THE DON’S FORBIDDEN MARRIAGE
The Don’s Forbidden Marriage – Chapter 20
©Joy Cindy
The Woman Who Knew Everything
The chapel was silent.
No one moved.
No one breathed.
Elena stared at the woman standing in the doorway.
Isabella.
The woman who claimed to be her real mother.
Her eyes moved from Isabella to the woman beside her.
The woman who had raised her.
The woman she had called Mother her entire life.
“No,” Elena whispered.
Her mother’s face was filled with pain.
“Elena…”
“Don’t.”
The word came out quietly.
But everyone heard it.
Isabella stepped forward.
“I know this is difficult.”
Elena laughed softly.
“Difficult?”
Her voice shook.
“My entire life has changed tonight.”
She pointed toward the people around her.
“First I find out I’m a Romano. Then I find out I’m an heir. Then I discover everyone knew something I didn’t.”
She looked at Isabella.
“And now you tell me you’re my mother?”
Isabella lowered her gaze.
“I am.”
Elena looked at the woman who raised her.
“Then who is she?”
No one answered.
Finally, Lucia spoke.
“She is your birth mother.”
Elena turned.
“And she?”
Lucia looked at the other woman.
“She protected you.”
Elena’s eyes filled with anger.
“So everyone decided I needed two mothers?”
Her voice became louder.
“Two families. Two names. Two lives.”
She looked at Alessandro.
“And nobody thought I deserved the truth.”
Alessandro stepped closer.
“Elena.”
She looked at him.
“Did you know about Isabella?”
“No.”
She studied his face.
This time, she believed him.
That almost made it worse.
Because he was the only person who seemed surprised.
Isabella looked around the room.
“Vittorio knew I was coming.”
Everyone turned.
Vittorio smiled.
“Of course.”
Elena looked at him.
“You knew?”
“Yes.”
“And you waited until now?”
“I needed the timing to be perfect.”
Alessandro’s expression darkened.
“You brought her here.”
“I revealed her.”
“You’re using her.”
Vittorio laughed.
“Everyone here uses everyone.”
The words were cruel.
But no one could deny the truth.
Elena looked at Isabella.
“Tell me.”
Isabella nodded.
“I was there the night you were born.”
The room became still.
“Your mother”—she looked at the woman who raised Elena—“was my closest friend.”
Elena frowned.
“Then why did she raise me?”
“Because I couldn’t.”
“Why?”
Isabella looked away.
“Because the council wanted you.”
“Why?”
“Because your bloodline was dangerous.”
Elena touched the necklace around her neck.
“The heir.”
“Yes.”
Isabella continued.
“Your birth was hidden because the council wanted to control you before you were old enough to understand.”
“Who knew?”
“Lucia. Your mother. Alessandro’s father.”
Elena looked at them.
“And my father?”
Isabella’s expression changed.
“He found out later.”
“And he used it.”
“Yes.”
Elena closed her eyes.
Another secret.
Another betrayal.
“Why didn’t you come for me?”
Isabella looked devastated.
“Because every time I tried, someone died.”
The room became quiet.
“I thought staying away would keep you alive.”
Elena shook her head.
“You all keep saying that.”
She looked at everyone.
“But nobody asked me what I wanted.”
No one answered.
Because she was right.
A sudden sound came from the underground passage.
Everyone turned.
Alessandro reached for his weapon.
“Marco.”
Leo checked the corridor.
“No.”
A shadow moved.
Then a man stepped into the chapel.
Everyone froze.
It was Matteo.
But something was wrong.
He was holding a folder.
And standing beside him was Marco.
Elena’s heart sank.
“Matteo?”
Her brother avoided her eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
Her mother stepped forward.
“No.”
Matteo looked at her.
“I had no choice.”
Elena stared.
“Everyone says that.”
The words hit him.
He looked down.
Marco smiled.
“Family is always the easiest weakness.”
Alessandro moved forward.
“What did you do?”
Matteo held up the folder.
“The records.”
Lucia’s face went pale.
“You found them.”
“Yes.”
“And you gave them to him?”
