Chapter 10: The Man Behind Sloan’s Smile
The knock on the door was slow.
Deliberate.
Not the kind of knock someone makes when they need help.
The kind someone makes when they already believe they own the room.
Harrison stood beside me, staring through the window.
Sloan stood on the porch.
And beside her was Victor Hale.
The man who had disappeared eight years earlier.
The man connected to my husband’s missing files.
The man holding the letter I had protected for nearly a decade.
Harrison looked at me.
“Mom, is that him?””
I nodded.
“Yes.””
His jaw tightened.
“Why does he have Dad’s letter?””
I didn’t know how to answer.
Because that was the question I had been asking myself.
I walked to the door.
Harrison grabbed my arm.
“Wait.””
I looked at him.
“What?””
“We don’t know what they want.””
I looked through the glass again.
Sloan smiled when she saw us.
She knew we were watching.
She lifted the envelope slightly.
A reminder.
A threat.
I opened the door.
“What are you doing here?””
Sloan looked past me.
“At least invite us in.””
“No.””
Her smile faded.
“Lorraine.””
“Answer the question.””
Victor stepped forward.
He was older now.
Gray hair.
A tired face.
But his eyes were exactly the same.
Cold.
Calculating.
“I think we need to talk.””
I stared at him.
“You had eight years to talk.””
His expression changed slightly.
“You know who I am.””
“I know exactly who you are.””
Sloan looked between us.
“Good. Then we can skip the introductions.””
Harrison stepped beside me.
“Why do you have my father’s letter?””
Victor looked at him.
Then smiled.
“Because your father trusted the wrong people.””
Harrison’s face hardened.
“You mean you.””
Victor didn’t answer.
That was enough.
“Give it to me,” Harrison said.
Victor held up the envelope.
“I could.””
Sloan looked at him.
“Victor.””
He ignored her.
“But before I do, your mother needs to explain something.””
I felt my stomach tighten.
“I have explained enough.””
Victor laughed quietly.
“No, Lorraine. You protected your son from the truth.””
Harrison looked at me.
“What truth?””
I hated that question.
Not because I didn’t want to answer.
Because I wanted to answer eight years ago.
But fear had controlled me.
“Your father discovered Victor was stealing from the company.””
Victor smiled.
“Careful.””
“He found fake accounts,” I continued.
“Missing money.””
Sloan’s expression changed.
Only slightly.
But I noticed.
Because she knew.
“You knew,” Harrison whispered.
I looked at Sloan.
“She knew something.””
Victor interrupted.
“Your father was going to expose us.””
Us.
The word hung in the air.
Harrison heard it too.
“Us?””
Victor looked at Sloan.
Then back at him.
“She was never just your wife.””
Sloan’s face turned angry.
“Don’t.””
But Victor continued.
“She was the person your father suspected was helping me.””
Harrison stepped back.
“No.””
Sloan shook her head.
“He’s lying.””
“Then why did you spend a year trying to make me look guilty?”” I asked.
She looked at me.
“Because you were hiding something.””
“Yes.””
I nodded.
“I was.””
Her confidence returned.
“See?””
I looked at Harrison.
“I hid the letter because your father asked me to.””
Victor laughed.
“Your father was dying and desperate.””
“No.””
I turned toward him.
“He was protecting his son.””
Victor’s expression darkened.
Then he threw the envelope onto the porch.
Harrison picked it up.
His hands shook.
“My father’s letter.””
Sloan took a step forward.
“Don’t open that.””
Everyone froze.
Because that was the first time she showed fear.
Real fear.
Harrison looked at her.
“Why?””
She said nothing.
“Why don’t you want me to read my father’s final words?””
Her mouth opened.
But no answer came.
Then Victor reached into his coat.
He pulled out a small device.
A flash drive.
“This is what your father really left behind.””
My eyes widened.
Harrison stared.
“What is that?””
Victor smiled.
“The evidence.””
The truth.
The thing everyone had been fighting over.
Then Victor said:
“But if you open that letter…”
May you like
He looked at me.
“You’ll find out your mother wasn’t the only one your father blamed.””
