Chapter 6: The Betrayal Inside Cross Manor
The message stayed on Damian Cross’s phone for less than ten seconds.
Then the screen went black.
Not because the battery died.
Because Damian crushed the device in his hand.
The sound was small.
A quiet crack of plastic and glass.
But Sofia felt the weight of it.
This was the man everyone warned her about.
The man whose name made powerful people nervous.
The man who never lost control because he had spent his entire life mastering it.
And now someone had crossed a line.
Not by threatening him.
By threatening her.
"Damian...""
He didn't answer.
His eyes remained fixed on the broken phone in his hand.
For a moment, Sofia thought he was angry at her.
That maybe he blamed her.
Maybe he believed that everything happening now was because she had dragged him into Ethan's past.
But then he said something she never expected.
"You're leaving.""
Sofia blinked.
"What?""
"You heard me.""
His voice was firm.
"You are leaving Cross Manor tonight.""
The words hurt more than she expected.
Not because she wanted to stay.
Because for the first time in years, she thought someone might actually protect her.
"Is that what you want?""
Damian looked at her.
"No.""
The honesty surprised her.
"Then why?""
"Because someone inside this house is working against me.""
He stepped closer.
"And they know about you.""
Sofia looked down.
"I knew this would happen.""
"What?""
"I knew the moment I told you the truth.""
Her voice became quieter.
"I knew I would become a problem.""
Damian's expression changed.
A small flicker of something passed through his eyes.
Anger.
But not toward her.
Toward the idea that she believed her own life was disposable.
"You think that's what this is?""
Sofia didn't answer.
Damian moved closer.
"You think I'm sending you away because you're a problem?""
"Aren't I?""
"No.""
The answer came immediately.
"You are the only person in this house who isn't part of the problem.""
Sofia looked at him.
The words were simple.
But coming from Damian Cross, they meant something.
"I can't leave.""
"Why?""
"Because if I leave, whoever did this wins.""
Damian studied her.
"You think this is about revenge.""
"No.""
She shook her head.
"It's about Ethan.""
That stopped him.
Everything always came back to Ethan.
The brother he lost.
The brother he failed to protect.
The brother who had trusted a stranger more than his own family.
"You still want to find out what happened.""
"Yes.""
"Even if it gets you killed?""
Sofia didn't respond.
That was answer enough.
Damian looked away.
For years, people had chased him because they wanted his power.
His money.
His influence.
But Sofia was standing in front of him with nothing.
No protection.
No wealth.
No guarantee of survival.
And she still refused to walk away.
Why?
Because of Ethan.
Because she believed his death deserved the truth.
Damian understood that better than anyone.
"Fine.""
Sofia looked up.
"Fine?""
"You stay.""
Her eyes widened slightly.
"But you follow my rules.""
"What rules?""
"First.""
He held up one finger.
"You don't go anywhere alone.""
"Damian—"
"Second.""
Another finger.
"You tell me immediately if anything feels wrong.""
She hesitated.
"Anything?""
"Anything.""
"And third?""
His expression hardened.
"You stop protecting people who don't deserve it.""
Sofia understood what he meant.
Ethan.
The final warning.
The secret she still carried.
She looked away.
"I'll try.""
Damian's eyes narrowed.
"Not good enough.""
She looked back.
"Okay.""
A pause.
"I promise.""
For some reason, that answer affected him.
Maybe because promises had become rare in his world.
Especially honest ones.
Before either of them could say more, Marcus entered.
His expression was serious.
"We found the security breach.""
Damian immediately turned.
"Who?""
Marcus hesitated.
That hesitation said everything.
"Say it.""
"We don't know yet.""
Damian's eyes darkened.
"But?""
Marcus looked at Sofia.
"The person who accessed the security room used an employee code.""
Silence.
Sofia felt cold.
"An employee?""
Marcus nodded.
"Someone who works inside Cross Manor.""
Damian's jaw tightened.
"Find out who.""
"We're checking.""
"No.""
Damian's voice dropped.
"Bring everyone here.""
Marcus looked surprised.
"Everyone?""
"Every employee. Every guard. Every person who has access to this house.""
"Sir, that will cause panic.""
"Good.""
Damian looked toward the hallway.
"I want the person responsible to know I'm looking.""
Twenty minutes later, every employee in Cross Manor stood in the main hall.
The servants.
The security team.
The maintenance staff.
Everyone.
Sofia stood near the staircase beside Damian.
She noticed something.
Everyone looked afraid.
But not everyone looked surprised.
That bothered her.
Damian noticed too.
"You see it?""
Sofia glanced at him.
"What?""
"Fear.""
She looked at the people gathered below.
"Everyone is afraid.""
"No.""
His eyes moved across the room.
"Most people are afraid.""
A pause.
"One person is waiting.""
Sofia followed his gaze.
And then she saw.
A woman standing near the back.
Older.
Quiet.
Hands folded neatly.
Evelyn.
The Cross family's head housekeeper.
She had worked there longer than anyone.
Sofia had always respected her.
