Chapter 153: Chapter 153
Kyra’s POV
"What do you mean?" Matt’s face darkened, and he clenched his jaw.
He clearly had no clue what was really going on in the family he was so desperate to protect. I got it—as a Foster, he wanted to keep what was left of their family together. But this family was already broken long before we were even born.
I laughed bitterly. "Will you still help me if I tell you that your parents might be involved?"
He took a single step forward. "What exactly are you implying, Kyra?"
"Don’t try to help me without knowing what’s happening behind the curtain, Matt. You might end up destroying yourself in the process."
I walked past him, but he grabbed my elbow hard. Not enough to hurt, but enough to show he was pissed.
"Just fucking tell me what’s happening in this family, Kyra."
"It’s for you to find out," I answered coldly and pulled my arm back.
I entered the house completely as Emily and Felicia followed me, leaving Matt standing there with his frustration.
"This is the study room, Miss Kyra," Felicia said as we entered a wood-paneled room filled with the scent of old books and leather.
"Everything valuable was kept inside this room." She reached for a thick photo album, her eyes softening with nostalgia. "Compiled here are the photos of your mom and her siblings during special occasions."
I sat on the couch and took the photo album. Emily paced around the room, scanning for anything useful.
I ran my fingers over the thick cover. "Foster" was engraved in fancy script across the front. I used to dream about being part of this family after I lost mine, but they rejected me. So I learned to shut people out instead.
"Felicia..." I kept my voice steady. "Can you tell me about this family?"
"Of course, Miss Kyra."
I slowly opened the photo album. The first photo showed two elderly people, a distinguished man and an elegant woman standing before this very house.
"Those are your great-grandmother and great-grandfather," Felicia explained. "They died in a car accident together, leaving behind their two children—your grandmother and her brother."
I flipped the page and saw a familiar woman. My grandmother. Beside her was a man who looked like her. I knew some things about grandma. She’d been a single mom after finding out she was some married guy’s side piece. Once she learned the truth, she left him. She raised her kids alone and wouldn’t even let them take his name.
"Your grandmother was pretty amazing," Felicia continued. "She built the Foster fortune from basically nothing after her parents died. She was tough as nails in business when women rarely got those chances. That’s why her brother hated her. He thought he should’ve been running things since he was the man, even though he was younger."
I flipped to the next page and there was my mother. My eyes filled with tears as Sylvia whimpered inside me. She looked so young, but I knew it was her instantly.
"Your mom was a bright child, Miss Kyra. She was adored by your grandparents the most. That’s why your uncle Connor and Aunt Sara started resenting her from a young age."
I pressed my trembling lips together. "She looked so precious, Felicia. My mom seemed very kind."
"She was. My mother often told me how compassionate she was, especially toward Omegas in the pack."
I squeezed my eyes shut, then opened them to flip the page again. There was Mom again, wearing a party hat and blowing out candles on an elaborate cake, her eyes bright with the innocence only a child could possess.
"Mom..." I sobbed as I continued turning pages until I could no longer find any photos of my mother beyond her twelfth birthday.
"Y-Your mom was abducted at the age of twelve, Miss Kyra," Felicia said. "Your grandparents did everything to find her. When they finally located her, the kidnappers tried to flee with your mother until their car exploded... with your mom reportedly inside."
The grief was overwhelming, crushing my chest as I imagined what my mother had endured.
"My mother carried guilt for years, Miss Kyra. While the Foster family mourned your mom, my own mother suffered in silence. She was even blamed for your mom’s abduction because she was supposed to be watching her that day."
I shook my head and wiped my tears. "No, Felicia. My mom didn’t die that day."
She nodded. "She didn’t, Miss Kyra. And you are the living proof of that miracle."
I sniffed and caressed my mom’s photo again before looking up. "Did your mother tell you anything else about what happened before the abduction?"
Felicia suddenly became alert. She glanced around nervously, her gaze landing on Emily, who was examining the shelf of ancient pack records.
"It’s fine. Emily’s my trusted friend. You can speak freely in front of her," I assured her, noting the hesitation in her eyes.
Slowly, she nodded and stared intensely at me. "Miss Kyra, my mother believed it was your grandmother’s brother who paid someone to abduct your mother."
My forehead creased in confusion. "What do you mean?"
She sighed heavily. "Don Gallian Foster hated your mother because your grandmother had big plans for her. Grandma built the family empire from scratch and wanted your mom to take it all over someday."
I gritted my teeth and balled my fists. "So he had his own niece kidnapped?"
"That’s what my mother thought. Don Gallian expected to inherit everything as the male heir, but your grandmother chose your mom instead. He couldn’t handle being passed over."
"It could be true..." I whispered.
"But there’s no way to confirm it now since Don Gallian died years ago," Felicia added.
I swallowed hard. "Does he have any descendants? A family?"
She shook her head. "He was too consumed by hatred for your mother’s line. But I heard he adopted a child later in life. I just don’t know the name."
I nodded slowly. "Thanks, Felicia. This was way more helpful than I thought it’d be."
"Of course, Miss Kyra." Her expression shifted to one of concern. "But... I heard you’re investigating your mother’s death." Her eyes held both worry and hope.
My forehead creased in suspicion. She seemed to know details I hadn’t shared when I called to arrange this visit. "Who told you about my investigation?"
"Your Aunt Sara came here less than a week ago. She asked questions about how Attorney Lee found you and your mother’s whereabouts. I couldn’t tell her anything because I don’t know those details myself."
So Sara was doing her own digging. Did she actually want the truth? Or was she just covering her own ass?
The door slammed open. Matt stormed in, looking pissed as hell. He headed straight for us. He must’ve been listening outside with his wolf hearing and all. He glared at Felicia. "Say that again about Don Gallian."
Felicia looked shocked and frightened. "S-Sir Matt..."
Matt gasped and turned away, yanking at his hair. When he looked back at me, his eyes were full of disbelief and hurt. "You’re saying my family has been hiding something this sick? My own blood?"
I held his stare. "If you don’t believe me, look into it yourself." I softened my voice a little, knowing how much it sucked to find out your family wasn’t what you thought. "Just brace yourself. It’s gonna hurt."
