Chapter 144 The Cruel Unveiling

Mia slowly opened her eyes, her head still spinning. She squeezed them shut, frowning, then blinked a few times before her surroundings came into focus. The room was dimly lit, resembling a storage area filled with old, unused items, and a strange, musty odor made her cringe. How did she end up here? Her foggy mind struggled to piece together the events leading up to her losing consciousness. She had been at a press conference when Alexander abruptly left due to an emergency at one of his factories. Shortly after, gunshots rang out from outside, and masked men, their faces covered, stormed into the hall where the press conference was being held Mia instinctively moved closer to her mother, holding her hand protectively, but before she could do anything, she watched in horror as the bodyguards were shot down, their bodies collapsing into pools of blood on the floor. Suddenly, a burst of smoke filled the hall, and the sound of coughing mixed with the terrified screams of the crowd. Mia and her mother began coughing as well, trying to cover their faces, but the smoke quickly overwhelmed them. Everything went black before Mia could do anything or understand who the attackers were. As the terrifying memory resurfaced, Mia panicked and tried to get up, but she quickly realized her hands and legs were bound, and she was tied to a chair. Desperately, she struggled to free herself, but it was futile. "Help! Help!" she shouted into the dimly lit room. "Is someone there? Please, help!" she screamed frantically. Suddenly, the door creaked open, and a man in a black suit entered, followed by two others dressed in dark clothing. "It's good to see you're finally awake," the man said calmly, his tone sending a chill down Mia's spine. "Who are you, and why am I being held here, tied like this?" she demanded, her voice filled with both fear and defiance. "Ah, my dearest niece, you hurt me," he said, making Mia frown. "You don't recognize me? I'm your uncle," he added with a sly grin. Uncle?! Mia furrowed as her confusion deepened. She genuinely didn't recognize him. Although her mother had mentioned some distant relatives, she had never met them. Alexander had insisted on keeping her identity a secret until the press conference, where she would be officially announced as the long-lost heiress, Adeline Montecarlo. "Who are you?" she demanded. "I have never seen you before." "I am Henry Montecarlo, your father's brother and your real uncle," the man introduced himself with a smug smirk. Mia examined the man before her intently. She hadn't seen her father, but she did know he had a brother, as her mother had mentioned. However, the confusion deepened- why would her own uncle abduct her and keep her captive? "If you are truly my uncle, then free me," she challenged with a poker face. "Why have you tied me up like a captive and not treated me as your niece?" she snapped. The man laughed cunningly. "I apologize for not making my intentions clear in meeting you like this, especially since this is our first time meeting," he smirked wickedly, causing Mia to sense something very fishy. "Oh, sorry, I mean the second time," he corrected with a mocking tone making Mia flinch inwardly. However, on the outside, he maintained an indifferent and brave face, concealing the turmoil and despair raging within him. "Would you kindly remind me, Uncle," she addressed him in a taunting tone, "when we met for the first time?" "It's not your fault, Adeline. You can't recall our first meeting," Henry said, his expression turning dark, "because you were not even a day old and had just been born when I handed you over to that slut to have you killed discreetly." "You were the one who..." she couldn't complete the sentence as Henry stepped forward and said, "Yes. And I never knew that bitch would fail to kill you, and I'd have to see you again in front of me. If I had known, I would have killed you myself twenty-seven years ago, just like I killed your father," Henry admitted venomously. Mia gasped. He killed her father-his own brother. What kind of demon was he?! "Why?" she shouted angrily, her eyes burning with tears of betrayal. "Why did you kill my father? And why did you want to kill me, a newborn baby who meant no harm to you?" "You still don't get it?!" he clicked his tongue in mockery. "It all started with the will you inherited. If my father hadn't made you the heiress, you wouldn't have to live like this, and my brother wouldn't have had to lose his life," he smiled słyly. She stared at him helplessly. All this sin was for a mere materialistic thing-wealth?! "You're a monster!" she shouted angrily. "You killed your brother and now want to kill your niece. You are not human!" Tears of anger and pain spilled from her eyes. Henry's face twisted with rage, and his hand flew, landing on Mia's face. Her head jerked to the side as she squealed in pain. She breathed heavily, struggling to blow the strands of hair stuck to her sweaty, tear-streaked face, trying to clear her vision. "Don't shout at me," he bellowed. "Save your energy, Adeline! You'll need it to sign these papers." He extended his hand to the side, and the man standing behind him handed him a stack of papers. "What... what are these?" Mia murmured, glaring at the papers covered in black ink. "These papers are a power of attorney, relinquishing your inheritance and transferring all your properties and wealth to me," Henry said with a casual shrug, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Mia's face contorted with rage as she spat out with hatred and determination, "I will never sign!" She glared at him, panting and heaving with fury, watching as Henry's expression darkened into something truly menacing. "You wretch!" Henry slapped her hard, causing her chair to tip backward. Mia cried out in pain as her elbow struck the floor, the sharp agony telling her that her forearm was likely broken. "Oh, damn it!" he cursed as he noticed her arm was broken. "You've made me so angry, Adeline. Now sign these papers before I kill you," he snarled, grabbing Mia by the hair and yanking her up along with the chair. Mia screamed in unbearable hurt as she felt her hair being pulled from its roots, her entire scalp throbbing with pain. "Then kill me, you bloody monster. I will never sign those papers," Mia spat defiantly in his face. Henry wiped the spit from his face, grimacing, before slapping Mia repeatedly. She cried and cried and cried until her voice faltered and her throat went dry. Henry was furious. Killing Mia would mean fighting for the inheritance himself, which was why he wanted her to sign the papers and transfer everything to his name casily. But it seemed he had only one option left: he would have to kill her. Henry pulled out his gun and pointed it at Mia. "Very well then," he lifted his chin with determination. This is the last time I'm asking. Will you sign, or, should I pull the trigger?" he threatened. Mia remained silent, glaring at him with hatred and anger. Her face was swollen from the beatings and wet with tears, her left arm broken and still tied to the chair. "Answer me, you fucking bitch! Sign the papers or die!" Henry shouted, hitting her on the head with the back of the metal gun. Mia whimpered in pain but refused to back down. She shook her head, her voice firm despite its weakness. "I won't sign!" "Then goodbye, Adeline Montecarlo. Get ready to die," taking a step back, Henry sneered as he pulled the trigger.