Chapter 10: The Enemy Inside The Door
The knock came again.
Three slow knocks.
Not rushed.
Not desperate.
Confident.
Whoever was standing outside wasn’t afraid of what would happen next.
I moved in front of Caleb and Emma.
Vanessa noticed.
For the first time, she didn’t look offended.
She looked grateful.
“Stay behind me,” I whispered.
Caleb grabbed Emma’s hand.
“Dad…”
“I’ve got you.””
I wanted those words to be true.
I needed them to be true.
But deep down, I knew I was walking into something much bigger than a family argument.
I opened the door.
A woman stood on the porch.
She looked older than the photographs I had seen.
Silver hair.
Tired eyes.
A face that carried years of secrets.
Eleanor.
My father’s former assistant.
The woman my father trusted.
The woman everyone thought disappeared.
“Michael.””
Hearing my name from her mouth felt strange.
“How do you know me?””
She looked past me.
At Vanessa.
Then at the children.
“I know everything about this family.””
My hand tightened around the door.
“You need to explain.””
“I will.””
She stepped inside.
But before she could say anything, another voice came from behind her.
“You shouldn’t have come here alone.””
My heart sank.
Robert walked into view.
I looked between them.
“You two know each other?””
Eleanor nodded.
“We’ve known each other for years.””
Vanessa stepped forward.
“You found her?””
Eleanor looked at her.
“Yes.””
There was no warmth between them.
Only anger.
I closed the door.
“Everyone sits down.””
Nobody argued.
That alone told me how serious this was.
We gathered in the living room.
The same room where my children had been afraid.
The same room where my entire world had changed.
Eleanor placed a folder on the table.
“Your father discovered a network of people who targeted wealthy families.””
I looked at Vanessa.
“Like her.””
Eleanor nodded.
“Yes.””
Vanessa looked away.
“But Vanessa wasn’t the person who started it.””
I frowned.
“What?””
Eleanor opened the folder.
“She was recruited.””
By who?
The question was already forming in my mind.
“Your father was close to exposing the person behind everything.””
She looked directly at me.
“And that person was someone inside your family.””
The room went silent.
I felt a chill.
“Who?””
Eleanor didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, she pulled out another photograph.
A family gathering.
My father.
My mother.
Me as a teenager.
And one more person.
My uncle.
I stared.
“My uncle died before my father.””
Eleanor nodded.
“Everyone believed that.””
Everyone.
That word bothered me.
“What are you saying?””
She lowered her voice.
“Your uncle never died.””
The room seemed to tilt.
Vanessa whispered:
“He was the one controlling everything.””
I looked at her.
“You knew?””
She shook her head.
“Not everything.””
Eleanor continued.
“Your uncle created fake accounts, moved company funds, and used other people to do his work.””
“Why?””
“Because your father was going to remove him from the company.””
I looked at the folder.
“My father knew?””
“Yes.””
“Then why didn’t he tell me?””
Eleanor’s expression softened.
“Because he wanted you to have a normal life.””
I laughed quietly.
“A normal life?””
I looked upstairs.
“My children were almost destroyed because of this.””
Nobody spoke.
Then Emma appeared at the top of the stairs.
She was holding her stuffed rabbit.
“Daddy?””
I immediately stood.
“What happened?””
She looked at Eleanor.
Then whispered:
“I know her.””
Everyone froze.
I looked at my daughter.
“What?””
Emma pointed at Eleanor.
“She came to our house before.””
My heart dropped.
“Emma, are you sure?””
She nodded.
“She talked to Vanessa.””
Eleanor’s face changed.
“When?””
Emma hugged her rabbit.
“Before Mommy started being mean.””
Vanessa stood.
“Emma…”
But Emma continued.
“She said they needed to find something.””
I stared at Eleanor.
“You were here?””
Eleanor slowly closed her eyes.
“Yes.””
“Why?””
She looked at me.
“Because I was trying to stop Vanessa.””
I didn’t know what to believe anymore.
Then Eleanor reached into her bag.
She pulled out a small envelope.
“This is what your father hid.””
I stared.
“What is it?””
Her expression turned serious.
“The proof that will expose everyone involved.””
Before I could open it, my phone buzzed.
A message.
From an unknown number.
A picture appeared.
My children.
Taken moments ago.
Outside the house.
My blood turned cold.
May you like
The message below said:
*You found the truth. Now see what happens when you lose everything.*
