Tangled Shadows [COMPLETE]

chapter 10.

Eliana's pov-

Few weeks went like this, kian's texts, business problems, and other problems distracted me from my mum's diaries.

Kian have been texting me since that day, I don't even told anyone not even magnus. Magnus and i are sharing a good connection, he talk about how fucked up his life is. So do i... But my mind kept remind me of Kian. Everytime I dare to forget him, he always come up with a shitty text to remind me.

"Ma'am it seems like someone is threatening to the people who wants to work with us" Jonas said as i was scanning the file he gave me. Out stocks have been decreasing for the past few weeks. "We have to do something" i said. "Should I arrange a meeting? With all the journalists? About this" he asked "we don't have proof" i said "we have to find something strong...."

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Author's pov-

Eliana was tensed as her company's stock were decreasing, it was clear to her that someone was manipulating her workers, and other people who wanted to work with them. But who? Magnus and Eliana was sitting on the terrace, feeling the chilly air all over there body.

"Someone's manipulating my workers" she said taking a sip from her wine.

"Who do you think?" He asked looking at her "and how do you know?....

"Well I don't know but I bet someone is playing this shitty game with me" eliana said "but I've to search who"

"I think I know..." magnus said...

"Who?" She asked looking straight into his eyes.

"I'm not sure but I think Kian".... He said and without hesitation she replied "No... I mean I don't think soo, why will he?...." She was about to complete as he interrupt "you never know..."

She started to think, fighting against her thoughts, thinking about what just magnus said... She wanted to believe him but she can't...

"I don't know" she whispered

Her mind swirled with uncertainty, her thoughts tangled like a knot she couldn’t unravel. Magnus’s words echoed in her ears, casting shadows over the image she had of Kian. She tried to picture him doing what Magnus had described, but each time, her heart resisted. A small part of her wanted to trust Magnus's version, but the larger part clung to her disbelief, refusing to accept it. Her chest tightened with the weight of doubt. She wanted to confront him.

She went down to distract herself, she searched for her mother's diary but couldn't find nothing. She wanted to read more, she wanted the answers of each question she had in her mind about the child.

Eliana went to her mother's room finding her writing something....
"You took them? Your diaries from my room?" She asked walking towards her mother.

"Eliana, I don't allow you to read them" August said in a low voice, gentle and calm.

"But I want to read them, you're hiding something from me..." Eliana yell not too loudly.

"When the right time come, i... Myself will tell you Eli" Augusta said.

"I'm not a child anymore.... Tell me with whom Jonathan cheated you? Tell me what happened to that child?.... Tell me everything mom" She asked Augusta, it was more like ordering than asking...

"Eliana don't be silly, I told you right I'll tell you when the right time come... It's complicated dear, and it'll get complicated for you too... Try and understand" Augusta said while looking outside the window...

"But I need to know, I've seen how you look at Jonathan, what are you hiding?" Eliana shook her head, determination in her hazel eyes.

"Look at me for fuck sakes and tell meee" Eliana screamed, as Jonathan enters the room.

"I heard your conversation with you mother" Jonathan said "that's the only thing you could do Jonathan" Eliana said, not looking at him.

He rolls his eyes "but I know what she's hiding from you, my dear daughter."

"Ofcourse you do.. everyone do... Except from me" Eliana snap.

"Tell her Agusta, you can't hide it anymore." Jonathan told Agusta.

Eliana looked at her and murmured "please tell me mama"

The silent filled in the room, Eliana held her breath, bracing herself for the storm that was about to break.

Augusta took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling as if she were trying to summon the courage to finally reveal the truth. “Eliana, I—”

Eliana stepped closer, her heart racing with anticipation, every nerve in her body urging her mother to just say it.

As Augusta looked into Eliana’s pleading eyes, the dam of secrets began to crack. She took another breath, feeling the weight of the moment settle heavily on her shoulders. “You’re right. You deserve to know the truth. And it’s time I faced what I’ve been hiding…”

Eliana gulped as her mother's eyes become teary.... "You're not my... My daughter Eli, you're that kid you.. you were asking about"

Eliana fell on her knees crying...

The room felt stifling, as if the air had thickened with the weight of the truth that had been held back for far too long.

With a heavy heart, Augusta took a step closer, her hands trembling as she reached for Eliana’s kneeling down next to her. “Jonathan is your father by any means..... You are not my daughter by birth but I love you Eliana."

Eliana’s breath caught in her throat.

The truth crashed over Eliana like a wave, each word slicing through her like glass. “my life was a lie” she whispered, her voice trembling. “I thought I had you always!”

Augusta’s heart ached for her daughter, who was staring at her as if she were a stranger. “You are a part of me, Eliana! I love you more than anything. You’re my daughter in every sense that matters.”

“But I’m not!” Eliana shot back, tears blurring her vision. “I’m just a reminder of  Jonathan’s infidelity! How could you keep this from me? How could you let me believe I was part of a lie?” 

“I thought it was for the best!” Augusta cried, her voice cracking. “I wanted to give you a life free from the pain of knowing who your real mother was. I was afraid of what it would do to you, to me....”

Eliana’s heart pounded, rage and sorrow mixing in a volatile storm. “So you thought it was better to hide it? To make me feel like I belonged somewhere when I don’t?” She felt the tears streaming down her cheeks, hot and heavy. “I don’t even know who I am anymore!”

Augusta says, desperation in her eyes. “Eliana, please! You’re still my daughter. You’re the person I’ve watched grow up, the person I love. Nothing can change that. You have to believe me.”

Eliana shook her head, her breath hitching as the weight of her mother’s words sunk in. “You kept me in the dark about my own identity. I thought I knew who I was, who my family was! And now it feels like everything has been ripped away.”

“Please,” Augusta whispered, her voice breaking. “I never wanted to hurt you. I just wanted to protect you from the pain of knowing the truth about your mother....”

“Instead, you made me suffer even more,” Eliana sobbed, her heart shattering. “How can I ever trust you again? How can I face the world knowing I’m not who I thought I was... Your daughter?”

Augusta got closer to her, reaching for Eliana’s hands, but Eliana pulled away, her sobs echoing in the silence of the room. “I need time, Mom. I need to think.”

As Eliana got up and went out, the realization of her fragmented identity coursed through her like ice. The tears continued to flow, raw and painful, as she grappled with the knowledge of her origins, the daughter of betrayal and secrets. In that moment, Eliana felt utterly lost, unsure of where to turn or how to heal from the truth that had shattered her world.