Solved Murders - True Crime Stories - From Betrayal to Power How Family Secrets, Lies, and Shadows Shaped My Fight for Control PART12 #36

Episode Date: July 24, 2025

#horrorstories #reddithorrorstories #ScaryStories #creepypasta #horrortales#familybetrayal #psychologicalhorror #darkfamilysecrets #emotionalturmoil #powerstruggle  In this penultimate chapter, the narrator confronts the full weight of lies and deception that have shaped their life. Trust is fragile, and shadows from the past threaten to collapse their world entirely. With emotions raw and stakes at their highest, the battle for power reaches a critical turning point. This chapter dives deep into the psychological horror of broken families and the scars that linger long after the truth is revealed.  horrorstories, reddithorrorstories, scarystories, horrorstory, creepypasta, horrortales,familysecrets, betrayalhorror, emotionalconflict, psychologicalthriller, darklegacy,hauntedpast, powerstruggle, twistedloyalties, toxicrelationships, familycurse,mindgames, emotionalbreakdown, darknesswithin, cursedfamily, generationaltrauma

The Williams family had always treated the engagement between Bella and Andrew as more than just a romantic match. To them, it was a carefully calculated alliance, a way to secure their legacy and strengthen their ties with the Baldwin's, one of the most influential families in the city. On paper, the union made perfect sense. Bella was elegant, well-groomed, and polished in all the ways a proper socialite should be. Andrew was charming, educated, and came from a respected family. It looked like a match made in heaven, or at least one made in the boardroom. But once I started digging into the Nova Group, the cracks became impossible to ignore. I wasn't just snooping for fun, I had my reasons, personal ones.

Beneath the shiny surface, Nova Group was rotting. The traditional sectors that had once built the company were shrinking, bleeding money by the quarter. And the so-called new ventures that were supposed to carry them into the future. They weren't taking off. There were massive gaps in development, sloppy investments, and outdated strategies that left them vulnerable. In short, Nova was a dinosaur watching the meteor fall. That's when it became obvious that the Baldwin's were relying on the Williams family to save face. The whole idea of Bella and Andrew getting married wasn't just sentimental, it was strategic.

A Lifeline The Williams had the public image, the trust of investors, and a reputation for stability. If Nova could merge with that, they'd gain something more valuable than capital, credibility. But not everything goes according to plan, does it? Whispers started surfacing that Andrew was rethinking the engagement. Apparently, he'd even talked to Bella about breaking it off. The families, of course, kept silent. There were no press statements, no denials, no confirmations.

Just silence, which only fueled the gossip. And then came the banquet. It was meant to be a celebration after one of Nova's rare successful press conferences. Everyone was in a good mood. People were drinking, laughing, networking. I was there, mostly to observe. But things took a turn. Andrew, who'd always been polite but dissoned.

suddenly became my fiercest defender. Someone made a snide remark about me, I don't even remember what it was, and Andrew shut them down in front of everyone, including Bella. It wasn't subtle. The room froze for a second, and then people started whispering.

By the end of the night, the narrative had shifted, I had stolen Bella's fiancé. The next morning, my father found me. His face was tight, jaw clenched like he was holding back a son. storm. What the hell is going on? He snapped. Tell me the truth. I shrugged, nonchalant. Pretty much what everyone's saying. His eyes bulged. Andrew is your sister's fiancé.

Do you have any idea what this could do to Nova? Andrew is the key to Nova's future, I said, cutting through his panic. Does it really matter whether he marries Bella or me, Alice? For a moment, he looked like he didn't even recognize me. Like he was seeing me clearly for the first time and didn't know what to do with what he saw. Dad, I said, stepping closer, lowering my voice. You know who's better suited for this fight. Me or Bella. Don't lie to yourself.

I know you think Bella is more, proper. More acceptable. And yeah, you're worried about Delilah and her judgment. But let's be real. You're not the same man who needed the Delilah's to get a foot in the door. You built Nova with your brain, your sweat. What do they even have to do with us anymore? I could see it hit him.

