Natalia’s shoulders stiffened the moment she heard that voice. When they told her family was here to see her, she had expected anything but this. For a fleeting second, she thought it would be Ronan, coming to watch her fall apart. She never imagined it would be her daughter.

Her head remained bowed. Even without sight, she could not bring herself to lift it.

"Just say what you have to," she muttered, her voice dry and hollow of any emotions. "I already know what I am," she said bitterly.

Natasha did not respond at once. She sat across from her, hands resting on the table, staring at the woman she once admired without question. The silence pressed in, Each passing second was more suffocating than the last.. Natasha was sheltered and could never have imagined the monster everyone despised now would be her mother.

Ronan didn’t make her paternity public she was still a Volkov legally. At least he held a bit of feeling for the girl he raised even if her mother is a monster but the Volkov family knew.

She couldn’t face Braelyn, Lucien or even Aunt Olivia and her cousins. The funny fact was that Aunt Olivia hated her the most

When they see her they see her mother. Olivia was never aware of what her mother and Natalia did to Ronan worse what Natalia did to Raphael. A proud woman like Olivia was completely repulsed...

Worse for Olivia finding out her mother Katerina was lied to till death. They hated the boy who was a victim. Olivia couldn’t face Lucien and could just glare at Natasha.

Natasha was suffocated by it. Her mother and best friends weren’t who she thought they were. She took a break from modelling for her mental health

She let out a quiet breath before finally speaking.

"Was it worth it?" she asked. It was a simple question yet Natalia couldn’t answer.

Natalia’s lips parted, but no words came out. For the first time in a long time, she truly did not have an answer.

"I don’t know," she said at last.

A hollow laugh escaped Natasha. "Of course, you don’t know. You never do when it matters."

Her voice began to shake, but she did not stop."To you, power has always meant more than anything else. More than your children. More than your own son."

Natalia’s fingers tightened slightly against her lap, but she still said nothing. Natasha leaned forward, her gaze pinning Natalia down.

"For crying out loud, he was your son. You knew how much he loved Lynn, and you still destroyed him. You watched him suffer and you said nothing."

Her throat tightened, but the words kept coming.

"You were the one who kept pushing them about having a child. You kept bringing it up, again and again. You made her feel like she wasn’t enough, like she was the problem, and all along you knew the truth. You knew they could never have one."

Natalia’s breathing grew uneven, but she remained silent.

"Didn’t you ever feel guilty when you gave Amelia those pills knowing what she was using them for? Was the title of Mrs Volkov that important to you?" Natasha continued, her voice breaking now. "If he wasn’t your blood, maybe I would understand. But you carried him for 10 months. You gave birth to him. And now he’s dead."

Tears blurred her vision, but she refused to wipe them away. "You’re not just a horrible mother. You don’t deserve to be one."

The words hung in the air. Natalia did not react. She sat there, head bowed, as if accepting every accusation without defence. A strained laugh slipped out of Natasha as tears finally rolled down her cheeks.

"I didn’t expect you to say anything," she admitted. "But I have one question."

She went quiet for a moment, her hand curling into a fist on the table. "Who is my father?" she asked the biggest mystery.

The room fell still. Natalia’s lips moved slightly before she answered. The room was empty just a table in the centre, they sat across.

"He passed away when you were young." Natalia finally replied.

Natasha let out a soft, bitter laugh. "And you had something to do with it," she said calmly

Natalia said nothing. That silence was answer enough. Natasha pushed her chair back and stood up.

"Fine. Good luck tomorrow." Her voice steadied, but the hurt remained in her tone. "I hope they give you the death sentence. It’s probably the only mercy left for you." 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

She turned away, then paused at the door. "And when you see Raphael at the other side... apologise properly."

She walked out without looking back. Outside, Ronan stood by the wall, his expression was unreadable. When he saw her, he held out a handkerchief.

"Thanks," Natasha whispered, taking it. She wiped her face quickly, trying to compose herself.

"Do you want to talk to her?" she asked.

Ronan glanced at the closed door, then shook his head. "There’s nothing left to say between us."

He turned and began to walk away. Natasha followed after him in silence..After a few steps, he spoke again.."If you want, you can look for your father."

Natasha slowed slightly, then asked quietly, "Do you hate me because of her?"

Ronan stopped and turned to face her.."I’m done hating children for their parents’ sins." He placed a hand on her shoulder, holding her. "Don’t hate yourself because of her."

The words struck deeper than she expected. Natasha lowered her gaze, gripping the handkerchief tighter as they continued down the corridor.

******

The day of the final hearing arrived. The courthouse was packed long before the session began. Journalists crowded the entrance, cameras were flashing relentlessly, voices rising as they waited for a glimpse of the people at the centre of the scandal.

Inside, the atmosphere was tense.

Braelyn sat beside Lucien, her hand resting lightly on his. He could feel the faint pressure of her fingers as she held his hand. Across the room, members of the Orlov family had taken their seats. Yelena sat with her usual composure, Kirill beside her, both watching the proceedings with sharp focus.

The Volkov family occupied another section. Faces that once carried pride now held something else entirely.

The Sinclairs were absent. Word had spread that they had left the country, unwilling to face the public fallout. A murmur swept through the courtroom as the doors opened.

Natalia and Amelia were brought in under heavy guard, The room shifted as all eyes followed them in.