skills that couldn’t go to waste. While your father wasn’t looking, I taught you everything I knew. Fighting techniques, intelligence work... and then you showed an interest in hacking."

Rose could see the pride in her mother’s eyes.

"I was number one in hacking back in my day. But you—" her mother smiled faintly, "—you surpassed me, Rose. You found the weaknesses in my program, and together we perfected it. You left me in the dust."

Rose felt the weight of her mother's words, her heart pounding as the pieces of her childhood began to fall into place.

"You are the embodiment of beauty and intelligence," her mother continued, taking Rose’s hand. But then, as if recalling a painful memory, her voice dropped. "By the time you were 17, you left us behind."

Rose’s voice was barely a whisper. "I ran away."

Her mother nodded slowly. "We never understood why, but we eventually discovered that you wanted to be a detective." Her smile faltered. "We were afraid. Afraid that once the police learned you were one of the creators of the Hansley program, they'd use you—use us."

Rose stared at her mother in silence, the reality of her past and present colliding.

"We never intended for the program to be used for personal gain," her mother said. "It was meant to protect. Any requests for information must come with a legal order, following every protocol."

Rose nodded, knowing deep down she agreed with that principle. Even if she was one of the creators, it didn’t give her the right to bypass the law.

"We made an agreement, Rose," her mother said, her voice suddenly cold. "I let you follow your dreams, and you promised that no one would ever know. No one can ever know who created that program. "

Rose finally understood. She hid behind Will because of this?

"If that program were to be compromised, and our clients found out, remember we’re dealing with political figures, powerful families. It’s us—just a family of three—against several wealthy, dangerous ones," her mother explained, her voice hardening with every word. "We’ve always guaranteed their protection, no leaks, no glitches. If that were to change... our reputation, our wealth, even our lives, would be at risk."

Rose's chest tightened. She hadn’t thought about it from that angle before, but now it was painfully clear. She didn’t want her parents in danger, didn’t want to expose them to this kind of threat.

Her mother’s expression darkened. "So, if this clue you are following ensures capturing that asshole, I will violate my own policies," she said, her eyes flashing with a dangerous light. "He tried to kill you, that motherfucker."