Evelyn had been the person who taught Sofia how things worked inside Cross Manor.
Which doors to avoid.
Which rooms required permission.
Which guests were dangerous.
She had always seemed loyal.
But now...
Sofia noticed something.
Evelyn wasn't afraid.
Damian stepped forward.
"Someone entered my security room tonight.""
No one spoke.
"They stole evidence related to my brother's death.""
A wave of whispers moved through the hall.
Damian's voice remained calm.
"That means someone here has been hiding something.""
Still silence.
"Someone here helped the person responsible for Ethan Cross's murder.""
The words shocked everyone.
Even the employees who already knew the truth.
Sofia watched carefully.
Evelyn didn't move.
Not even slightly.
Damian saw it too.
"Interesting.""
His voice carried.
"Everyone else reacts when they hear murder.""
He looked directly at Evelyn.
"You don't.""
The entire room turned.
Evelyn slowly raised her eyes.
"After all these years, sir, I thought you would eventually stop searching.""
The hall went silent.
Damian stared at her.
"You knew?""
Evelyn didn't answer.
That was enough.
Sofia felt her heart drop.
No.
Not Evelyn.
Not the woman who had cared for the family.
Damian walked toward her.
"How long?""
Evelyn looked tired.
Not guilty.
Tired.
"Long enough.""
"How long did you know Ethan was investigating?""
A pause.
"Long enough.""
Damian's expression became colder.
"You were helping him.""
"No.""
"Then what were you doing?""
Evelyn looked at him.
"Trying to keep him alive.""
The answer stunned everyone.
Including Damian.
"Explain.""
Evelyn looked at Sofia.
Then back at Damian.
"Your brother discovered something about this family.""
"What?""
"The truth about your father.""
The room became silent.
Damian's face changed.
"My father?""
Evelyn nodded.
"Richard Cross was not the man you believed him to be.""
Sofia watched Damian carefully.
This was different.
This wasn't about Victor Hale.
This wasn't about an enemy outside the family.
This was about the foundation of everything Damian knew.
"What did Ethan find?""
Evelyn looked down.
"He found financial records.""
"Of what?""
"Money transfers.""
"To who?""
She hesitated.
"People connected to organized crime.""
Damian's expression hardened.
"You're saying my father was involved?""
"I'm saying Ethan believed he was.""
"And you?""
Evelyn looked at him.
"I knew.""
The confession hit the room like an explosion.
Damian took a step back.
"You knew my father was involved in criminal activity?""
"Yes.""
"And you said nothing?""
Evelyn's eyes filled with sadness.
"I tried.""
"When?""
"Many times.""
"To who?""
She looked at him.
"Your mother.""
Damian froze.
Sofia felt the shift.
Because there were some names people avoided.
And his mother's name was clearly one of them.
"What did she know?""
Evelyn didn't answer.
Damian's voice became dangerous.
"What did she know?""
"Everything.""
The silence that followed was unbearable.
Sofia watched Damian.
The man who had faced enemies without blinking.
The man who had built an empire.
The man who never looked uncertain.
Now looked like someone discovering his entire childhood had been built on lies.
"My mother knew?""
Evelyn nodded.
"She knew your father was dangerous.""
"And she stayed.""
"She stayed to protect you and Ethan.""
Damian laughed once.
A cold, broken sound.
"Protect us?""
Evelyn looked at him.
"She believed your father would destroy anyone who tried to leave.""
"Did he?""
Evelyn said nothing.
She didn't need to.
Damian understood.
"What happened to Ethan?""
Evelyn looked toward the floor.
"He got too close.""
"To what?""
"The truth.""
A long silence.
Then Damian asked:
"Who killed him?""
Evelyn looked at Sofia.
And Sofia immediately understood.
Evelyn knew.
She had known all along.
"Tell me.""
Evelyn closed her eyes.
When she opened them again, there was regret.
"Your brother wasn't killed because he discovered a secret.""
Damian waited.
"He was killed because he discovered who was protecting the secret.""
The hall went silent.
"Who?""
Evelyn's voice was barely a whisper.
"The person who ordered Ethan's death...""
She looked at Damian.
"...was someone who loved him.""
Damian froze.
Sofia felt the same chill she felt the night Ethan died.
Because suddenly the truth was no longer outside the Cross family.
It was inside.
Closer than anyone imagined.
And then Evelyn said the words that changed everything.
"The person who betrayed Ethan was your fiancée's family.""
Damian's expression turned to ice.
"Vivian?""
Evelyn nodded.
"Her father.""
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Because the woman who was supposed to become Mrs. Cross...
might have been connected to the murder that destroyed the Cross family.
And somewhere in the mansion...
a phone rang.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Damian answered.
A voice spoke.
His face changed.
Then he looked at Sofia.
"It's Vivian.""
Sofia felt her stomach tighten.
"What does she want?""
Damian listened.
Then slowly lowered the phone.
"She says she knows who killed Ethan.""
The room went silent.
Damian stared toward the front door.
"Bring her here.""
May you like
Because after six years...
the truth was finally coming home.
