Entangled In Deceit (Deceit Series #1)

Chapter 3

III. Watched.

. . . . .

It was 2:00 PM, and I stood by the window of my room, gazing down at the sprawling estate below.

'Dakari Dimitri should be arriving shortly.' I thought, my heart tightening with unease. 'Whatever his reasons for requesting a meeting with Father, I hope it has nothing to do with me.'

With a heavy sigh, I turned away from the window, if only for a brief moment.

"They told me to stay put. Wait for him to leave but I can't just stay here." I muttered, complaining to no one but myself.

I understood why they preferred me confined to my room.

My father was a boss in his own right, but our loyalty ultimately lay with the Dimitris.

The fact that I was unknown to most within the organization only fueled suspicion. To the Dimitris, my very existence might be seen as a betrayal.

The Dimitris were far superior to us. Not just in power but in influence. We weren't even the second strongest faction. Others lurked in the shadows, but none were as active or as feared as the Dimitris.

Father had his reasons for hiding my birth. Reasons I never fully understood and rarely cared to question.

To me, the only truth that mattered was that I was my parents' biological daughter.

Even if I were to be exposed as the eldest Viviana daughter, it wouldn't change the fact that the Dimitris already suspected Father long before I returned.

They wouldn't be sending spies to infiltrate our estate if they were confident in our loyalty.

"It seems like my appearance will become a much bigger problem." I muttered lowly.

Still, I did not regret coming back.

Not for a second.

I wasn't by Mother's side when she died, and the ache of that absence gnawed at me daily.

I regretted never telling her how much I loved her.

If I could just go back to the past and tell her how I love and appreciate her over and over again, I would.

Both Father and Mother loved me deeply. They protected me, sent me away for my own safety. It was for the best, they said.

And here I was, standing safe and whole. . . proof that their plan had succeeded.

My existence was a secret known only to those who had served the Vivianas for generations, loyal souls like Franklin Jaruis. Their unwavering dedication meant Franklin could be trusted as an alibi when the decision was made to conceal my birth.

Should the Dimitris ever uncovered this secret, it would spell certain doom for both their lineage and ours.

But I refuse to back down without a fight.

If it comes to that, we will have a fucking brawl.

My expression darkened as I pondered the possibilities, the consequences of hiding my birth, the very reasons that could lead to the Vivianas' downfall.

"Fuck." I cursed under my breath.

My existence was a pain.

My parents had wanted me to live a normal life, to experience everything a normal person could.

They had gone to great lengths to conceal the truth, yet the foundation of their deception was fragile, on the brink of collapse.

The truth would be uncovered if someone pieced the puzzle together.