Alex frowned. “Nina. Nina?”
Joseph snarled. “For a smart man, you’re an idiot.”
Gina screamed. “Shut up, Joseph! Don’t say another word. I swear I’ll….”
“Or, you’ll what? You know what I’m capable of that’s why you won’t do anything. I’ll kill her. Cousin or not. I’ve got plenty to say, and I’m going to say it. I’m sick of being the pawn in your games. Like I said, I’ve got my own plans.”
Gina spoke through clenched teeth. “If I don’t kill you, father most certainly will.”
“No, he won’t. I’ve got plans for him too as soon as he names me successor. In the meantime, I want to see you suffer first. So…where was I…Oh…it’s obvious that this fool still has no idea you were a twin. That you’re not Cecily’s mother. Hell…he probably still wonders if he could be her father. Well, I can definitively answer that…no, you’re not. Nina Lee Xiou was her mother, and she was killed in that car accident. Luciano met and fell in love with Nina. You met the Viper, Gina, who was sent to the United States by her father to spy on your family and your business. She pretended that she and Nina were the same people.” He turned dangerous eyes to Gina. “I get why you pretended to be Nina while she was alive. What I don’t understand is why pretend that you were still one person after she was dead?”
Alex couldn’t believe it. “That’s impossible. I had investigators verify that Gina was alive.”
“Yeah, but you never would have thought to confirm that there was a Nina Lee Xiou once you found out Gina was still breathing.”
Alex didn’t answer. He’d known that Gina had a sister but thought she was younger. He hadn’t known it was an identical twin.
Cecily’s eyes were large as she looked between Joseph and Gina. She couldn’t help but wonder how adults could play so casually with the lives of people who loved them. Maybe her father and uncle had been right to keep her away from this family. She allowed her body to go limp, sinking onto the floor. She slipped out of Joseph’s hands leaving a clear shot for Alexandro. He took it. Not the kill shot he deserved but into his shoulder. It threw Joseph back up against the wall, and he slid onto the floor. In that split second, there was complete chaos. Gina grabbed Cicely out of the line of fire. Alex kicked Joseph’s gun out of the way as he and his men rushed him. Alex grabbed him by his chest and held him while he moaned and clawed at Alex’s arms; arms that held him in an iron clad grip. Alex smacked the gun against the side of his head, twice. As much as he wanted to kill him, he couldn’t. Cecily was still in the room. Instead, he dropped his gun and smashed his fist into his face over and over again causing blood to gush out of his nose and mouth.
Cecily screamed. “Uncle Alex, please. Don’t kill him. You’re not like him!” The sound of her voice was the only thing that brought him out of his anger filled haze.
Breathing hard with blood all over his hands and shirt, Alex stopped. He threw Joseph down onto the floor like the trash he was. Speaking to no one and everyone he said, “Make sure you keep him restrained until we can get the authorities here.”
Alex straightened all the way up and went directly to Cicely, who was still in Gina’s arms. Cecily pulled away from her and went straight to Alex hugging him tightly around his waist. “I’m sorry Uncle Alex. I’m so sorry.”
“None of this is your fault. You have nothing to be sorry for.”
Cecily turned around and swallowed deeply as she spoke to Gina. “Were you really going to let me think you were my mother?”
For one of the first times in her life, as she looked at the softness in Cecily’s eyes and saw Nina reflected back at her, Gina felt genuine remorse. “I only wanted to protect you, Cecily. I loved my sister more than I’ve ever loved anyone or anything. You are a part of her. So, I’ve loved you from afar. I’ve done my best over these last years to protect you from my father, from me, and from this family.” Gina looked up into Alex’s eyes. “I pretended Nina and I were the same person when she was alive to save her life from our father. Who knows what he would have done had he known she was pregnant. So, yes. I sacrificed the relationship to the only man I’ve ever loved to save her and her daughter.”
Alex stood in complete silence. Listening.
“After she died, there was a part of me that felt maybe I still had a chance with you.” Gina stuttered, “I…I…mean…once you found out I was still alive. I wanted to explain everything then. But, I couldn’t figure out what to do about Chang. Cecily would still be in danger.”
Alex was skeptical. He was more than skeptical. “I have a hard time believing Xiou Incorporated didn’t play a large part in you not being so forthcoming. You wanted that company more than anything. You could have walked away from it all. We could have figure everything out. You didn’t because you wanted the power that came along with owning that company.”
Gina’s eyes hardened. “Why shouldn’t I? I’ve worked just as long and hard
