Chapter 9 — The Blanco Family's Old Secret
The night after the charity event that had ended in chaos felt unbearably long for Keira Namira.
The Blanco family's mansion, which usually felt grand, now seemed colder than ever.
Keira sat alone on the balcony outside the bedroom. Her vacant gaze rested on the garden, illuminated by small lights.
Her mind was still stuck on what had happened in the ballroom.
The looks people had given her.
Their whispers.
And the accusations that had nearly destroyed her reputation.
Even though she had tried so hard.
She had spent days preparing the event, sacrificing her own time to rest just so the Blanco family could be proud of her.
Yet in a single night...
Everything had nearly fallen apart.
"Are you still thinking about what happened earlier?"
Christ's voice made Keira turn.
He walked toward her carrying two cups of hot tea.
"I knew you probably hadn't gone to sleep yet."
Christ sat beside his wife and handed her one of the cups.
Keira accepted it with a small smile.
"You always know."
"Because I'm your husband."
That simple answer left Keira speechless.
During her marriage to Christ, she had only just realized one thing.
In the middle of a family that often made her feel alone, Christ had always been the place she could return to.
"I'm scared, Christ."
Christ immediately looked at her.
"Scared of what?"
"I'm scared that one day everyone will believe I really don't deserve to be part of the Blanco family."
Christ frowned.
"Who made you think that?"
Keira gave him a bitter smile.
"Everyone."
Christ shook his head.
"Not everyone."
He took Keira's hand.
"I believe you."
"And that's enough."
Keira's eyes began to glisten with tears.
But before she could answer, Christ's phone rang.
Christ glanced at the screen.
Ryan's name appeared.
His personal assistant.
Christ answered immediately.
"What did the investigation turn up?"
Ryan's voice sounded serious.
"Sir, we've found something."
"What?"
"Those forged documents were inserted using internal access to the Blanco family's systems."
Christ immediately stood.
"What do you mean?"
"Whoever did this had permission to access the family's system."
Christ's expression changed.
"So it wasn't an outsider."
"That's right, sir."
After the call ended, Christ fell silent.
Keira could read his expression at once.
"What is it?"
Christ looked at her.
"There's a chance the culprit is someone close to our family."
Keira lowered her head.
She had already suspected as much.
And there was only one name that kept coming to mind.
Mrs. Anggun.
The next morning...
Christ went to the Blanco family's main residence.
The family room was quiet.
Mrs. Anggun was enjoying breakfast as usual.
As if nothing had ever gone wrong.
"You're here awfully early."
Christ sat across from his mother.
"I want to ask you something."
Mrs. Anggun raised an eyebrow.
"About what?"
"Yesterday's charity event."
Mrs. Anggun's hand stopped as she reached for her tea.
"What do you mean?"
"The forged documents that appeared at the event."
Mrs. Anggun's expression remained calm.
"Do you suspect Mom?"
Christ looked at his mother.
"I just want to know the truth."
Mrs. Anggun smiled faintly.
"Ever since you married Keira, you've started distrusting your own family."
Christ clenched his fists.
"You know I won't stay quiet if someone tries to frame Keira."
"Keira this, Keira that."
Mrs. Anggun's voice began to rise.
"Have you even realized it? Ever since that woman came into your life, your relationship with the family has changed."
Christ stood.
"Or maybe ever since Keira came along, I've finally been able to see who is truly sincere and who isn't."
Those words left Mrs. Anggun speechless.
Her expression changed.
"Christ."
"I love you as my mother."
"But I love my wife too."
"I won't let anyone hurt her."
Christ left the room.
Mrs. Anggun remained silent.
But in her heart...
Something had been wounded all over again.
Elsewhere, Keira was helping sort through some of the event documents that remained.
Vanessa came over to her.
"Keira."
Keira smiled.
"Yes?"
"I heard Christ is investigating what happened yesterday."
Keira nodded.
"He is."
Vanessa looked hesitant.
"There's actually something I want to tell you."
Keira looked at her.
"What is it?"
Vanessa took a breath.
"A few days before the event, I saw Aunt Anggun meeting someone."
Keira immediately stopped what she was doing.
"Who?"
"I don't know."
"The man wasn't part of the family."
Vanessa lowered her head.
"But something about it felt strange."
"Aunt Anggun looked like she was discussing something highly confidential."
Keira began to think.
Could it really be true?
Was Mrs. Anggun working with someone?
That afternoon...
Christ returned home carrying a folder.
The moment Keira saw her husband's face, she knew something was wrong.
"What happened?"
Christ set the folder on the table.
"I found something about Mom."
Keira fell silent.
"What?"
Christ opened the folder.
Inside were several old documents.
"These are old records from the Blanco family's company."
Keira read through several pages.
Her eyes widened.
"My mother's name is here..."
Christ nodded slowly.
"That's what confuses me."
Keira looked at her husband.
"How is that possible?"
The documents stated that many years ago, Keira's mother had worked with the Blanco family.
In fact, the two families appeared to have been very close.
Yet Keira had never heard anything about it.
"I don't understand."
"Why has Mom never told me?"
Christ stared at the documents.
"I don't know either."
But one thing was clear.
There was a part of the past that someone had deliberately hidden.
That night...
Mrs. Anggun stood in front of an old wardrobe in her private bedroom.
She opened a small box.
Inside was an old photograph.
A photograph of her with another woman.
The woman was Keira's mother.
A small tear slid from the corner of her eye.
"Why did you have to come back through your daughter?"
She whispered.
She gripped the photograph tightly.
"I tried to forget everything."
"But it seems fate has brought Keira back to this family."
Suddenly, someone knocked on the bedroom door.
Mrs. Anggun hurriedly put the photograph away.
"Come in."
Her assistant entered carrying a file.
"Mrs. Anggun, about the person who helped with yesterday's plan..."
Mrs. Anggun looked at him.
"What about them?"
"They've asked to meet."
Mrs. Anggun smiled coldly.
"Fine."
"Set a time."
The assistant nodded and left.
Mrs. Anggun looked at the old box again.
"Keira..."
"You have no idea what really happened."
"And if the truth comes out..."
"You won't be the only one who gets hurt."
Meanwhile, in the bedroom...
Keira stood in front of the window.
Christ approached her.
"You haven't gone to sleep yet?"
Keira shook her head.
"I'm thinking."
Christ stood beside her.
"About those documents?"
Keira nodded.
"I feel like there's something much bigger going on than just a charity event."
Christ looked at her.
"I feel the same way."
They fell silent together.
For the first time...
They realized this wasn't merely about a mother-in-law who disliked her daughter-in-law.
There was a deep secret connecting the two families.
And slowly...
That secret was beginning to open its door.