Matteo said nothing.
Elena looked at him.
“Why?”
His voice was quiet.
“Because he promised me answers.”
“About what?”
“My life.”
Elena softened slightly.
“Matteo…”
“I spent twenty years not knowing who I was.”
He looked at her.
“Then Vittorio showed me the truth.”
“No.”
Elena shook her head.
“He showed you what benefited him.”
Matteo looked away.
Marco stepped forward.
“The records belong to the council.”
“No,” Elena said.
Everyone looked at her.
“They belong to the people who suffered because of them.”
Marco smiled.
“You sound like Lucia.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Lucia almost smiled.
Almost.
Marco opened the folder.
“Inside are the names of every agreement, every secret, every decision made by the council.”
Vittorio watched carefully.
“Give them to me.”
Marco looked at him.
“No.”
Everyone froze.
Vittorio’s smile disappeared.
“What?”
Marco laughed.
“You thought I worked for you?”
“You do.”
“No.”
Marco looked at Elena.
“I work for the person who can destroy everything.”
The chapel became silent.
Elena frowned.
“Who?”
Marco turned.
Toward Isabella.
Elena’s breath stopped.
Isabella’s expression did not change.
Vittorio looked shocked.
“You?”
Isabella smiled.
“Yes.”
The room exploded with whispers.
Elena stared at her.
“You work with Marco?”
“I did.”
“Why?”
“Because I needed to reach you.”
“You could have just come to me.”
“No.”
Isabella looked around.
“Not with all these people controlling your life.”
Alessandro stepped forward.
“Then why trust Marco?”
“I didn’t.”
Marco smiled.
“That hurt.”
Isabella ignored him.
“I knew Marco was ambitious. I knew he would betray Vittorio eventually.”
Marco’s expression changed.
“You used me.”
“Yes.”
Elena stared.
Another person manipulating another person.
Another game.
“Enough.”
Her voice stopped everyone.
She stepped into the center of the chapel.
“I am tired of being a piece on a board.”
Nobody spoke.
She looked at Vittorio.
“You wanted an heir.”
She looked at the council.
“You wanted a leader.”
She looked at her families.
“You wanted protection.”
Then she looked at herself.
“But nobody asked Elena what she wanted.”
The silence was heavy.
Alessandro watched her.
Pride appeared in his eyes.
Elena turned to the old council leader.
“You said the heir must choose.”
The man nodded slowly.
“Yes.”
“Then I choose.”
Everyone waited.
She removed the engagement ring from her finger.
The black rose caught the light.
“I reject the old agreement.”
Gasps filled the chapel.
Vittorio smiled slightly.
“You can’t.”
“I just did.”
“You’ll lose everything.”
Elena looked at him.
“No.”
She placed the ring on the altar.
“I’ll finally gain myself.”
The black rose symbol cracked.
A hidden compartment opened beneath the altar.
Everyone stared.
Inside was a sealed document.
Lucia stepped forward.
“That should not be possible.”
“What is it?” Alessandro asked.
The council leader looked terrified.
“The founder’s final decree.”
Elena opened it.
The paper was old.
But the words were clear.
She read aloud:
The heir shall not inherit the council. The heir shall end it.
The chapel went silent.
Vittorio’s face changed.
“No.”
Elena looked at him.
“The council was never meant to continue.”
She turned the page.
The final line was written beneath:
When the heir chooses freedom, the old order falls.
A loud alarm began.
The walls shook.
The black rose symbols across the chapel began to disappear.
Lucia whispered:
“The council is ending.”
But then—
A gunshot echoed.
Everyone turned.
Isabella fell backward.
Elena gasped.
“Isabella!”
A figure stood in the doorway.
Holding a weapon.
A person no one expected.
Alessandro’s face went cold.
“Father?”
Elena looked at Alessandro’s father.
He was holding the gun.
And his eyes were full of regret.
“I’m sorry.”
The chapel went silent.
Elena stared.
“Why?”
His answer was barely a whisper.
“Because there is one secret left.”
He looked at Elena.
“And it changes everything.”
