Footfalls echoed in the silent mansion. Anya found Leo in his study, a half-empty tumbler of amber liquid clutched in his hand, eyes glued to a news report replaying his disastrous press conference. His shoulders were hunched, a posture she rarely saw on her usually imposing brother. Stopped in the doorway, a tremor ran through her. His public performance had been a spectacle of denial, a desperate attempt to drown Amelia's accusations with bluster. It hadn't worked. Voice low, edged with a dangerous calm, Anya spoke. “What in God’s name was that, Leo?” He flinched, spinning around. His eyes were bloodshot, pupils dilated. A vein throbbed in his temple. “Protecting our name. What else would it be?” Shrugged, he took a long gulp from his glass. “Amelia’s a liar. A gold-digger. Anyone with sense can see that.” “This isn’t about Amelia’s motives,” Anya countered, stepping further into the room. Her hands clenched at her sides. “This is about you. You look unhinged. You’re making it worse.” Ran a hand through his already disheveled hair, Leo laughed, a dry, humorless sound. “Making it worse? They’re tearing us apart, Anya. Every reporter, every pundit. They’re vultures.” Stared at the screen where his own furious face was frozen, mid-rant. “And screaming at them makes you look innocent? It only validates their narrative.” “Don’t you dare tell me how to handle this!” His voice rose, sharp and brittle. He slammed the tumbler onto his desk, the liquid sloshing dangerously close to the edge. “I’m fighting for us. For everything Father built.” Laughed, a choked sound that surprised even her. “Fighting for what, Leo? Your pride? You’re destroying it all by yourself, with every public outburst, every ridiculous threat.” Pushed a hand through her hair, frustration coiling in her gut. “Father would be ashamed.” “Every time you say his name, it just proves my point!” Leo’s eyes narrowed, a venomous glint appearing in their depths. “You’re so quick to judge. So quick to forget your own part in this mess.” Stepped back, a cold dread seeping into her. “My part? What are you talking about?” “You brought it all to light, didn’t you?” He pointed a shaking finger at her. “That damn diary. You dug it up, Anya. You brought that old woman’s lies back to haunt us.” Felt a sudden, sharp intake of breath. The accusation hung in the air, heavy and unfair. “I found it. I didn’t know what it contained. I thought… I thought it was important.” “It’s important alright,” he sneered, taking another swig. “Important for our downfall. Important for Amelia to have her leverage.” Jaw tightened, Anya shook her head. “No. I shared it with you because I trusted you. Because I thought we could navigate this together. As a family.” Turned away, Leo paced, a caged animal. “Family. You talk about family? You’re the one who tore the lid off the past. You let the monsters out.” “How could I have known, Leo?” Her voice was a desperate plea. “I didn’t want this. I never wanted to hurt anyone.” Pointed at the news report, his finger almost touching the screen. “Look! Look at what you’ve done! Amelia is emboldened. Our name is mud. Our company stock is plummeting.” “That’s because of your handling of it!” Anya retorted, her own anger flaring, mixed with a chilling fear. “Your bluster, your threats. Your inability to face a difficult truth with a shred of dignity.” Flung his free hand out, nearly knocking over a stack of legal documents. “Truth? What truth? Amelia’s fabrications? Her twisted version of history?” “Before the diary, we knew nothing!” Leo yelled, his voice cracking. “We were fine! Everything was fine!” Pulled her lips into a tight line, the words stinging her. “Fine? We were living a lie, Leo. A lie built on secrets and injustices.” “Tell that to our shareholders,” he snarled, his eyes blazing with resentment. “Tell that to the board who wants my head. Tell that to the world laughing at us.” Blamed her directly, the words a hammer blow to her chest. “This is your fault, Anya. All of it.” “No,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. Her stomach churned. “That’s not fair.” Shook his head, a wild, unhinged look in his eyes. “Fair? Life isn’t fair. You found the diary. You opened Pandora’s Box. You gave Amelia the weapon.” Trembled, she watched him, a stranger consumed by paranoia and rage. His face was contorted, unrecognizable. The brother she knew was gone, replaced by this bitter, desperate man. “Why can’t you see what you’ve done?” His voice was low now, a dangerous hiss. He took a step towards her, his breath reeking of alcohol. “You think you’re so noble, unearthing the past, but you only brought destruction.” Whispered, “I was trying to understand.” Recolied, Leo’s gaze was full of pure hatred, something she had never seen directed at her before. It pierced her, finding the deepest, most vulnerable parts of her soul. “What understanding?” He scoffed, a dark laugh escaping him. “You just wanted to prove you were better than everyone. Smarter. More moral.” Felt the ancient, familiar guilt begin to seep into her veins, a cold poison she thought she had long since purged. The failures of their past, her own past mistakes, resurfaced with sickening clarity. His words, delivered with chilling finality, struck her like a physical blow. “You ruined everything, Anya!” Stinging, the accusation lodged itself deep, a sharp, unyielding shard of ice in her heart. Everything she had tried to mend, everything she thought she had fixed, crumbled. She stared at him, breath caught in her throat, the weight of his blame crushing her. The familiar darkness of self-reproach began to swallow her whole. His words echoed in her mind, proving what she had always secretly feared: she was the destroyer. She always had been.

Chapter 38: The Weight of Blame