Author’s pov
At the Locke estate, the same evening.
Zane sat alone in his private study, the lights low and the room quiet. He opened the drawer and took out the DNA results that had arrived earlier.
He hadn’t looked at them right away. He waited until the house was silent and he was ready to face whatever the truth was.
With trembling fingers, he tore open the envelope and unfolded the report.
Flipping to the final page, his eyes scanned for the summary.
His breath caught.
No... genetic relationship.
No... no...
The words hit him like a punch to the chest. He slumped back in his chair, the disappointment washing over him like cold rain.
How foolish he’d been. Cecilia wasn’t his daughter. Just another desperate illusion.
Why would fate be kind now, after everything it had taken from him?
He took off his glasses, letting his hand drop limply to his thigh. The silence around him deepened, filled only by the dull ache of regret and the weight of crushing loneliness.
--
In the glass conservatory beside the main house, the lights still glowed despite the late hour.
Mist from the humidifiers drifted through the air, giving the exotic roses an ethereal, almost surreal look in the artificial light.
Maggie sat in the middle of the room, trimming flowers slowly and carefully.
Across from her, Xenia ran barefoot through the mist, laughing as she tried to catch the tiny water droplets. Her curls bounced with every step, and her cheeks were bright pink from the excitement.
There was another DNA report sitting on the coffee table.
Zane thought he’d been careful. He sent the samples overseas, used fake names, kept everything as secret as he could.
But clearly, that wasn’t enough. He’d underestimated her.
She didn’t know whose sample he’d tested. But one thing was certain: he was looking for a child that wasn’t hers.
An illegitimate child.
Zane had hidden a woman. A woman who had borne his child.
That was the true betrayal.
It made her blood boil.
No matter. She would find this woman. She would find the child. And when she did, they would pay in ways history wouldn’t forget.
"Mrs. Maggie, are you listening to me?" a middle-aged woman’s voice came through her Bluetooth earpiece.
Maggie blinked, snapping out of her thoughts. "Continue."
"Cecilia disappeared for a few days, but now she’s popped up in Colorado Springs. And guess what? She’s staying right near Martha. Cassian’s back too.Cassian’s back too. Isn’t this the perfect chance to execute the plan?"
"I can’t make a move on the Martha’s territory," Maggie said sharply. "We wait until they leave."
"What’s stopping you? What exactly are you afraid of?" the voice challenged. "I say bring them together and wipe them out. Zane included. He’s betrayed you anyway. Or are you still clinging to some outdated notion of marital loyalty?"
"I said no." Her voice turned icy. "You don’t need to understand my reasons."
"Kill them all, and the Locke family’s yours. What are you hesitating for? If you won’t do it, we will."
Maggie’s tone dropped to a dangerous calm.
"I don’t take kindly to people dictating my strategy. I appreciate the Ascendancy’s support, but I won’t tolerate interference."
A loaded silence followed.
Then the voice returned, colder than before.
"Well then, Mrs. Maggie, you should remember: if you fail to secure the Locke legacy, the Ascendancy has standard protocols for dealing with... obsolete assets. We’re only trying to help you succeed."
A soft, chilling laugh escaped Maggie’s lips as she watched her daughter twirl through the mist. Lowering her voice, she hissed,"Don’t waste your breath on lectures. And do pass my regards to Belinda. I’m sure she’ll know what that means."

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The readers' comments on the novel: Abandoned Luna Now Untouchable (Cecilia)
Loving the story. But only 2 pages a day. 😢...