THE UNMASKING

THE UNMASKING
Jazmine groaned before her eyes fluttered open. Her mascara-streaked face twisted in confusion as she struggled against the fabric binding her arms to the chair. It took her a few seconds to realize what had happened—where she was—and that she wasn’t alone.

I stood in front of her, arms folded, heart pounding beneath my calm exterior.

“Welcome back,” I said, my voice cold but controlled.

“What the hell…Anna?!” she gasped, her eyes darting around the dimly lit convalescent sitting room. “What is this? Why am I tied…are you insane?”

I didn’t flinch. “You pulled a gun on me.”

“You broke in!”

“After everything you’ve done, you think I was just going to knock and wait for tea?”

Her eyes narrowed. “You’re making a huge mistake. This place is being watched. Victoria has people, everywhere. Do you think you caught me off guard? They’ll be here any second.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Then why haven’t they come yet?”

She blinked.

I stepped closer, my voice low and calm. “You’re alone, Jazmine. Just like I suspected. Victoria doesn’t care about you—she’s done with you. And you knew it the moment you ran.”

“Shut up!” she snapped, struggling against the restraints. “You don’t know anything. You’re just some lost stray Adrian picked up.”

I gave her a cold smile. “A stray with a leash Victoria can’t control. That’s why you’re scared. That’s why you’re here.”

Jazmine’s mouth opened, but no words came.

“I’m not here to play games,” I continued. “You’re going to tell me everything. And if you want even the slightest chance of walking away from this… you’re going to be honest.”

“You shot at me,” I reminded her. “Or at least tried to. That earns you restraints.”

She squirmed, eyes wide with panic. “You can’t do this. You don’t know who you’re messing with.”

“Oh, I do,” I said, stepping closer. “I know exactly who I’m messing with. And right now, you’re going to tell me everything I need to know.”

She tried to toss her hair defiantly, but the strap at her neck tugged her back. “I’m not saying a word.”

I crouched in front of her, levelling my eyes with hers. “You will. Because I don’t think you want to go down with Victoria when all of this comes crashing down.”

Jazmine froze at the mention of Victoria’s name. Her tough facade cracked—just slightly—but I saw it. Fear. Shame.

“What are you doing here?” I asked slowly. “Why this place? Why were you hiding here?”

Silence.

“You better start talking, Jazmine.”

Her throat bobbed in a nervous swallow. Then finally, “Because I had nowhere else to go.”

“Why?”

“I…I told Victoria I couldn’t keep pretending. The fake pregnancy… I couldn’t do it anymore. It was spiralling out of control. I thought if I disappeared for a while, maybe she'd forget. Or better yet just replace me.”

I tilted my head. “And Adrian? What happened to him?”

Jazmine looked away.

“Tell me.”

She sighed, defeated. “He’s in a coma. After the car accident. It wasn’t a hospital he was taken to. Victoria had him moved to some private clinic—off-grid. He’s alive… barely. But she’s keeping it quiet.”

My breath caught.

“She plans to make it look like he died,” Jazmine continued. “Once the media believes that, she’ll take over the company as acting CEO.”

I stared at her, stunned. “She’s going to fake his death?”

“Yes,” Jazmine whispered. “That’s the plan. She even has statements drafted. Obituaries. Press releases. It’s all ready to go. Once she announces it, no one will question it because she controls everything…the board, the PR team, the investors.”

“And what about me?” I asked darkly. “Where do I fit into her plan? What does she plan to do with me?”

Jazmine bit her lip.

“You better not try to lie to me.” I gave a stern look that put fear into her eyes.

“She wants you gone,” Jazmine confessed. “For good. She said you’ve been a thorn in her side since the day Adrian brought you home. And after the hacking, and the escape... she’s furious. She thinks you’re dangerous.”

My jaw tightened. “And you went along with it.”

“She’s blackmailing me!” Jazmine blurted. “She knows I’m not from here. I’m not American. She said she’d have my residency revoked. That I and my family will be deported and banned from ever coming back. I didn’t have a choice.”

“There’s always a choice. You just chose wrongly.”

“Easy for you to say,” she snapped, but the fight quickly faded. “I didn’t think it would go this far. I didn’t know she’d try to kill you.”

I crossed my arms, stepping back. My thoughts spiralled. Adrian is in a Coma. How do I reach him now? And will I be able to even communicate with him? Victoria pulling every string like a puppeteer on a warpath. And me? Still one move behind.

“Do you know where they’re keeping him?” I asked.

Jazmine hesitated, then nodded. “Yes. I wrote it down. It’s in my bag.”

I found the note tucked into a side pouch, hastily scribbled on the back of a receipt. Coordinates. A clinic name. No logo. No real address.

“Thank you,” I murmured.

She looked up at me, defeated. “What are you going to do to me? Please don’t hurt me. I promise not to mention any of this to anyone”

I met her eyes. “Nothing.”

She blinked, confused. “What…really?”

“I’m not a killer, Jazmine. I never was.” I pulled a small knife from my boot and pressed it into her palm. “You can cut yourself loose once I’m gone. I just needed answers and you need to reconsider your choices for you and your family.”

She clutched the blade, still stunned.

As I turned to leave, she called after me. “Anna?”

I looked back.

“Who… who are you really?”

I stepped into the hallway, leaving my voice behind like a ghost in the wind. “I am Sophie Lane….Richard Lane’s daughter.”

And then I was gone.