Page 65 of The Shadow King's Brother

I’m standing here, facing the woman who’s supposed to be my mother—but she’s a stranger. Distant. Unrecognizable.

She’s not tied up. She’s in control. Which means—she’s part of this freak show?

She paces like a caged animal, each click of her heels slicing through the silence. Her posture is taller than I remember. Composed. Elegant. Dangerous.

A day ago, we had coffee. One day. Is this the same woman?

I can’t look at her fully. Not yet. But I need answers. I have to ask. I need something to make sense.

“What’s going on?”

“Victoria—”

No answer. Just my name, hanging in the air like a warning.

Is this the “higher up” Eddie mentioned? No. It can’t be. I shake my head, the motion jarring, pain shooting through my ribs—where the poison’s still eating away at me.

“Why are you doing this, Mother?”

The words slip out before I can stop them—raw, exposed. I hate how fragile they sound.

She stops pacing. Tilts her head. A hum slips past her lips as she rests a manicured finger beneath her chin.

That gesture. I know it. It’s how she used to decide—punishment or reward.

And suddenly, I hate myself for remembering. For still knowing how she thinks.

She turns slowly, eyes narrowing with a strange, calculating calmness. There's no remorse there, no regret. Just cold, perfect control.

"Because," she says, stepping closer, "I need Elio to come. And I know exactly how to lure him in. You." She gives a slight smile, almost like she's about to provide me with a secret I'll never forget.

My heart slams into my chest, and I open my mouth, but nothing comes out.

She walks over to me, placing a hand on my shoulder. The way her fingers trace my skin is tender, and I feel sick because a part of me still wants to lean into the touch and feel her motherly warmth, even though I know it's a lie.

"You—" I cough, "you were behind it all. The Broad Corporation? That's yours?"

My mother nods.

"Why me? Why kidnap? Just let me go—"

"You see," she continues, "I know the De Lucas killed your father." She pauses. "And Elio—he's next. He's going to pay for what he did. It's better this way, for you too, darling."

A wave of heat surges through me, but I fight to keep it in check. I won't cry, not for her.

"Vinny killed Father, not Elio," I grunt, wincing at the sharp pain in my side.

But she doesn't care about the truth, does she? She wants Elio—the man I love—to die for it. Revenge. Taking down the Shadow King.

"Vinny, Don, Elio, Maria—what does it matter? Potato, po-ta-to. That whole family deserves to die." Her voice is smooth, almost amused, but her eyes gleam with something unhinged. "They die, I get revenge, and I take over New Haven's underworld. It's a win-win. Even you must be able to see that. It's what your father would have wanted."

"It's not! He would never have agreed to any of this. He loved Don. And Elio."

I let out a sharp breath, biting back another whimper. My side throbs, pain radiating up my ribs. She steps closer and shoves me upright, relieving the pressure just enough to keep me conscious.

"Darling, you know I hate seeing you like this."

She strokes my hair like I'm a child. Like she's actually my mother. "I want to mend our relationship. I really do."

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