Chapter 154 THE TRUTH THAT SHOULD NEVER SURFACE
The rain hit the glass walls of the penthouse like bullets, each drop echoing the storm inside Eliana’s heart.
She stood frozen, staring at the document in her trembling hands.
DNA TEST RESULT:
Probability of biological relationship: 99.98%
Her mind refused to accept what her eyes clearly saw.
Ethan was her brother.
Not cousin.
Not distant relative.
Not rumor.
Her real brother.
The air in her lungs vanished as if someone had ripped it out. The memories of his touch, his kisses, his whispered promises clawed through her chest like knives.
“No… no… no…” she whispered, shaking her head violently.
Behind her, the door opened slowly.
Ethan stepped in.
His eyes met hers.
And he knew.
“You saw it,” he said quietly.
The softness in his voice shattered something deep inside her.
Eliana turned, fury exploding from her eyes. “Tell me it’s a lie!”
Ethan didn’t answer immediately. He walked closer, each step heavy, cautious—like he was approaching a wild animal ready to tear him apart.
“Eliana…”
“DON’T SAY MY NAME!” she screamed, her voice breaking. “Tell me it’s fake. Tell me someone forged it!”
Silence.
That silence was louder than any confession.
Her hands shook so violently that the paper crumpled. Tears streamed down her face, but her eyes burned with rage.
“So it’s true,” she whispered.
Ethan swallowed hard. “I didn’t know at first.”
Her laugh was hysterical, painful. “You didn’t know? We— we loved each other, Ethan! You looked into my eyes and told me you loved me!”
His jaw tightened. “And I meant it.”
Her hand flew across his face before he could finish the sentence.
The sound echoed through the room.
But Ethan didn’t move. He didn’t even flinch.
“Don’t you dare say that!” she cried. “Don’t you dare!”
He stepped closer, his voice low, rough with emotion. “I didn’t know we shared blood. I swear it. When I found out, it was already too late.”
Her eyes widened. “Too late?”
He looked away, his fists clenched.
Fear crawled through her veins.
“Ethan,” she whispered slowly, “what do you mean by too late?”
He didn’t answer.
That was when she noticed something else.
His hand was trembling.
Not from guilt.
From fear.
THE SECRET WITHIN THE SECRET
Later that night, Eliana couldn’t sleep.
Her world had collapsed, but something told her the truth was still incomplete.
She left her room quietly and walked toward Ethan’s study.
The door was slightly open.
Voices drifted out.
“…she knows,” Ethan said.
Another voice replied.
Cold. Female. Familiar.
“Then accelerate the plan.”
Eliana froze.
That voice…
It was Clara’s voice.
Her breath caught in her throat.
Clara her closest friend, her confidant, the woman who had always stood beside her was inside Ethan’s study.
Eliana moved closer, her heart pounding.
Ethan spoke again. “She’s unstable. If she finds out everything, she’ll break.”
Clara laughed softly. “That’s the point. Broken people are easier to control.”
Eliana’s fingers dug into her palm.
Control?
Clara continued, her tone sharp, calculating. “You did well bringing her into the family without her knowing who she really is. But you made one mistake.”
Ethan’s voice was tense. “What mistake?”
“You fell in love with her.”
Silence followed.
Eliana felt her knees weaken.
Clara stepped into the light, her expression completely different from the gentle face she always showed.
“She is not just your sister,” Clara said slowly. “She is the key.”
Ethan turned sharply. “Key to what?”
Clara smiled.
And that smile was terrifying.
“To the empire your father stole.”
SHOCKING REVELATION
Eliana’s heart stopped.
Empire?
Her father?
Stolen?
Clara continued, her voice dripping with hidden truths. “Years ago, your father destroyed a powerful family. He took their wealth, their identity, their legacy. Only one child survived.”
Ethan’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Who?”
Clara’s eyes darkened.
“Eliana.”
The word hit like a bomb,Eliana staggered backward.
Her mind screamed.No.Impossible, Lies.
But deep down, something inside her knew.
Her life had always felt wrong.
Her memories had gaps.
Her past had holes.
Clara’s voice echoed through the door.
“She is not who she thinks she is. Her real name is not Eliana. And when she remembers everything…”
Clara paused deliberately.
“She will destroy us all.”
Eliana covered her mouth to stop herself from screaming.
Her entire identity had just shattered.
She wasn’t just a victim.
She wasn’t just a lover.
She wasn’t just a sister.
She was the heir of a ruined dynasty.
And the people she trusted most were her enemies.
Behind the door, Ethan whispered something that made her blood run cold.
“If she finds out the truth about her mother…”
Clara interrupted him calmly.
“She must never remember.”
Eliana’s eyes widened in terror.
Because suddenly, she realized something even more horrifying.
They weren’t afraid of her love.
They were afraid of her memory.
And if she remembered everything…
Someone was going to die.