Claudia's cruel smile lingered in the air like poison. "There's one more name you haven't asked about," she said, voice dripping with satisfaction.
Ava's breath caught. "What name?"
Claudia leaned in, eyes gleaming with triumph. "Yours, Ava. You're not just an enemy to Cole Dynamics. You're family."
Ethan's face hardened, jaw clenched tight. "What the hell are you saying?"
Claudia turned slowly, fixing Ethan with a cold stare. "You and Ava… you're both children of Richard Cole. Half-siblings."
The words crashed into the room like a storm. Ava's mind reeled. "That's impossible."
"Is it?" Claudia's voice dropped. "Richard had secrets, Ethan. Affairs that spawned more than just you."
Ethan stared at Ava, searching her face for a flicker of confirmation or denial. "Is this true?"
Ava swallowed hard, the weight of a buried past pressing down on her. "I… I don't know."
Claudia smirked, crossing the room. "That son you have together? Revel? His bloodline just became even more tangled."
Ava's heart pounded fiercely. Could she love Ethan… if they were siblings? Could she raise their son without the shadow of that truth?
Ethan's eyes were stormy, torn between fury and confusion. "If this is true, then everything we built—everything we believed—is a lie."
Claudia's laugh was cold and sharp. "Welcome to the family business, darling. Secrets, lies, and betrayals. Now, who will come out on top?"
Ava looked at Ethan, desperation and love warring within her. "We have to find the truth. For Revel. For us."
Ethan nodded slowly. "No matter what, we face it together."
The clock on the wall ticked on, relentless and unforgiving. The fire beneath their throne had only just begun to blaze.