“I moved out of Emmanuel’s home and took his sons with me. There wasn’t much he could do because I became too powerful, even for him. I let his sons believe their father and I were married but we were separated. Anthony has always been close with me but Carlos was tougher to convince. He grew apart from me and his father. He began running in the wrong crowds and doing things I couldn’t control without attracting the media’s eye.
“I know you searched him out Ember and I was surprised to learn you let him live. Surprised and relieved. I will always believe Carlos had the potential to be great but his resentment for his father and I caused him to do things he thought would hurt us. I became cocky in my new persona and thought my cover was infallible. But I was wrong. Someone figured out who I was and my connection to Whitsborough. Someone who knew what I did here and wanted revenge.
“But they didn’t just want revenge on me, they wanted it on the girl who was causing ripples all the way from Canada to New York. This girl they figured out to be my granddaughter. They got to Carlos and convinced him I was corrupt, I killed his real mother, and eventually I would kill him, too. They asked him to grab Vincent and try to get information out of him about how much Ember knew.”
“Who’s ‘they’?” Ember asks, now leaning forward.
“At the time I had my suspicions but I wasn’t sure. I only just recently found out with the help of your brother Carmelo. I promise I’m getting to that but first, I want to explain all the events that had you convinced it was me.
“The retaliation for Carlos’ death, the guard who was murdered and had the message carved into him was not by my hand. It was set up to look like me to get you off their case. You were closing in on them and they needed you to change your trajectory.
“Your aunt and uncle-my sweet daughter Debra-being murdered was not by me. It was also this person, again you were getting too close to the secrets here in Whitsborough and they set the whole thing up. I mourned my daughter and tried my best not to blame my granddaughter in the process. I knew what you were doing was for the greater good and anything that extreme will always have collateral damage.
“They sucked your brother into believing I was his mother for the longest time to cause a rift between you and foster the intent for distrust. You were becoming impenetrable and it was nearly impossible to stop you. When you three went to Spain following on my coattails, Carm had done everything to keep you one step behind me. Don’t hate him for that, he truly believed I was his mother.”
“Did you ever speak to Carm face to face?” Emmett asks her.
“Yes,” she nods, “for the first time last month, just before he came here to help you, Ember. I told him everything I could without telling him everything. Mostly, I told him about what I finally discovered and he was all of a sudden in a rush to get here.”
“He wrote me a letter, apologizing for everything he did wrong. There were a few pages he left me that I didn’t understand but now I do. You moved a few kids around with your Love the Tots agency and he highlighted a note that said you took a child from Whitsborough. Who?”
“Almost there, first let’s talk about your fight with Wade. Did you believe he planted that knife?” She asks Em.
“I had my doubts.” She rubs her forehead. “But I couldn’t see any other way.”
“Without implicating someone close.” Jenna finishes the thought.
“Right.” Em nods.
“Carm gave the man the knife.” Jenna says and we all tense with the shock. All of us but Em.
“I thought he did.” Her shoulders slump.
“What?” Emmett asks her, his voice filled with shock.
“When I questioned Wade and even when I fought him in the cage, he was genuine about not planting the knife. I continued to fight him because he wasn’t a good person.” Em replies.
“Ember,” Emmett says, his voice low. “He was our brother.”
“I know Emmett and I still love him regardless. If it wasn’t for him, Vin and I could’ve died.”
“He admitted to me in a tearful confession about planting the knife. He was going to confess to you he did but then the town hall debacle happened. He did it because he was given an order by me, or who he thought was me. This person threatened to kill Emmett if he didn’t. He said he knew you would still come out the victor.” Jenna says and smiles at Em.
“Think that covers everything.” Em says. “I’m ready to learn who my opponent is.”
“Opponents.” Jenna corrects.
32
“Opponents.” Talia corrects me.
“Spit it out.” I growl at her.
“It all started with Constance and Jack.” She starts.
“Another story?” Emmett huffs and I feel his fucking pain.
“A short interconnecting one.” She nods and carries on, “Constance and Jack did something and if it were made known, would ruin us all. They fell pregnant.”
“My nana had another baby?” Vin asks. “But my mother would’ve known.”
“It was soon after your grandfather was killed and they did well in hiding it from everyone. When the child was born, he was five years younger than your mother.” Talia explains to Vin.
“Obviously, he’s dead right? Or else I would know my uncle.” Vin argues.
“You know him very well, Vincent.” Talia’s eyes widen. “The child was born and we of course could not keep it around. We couldn’t pass him off as Constance’s because her