That old, buried resentment. He'd always been respectful to Delilah, but it wasn't out of love or loyalty. It was guilt. Fear, even. Nova started with their money, sure. But everything after that? That was him. And he knew it.

Still, he never dared speak up against her. Not openly. But me? I wasn't afraid to say what he wouldn't. He stared into the distance, wheels turning in his head. You're more capable than Bella, he muttered. But your identity. So what if I was born from an affair?

I snapped. That tycoon everyone worships. He had four. Five women and thirteen kids, and now one of the mistresses sons runs the empire. Nobody blinks an eye. The next day, my father did something no one expected, he held a board meeting and named me, not Bella, as the new deputy general manager of Nova. He introduced me with the name Alice Baldwin.

Boom. Chaos. The news tore through the company like a bomb. Everyone knew Christian Baldwin had a secret daughter, but no one expected. me to show up like this. The stairs I got were wild. Some people tried to stay professional, calling me deputy Baldwin. Others sucked up with an awkward young Baldwin. Everyone was scrambling to adjust. My father urged me to move fast and secure Andrew, make the relationship official, turn the whispers into power. I nodded like I agreed, but I didn't move an inch. Why should I?

Andrew hadn't wronged me. I had played him like a fiddle. Used his affection to climb the ladder. Now that I had the position, the recognition, I didn't care to keep the act going. Besides, Ezra's warning from that night still echoed in my mind. He wasn't anyone special in the room, not flashy, not powerful. But he saw through me in a way no one else did. Leaned in and whispered, be careful who you corner.

Some people don't fight back. They erase. That stuck with me. I avoided Andrew, and to my surprise, he didn't chase me either. Maybe he figured it out. Maybe he was done too. Either way, I stayed focused. My new position gave me access to the deepest guts of Nova, and it was worse than I thought.

Financial leaks. Corrupt managers. Overpriced contracts. Unfinished projects bleeding money. I put in long hours, clearing out the rot like a surgeon with a scalpel. People started taking me seriously. Not just as Christian Baldwin's bastard daughter or the woman who replaced her sister. But as a force.

A fixer. Bella, of course, was devastated. She wouldn't speak to me. Our mother tried to smooth things over, but it was pointless. us. Bella saw me as a snake. Maybe she was right. But if being a snake saved our family from ruin, so be it. One night, as I was leaving the office late, I found Andrew waiting outside. You knew what you were doing all along, didn't you? He asked. I didn't lie. Yes. He looked at me for a long time. No anger, just disappointment. I hope it was worth it. It is. It's a

It is. He nodded slowly. Then stay away from me. Fair enough. The company started stabilizing. Investors regained confidence. Our stocks began to recover. I was relentless, firing deadweight, canceling toxic contracts, rebuilding the core departments.

Some board members hated me for it, but they couldn't argue with the results. Still, the Delilah shadow loomed. Every move I made was scrutinized. Every time I slipped, someone brought up my mother, my birth, my past. But I kept going. Because the truth is, none of them had the stomach for what needed to be done. Ezra showed up again after a few weeks, casually inviting me for coffee. I agreed, mostly out of curiosity.

He sipped his drinks slowly. I like what you've done. You spying on me? Nope. Just watching. You're playing chess, Alice. Everyone else is stuck on checkers. I leaned back, arms crossed. You planning to help or just admire. He grinned. That depends. Are you ready to make bigger moves? That question hung in the air like a dare. And that's when I knew, this wasn't the end of my story. It was just the beginning. I had taken Nova back from the edge. But survival isn't enough. I didn't want to just save the company. I wanted to reshape it, re-forge it in my image. No more living in the shadow of the Baldwin's or the Williams's. No more apologizing for who I was or where I came from. I am Alice Baldwin. And I'm not done yet. To be continued.