?Chapter 581:


    Now that the truth had settled in her bones, Elliana felt unshackled, as if she’d finally shrugged off a burden she hadn’t realized she’d been carrying.


    Darin no longer dared pretend to be her father. That mask no longer fit. After a beat, Elliana spoke, her voice crisp. “How do you contact the one who supplies Jones Pharmaceuticals with medicinal herbs each month?”


    Without protest, Darin reached into a drawer and handed her a folded note. “This number,” he said tightly. “I call it when there’s an urgent order. Same contact for fifteen years—never once changed.”


    Elliana took the note, read it briefly, and saved the number to her phone. Then, she rose. “From this moment forward, I’m done with the Jones family. Keep your wife and daughter on a leash. If theye after me again, I won’t be so merciful. Next time, they won’t even get the chance to scream.”


    Darin said nothing, lips pressed into a thin, grim line.


    Elliana strode toward the door. Her fingers had just grazed the handle when his voice called out from behind, “Elliana!”


    She paused but didn’t turn around.


    Darin said, “Your biological father is likely a big shot overseas.”


    Elliana’s head snapped toward him. “What makes you say that?”


    He met her gaze steadily. “I never knew exactly where your mother came from before she reached Ublento, but I do know she was on the run. The assassins who chased her here—they were all foreign.”


    Elliana’s fingers curled into fists. If her biological father was abroad, it meant the search stretched across continents. A needle in a faraway…


    haystack. But she already knew what to do. She would lure him to Ublento. This brought her back to her earlier n: reveal her true abilities, make a name for herself, and ensure he was aware of her existence. When that happened, he woulde to Ublento looking.


    Still, she couldn’t afford to make that move yet. The man she might be up against wasn’t just powerful—he was dangerous. When they finally met, she needed to be unshakable, unassable, which meant putting Cole first. His treatment couldn’t wait. Until she created the medicine that could cure him, everything else had to be on hold.


    Just then, Darin spoke again, his voice softer but heavier. “Elliana… Your mother isn’t dead. She didn’t die in that fire. She left Ublento.”


    Elliana’s eyes widened. “How do you know?”


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    “Because I was the one who managed the scene,” he answered. “The reports iming she was burned to ashes—I forged them. The truth is, there was no body. She vanished without a trace.” He lifted his head, looking deeply at her. “Elliana, you will find your mother, won’t you?”


    Elliana met Darin’s eyes with ice in her gaze. “That’s no longer your concern. My mother and I—we’re done with you.”


    Without another word, she turned and opened the study door, her footsteps echoing as she left.


    Darin remained frozen, staring at the empty space where she’d stood just moments ago. After a long silence, he whispered to himself, voice strained and hollow, “No… It has everything to do with me.”


    Downstairs, Elliana didn’t spare a nce at the people lounging on the sofa. She headed straight for the exit, her focus sharp and unwavering. But Paige suddenly appeared in Elliana’s path, holding out a delicate porcin bowl filled with sweet soup. Her smile was forced, her voice sickly sweet. “Elliana, my mom made this herself. Just try a little—it’s really good.”


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