The Rebirth of My Dead Billionaire Wife

Chapter 98

The room was deathly silent as the weight of Gianna’s words sank in. Zane stared at her, his breath caught in his throat. Alessia’s heart raced as if it were trying to make sense of what her mind couldn’t. Something about Gianna’s tone, her hesitation, the emotion in her eyes—it all felt too familiar.

Alessia stepped closer, narrowing her eyes at Gianna. “Wait. This doesn’t make sense. Why would Damian blackmail you, Gianna? Why would he trust you enough to carry out his plans?”

Gianna swallowed hard, her body tense as though she were bracing for impact. “Because… because I’m not who you think I am.”

“What are you talking about?” Zane demanded, his voice cracking. “What do you mean you’re not who we think you are?”

Gianna looked at him, her face crumpling under the weight of her guilt. Tears welled up in her eyes as she took a deep breath. “Zane, I’m… I’m Pamela.”

The room erupted in chaos.

“What?” Alessia gasped, her voice trembling. “That’s impossible!”

“You’re lying!” Zane shouted, his fists clenching at his sides. “Pamela is dead. We buried her!”

“No, you buried a lie,” Gianna—Pamela—said softly, tears streaming down her face. “Damian made me fake my death. He… he changed everything about me so I’d be unrecognizable. My hair, my face, even my voice. He wanted me to disappear.”

Zane took a step back, shaking his head violently. “No. No, this is insane. You’re not her. You can’t be.”

“I am,” Pamela whispered, her voice breaking. She stepped closer to him, pulling a familiar gold locket from under her blouse and holding it out. “Do you remember this? You gave it to me on our first anniversary. You said it was the key to your heart.”

Zane froze, his eyes glued to the locket. He reached out to touch it but stopped, his hand trembling. “How… how could you do this to me? To us? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Pamela’s sobs grew louder as she fell to her knees. “I wanted to! Every single day, I wanted to tell you. But Damian wouldn’t let me. He said if I tried to contact you, he’d kill you. Kill your whole family.”

***

The weight of the revelations hung heavy in the air as the Kane family stood in silence. Zane paced near the window, his fists clenched at his sides. Pamela—Gianna—stood across the room, her face streaked with tears, her hands trembling as she waited for him to say something.

Zane’s mind raced. The woman he loved, the woman he thought he had buried, was standing in front of him, alive. She had betrayed him, but not out of malice—she had done it for him, for his family. Yet, despite her reasoning, the ache in his chest wouldn’t fade.

Finally, he stopped pacing and turned to her, his voice low and filled with pain. “You should have told me. We could’ve figured something out together. I could’ve protected you.”

Pamela took a step forward, her eyes pleading. “I thought I was protecting you by keeping quiet. Damian had all the power. If I had told you, he would’ve come after everyone you love.”

“And he still did,” Zane snapped, his voice rising. “Look at what he’s done to my family. To you. To us.”

Pamela flinched but stood her ground. “I know I made the wrong choice, Zane. But I thought it was the only way. I thought I was keeping you safe.”

Zane shook his head, his jaw tightening. “I need time to think about this. About you.”

Pamela nodded slowly, her tears falling again. “I understand.”

Alessia watched the exchange, her own emotions in turmoil. Everything in her life felt like a lie. Her father wasn’t her biological father. Damian, the man who had caused so much pain, was somehow tied to her existence. Her mother’s lies, though born out of love, had shattered her sense of self.

Alessia glanced at Victoria, who was sitting quietly on the couch, her head in her hands. She wanted to be angry, to lash out, but she couldn’t. She understood her mother’s choices, even if they hurt.

“I just wish you would’ve told me,” Alessia said quietly, her voice trembling.

Victoria looked up, her face pale and weary. “I thought I was protecting you. I wanted you to have a normal life.”

Alessia shook her head, her tears brimming. “But it wasn’t normal. It was built on lies. And now, everything feels like it’s falling apart.”

Victoria’s voice broke as she whispered, “I’m so sorry, Alessia.”

Christian stepped forward, placing a steady hand on Alessia’s shoulder. “We’ll figure this out together,” he said, his voice calm but firm. “You’re not alone.”

Alessia leaned into his touch, drawing strength from his presence. “I know,” she said softly. “But it’s going to take time.”