Chapter 2 Kestrel

The moment Cathryn saw the paper, she knew the handwriting belonged to her mother, Bettina Moore.

The letter claimed Bettina couldn't bear the pain any longer and had chosen to end her life-then, in cold, flat language, stated that Cathryn had willingly given up any claim to all her assets.

Cathryn's stomach turned. She refused to believe a word of it. Her mother had been confined to a psychiatric hospital for years, barely conscious most days-there was no way she had suddenly written a letter like this. And when had she ever renounced her mother's legacy?

The corners of Jordyn's lips twisted cruelly. "Cathryn, doesn't it sting, having your whole world stripped away?"

Fury burned through Cathryn as she locked eyes with Jordyn. In that moment, it all made sense. Her mother had been relatively lucid just days ago when she last visited-yet now her mother supposedly took her own life. No fucking way! This screamed of schemes orchestrated by Jordyn and Liam.

Bettina had been born into privilege, carrying a fortune into her marriage with Richard Moore, Cathryn's father.

That wealth had hauled Richard out of poverty and turned him into the polished, well-respected Mr. Moore everyone admired.

Now, piecing it all together, Cathryn saw the truth-Richard had slept with that homewrecker Zoe White and fathered Jordyn, yet he'd never divorced Bettina. He'd stayed married just long enough to keep himself in line to inherit Bettina's fortune. Their marriage hadn't been a love story at all. It had been Richard's calculated grab for power and money.

A sharp burn pricked behind Cathryn's eyes. The Moore and Watson families had sucked every ounce out of her mother, leaving her mother and her with nothing, and then tossed them aside like trash. What torment had her mother suffered at the very end? What exactly did they do to her as she drew her last breath?

Cathryn's fists curled so tightly that her nails dug into her palms. Fury clawed at her insides, sharp and vicious, leaving nothing untouched. She would have her vengeance. She would drag the truth into the light, make those responsible answer for what they'd done-and she would not let a single cent of her mother's money fall into the mouths of those leeches. The Moore and Watson families would pay for every single plot they'd crafted and carried through-and she'd make sure they bled for it.

Jordyn leaned in close, voice low and smug. "Cathryn, you might be clever, but so what? To Liam, you're just a dumb bitch with nothing to offer, not to speak of your lack of a diploma. With my degree from a prestigious school, I'm the only one qualified to be his wife."

Watson Tech had been limping along for years, their projects stalled by a technical wall they couldn't break through. If they solved it, the company would finally go public, and the Watson family's standing would skyrocket.

The missing piece was "Kestrel"-a mythical figure in the tech world. Years ago, Kestrel had dropped a single piece of code that sent shockwaves across the industry. Whoever brought Kestrel in would become a kingmaker overnight-maybe even outshine the prestigious Brooks family's empire.

Jordyn's smirk deepened, her chin tilting arrogantly as she stepped back and raised her voice. "I was lucky enough to attend one of Kestrel's lectures while I was studying abroad. He practically treated me like a protégé. If anyone can reach him, it's me."

"Really?" Liam arched a brow, sounding surprised. Industry titans had poured fortunes into tracking down Kestrel in vain, and Jordyn just claimed she actually knew Kestrel?

Jordyn gave a sweet nod and curled herself into Liam's embrace. Kestrel had been elevated to myth, unreachable to almost everyone. She didn't know him at all, but if bluffing could lock down her place as Liam's wife, she'd bluff until the end. She doubted her bluffing would blow up in her face.

Cathryn, standing nearby, let out a sharp, derisive laugh.

Liam's head snapped to Cathryn, his disgust plain. "You barely have an education. Of course, you can't comprehend Kestrel's influence. Anyway, we're divorcing tomorrow. Your belongings will be tossed out-you're not setting foot back in the Watson estate."

With Jordyn clinging smugly to his arm, Liam walked away without a glance back.

Cathryn's eyes locked cold on the duo's retreating figures, brimming with quiet fury. She indeed hadn't gone to school much-she'd been scouted young for a secretive program built to shape extraordinary minds. Coding had always been her weapon.

Cathryn drew out her phone, a dangerous calm settling over her. On the screen glowed the string of code she had spent three relentless years perfecting.

The figure the entire tech industry had hunted for-the legendary Kestrel-was Cathryn herself, hidden in plain sight within the Watson family since her marriage.

Countless sleepless nights had gone into Cathryn's efforts in debugging Watson Tech's systems. Just last night, she had completed the final half of the code. She had meant to give it to Liam-yet after what had happened today, the idea was laughable.

Her grip on the phone tightened, knuckles pale. This code could either launch Watson Tech into the stratosphere-or pull both the Watson and Moore families down into disaster.

Elsewhere, outside one of the VIP rooms of the hospital, the attending physician gave Andrew a detailed report on Jorge Brooks's condition. "The nurses overreacted. Finger movement is a common reflex in a vegetative state. Your father remains unconscious."

Karl lowered his head in self-chastening. "This was my mistake, Mr. Brooks. I thought your father had woken and reported it without double-checking."

Andrew shook his head, his expression carved with icy resolve. "No. Someone deliberately spread word that my father was waking up to stall my succession at Brooks Group."

Looking up, Karl muttered, "Then it must be Cara..."

Cara Brooks-Andrew's calculating stepmother-had been laying traps for years, waiting for the chance to seize control of the conglomerate.

Andrew nodded. His jaw tightened, his eyes glinting cold. "She's getting impatient."

A crease formed between Karl's brows. "No wonder your grandmother keeps arranging suitable women in your life. If she doesn't act first, Cara will. And with women of questionable origins and hidden agendas, no less."

A shadow crossed Andrew's face. Time was already slipping away. He had to secure a wife fast. A marriage was the quickest move that could keep Cara from attempting to plant one of her own people into his life again. An image flashed through his mind-the woman from last night.

"Find someone for me," Andrew ordered, his tone sharp.

With a puzzled blink, Karl queried, "Who?"

"That woman from last night," Andrew muttered, his voice leaving no room for argument.

Earlier, while the funeral home staff carried Bettina's body out, Cathryn had drifted through the corridor, dazed and stripped of purpose. By the time she finally came back to herself, she was standing outside a VIP hospital room.

She noted that a tall man in a charcoal suit stood nearby, one hand in his pocket, his sharp profile lit by the sterile hallway lights as he gave crisp orders to his subordinate.

Cathryn instinctively turned to leave-until the subordinate's voice carried across the hall. "Understood, Mr. Brooks."

Cathryn halted mid-stride, her body rigid. A member of the Brooks family?

Andrew's head lifted, his gaze meeting Cathryn's across the distance. His eyes were steady, unreadable, pinning her in place.

Kestrel inclined his head toward Andrew. "I'll send men to search for her right away."

"That won't be necessary." Andrew's voice was quiet but decisive, his attention still fixed on Cathryn.