Chapter 9: The Enemy I Never Saw
I didn't tell Jake about the message.
Not because I trusted him.
Because I needed to know what he would do without knowing everything.
For three years, Jake had studied me.
Now it was my turn.
Daniel helped me trace the number.
The result came back six hours later.
Unknown.
Blocked.
But one thing stood out.
"The message was sent through a private server," Daniel said.
I looked at him.
"Can you find who owns it?""
He shook his head.
"Not yet.""
I stared out the window.
"Everyone keeps saying not yet.""
Daniel understood.
"You want answers.""
"I want the truth.""
That afternoon, I went back to the house.
Jake was sitting in the living room.
He looked surprised.
"You came back.""
"Only for my things.""
His face fell.
"Emma.""
I walked upstairs.
Every room held memories.
Our first Christmas tree.
The photo from our honeymoon.
The painting we bought together.
I used to think these things represented love.
Now they felt like evidence from another life.
When I came downstairs, Jake was holding a box.
"I found this.""
I stopped.
Inside were old letters.
My letters.
The ones I wrote him when we were dating.
"You kept these?""
He nodded.
"I never stopped loving you.""
I looked at him.
"Love doesn't erase what you did.""
"I know.""
For once, he didn't argue.
He didn't defend himself.
He just accepted it.
That almost hurt more.
Then his phone rang.
Jake looked at the screen.
His face changed.
"Who is it?""
He didn't answer.
The phone kept ringing.
Finally, he picked up.
"Hello?""
A few seconds passed.
Then his expression turned pale.
"No.""
He stood.
"That's impossible.""
I watched him.
"Jake?""
He covered the phone.
"Go upstairs.""
I almost smiled.
There he was again.
Trying to protect me by controlling me.
"No.""
He looked frustrated.
"Emma, please.""
"Put it on speaker.""
He hesitated.
Then pressed the button.
A woman's voice filled the room.
"Jake, you made a mistake.""
My stomach tightened.
I knew that voice.
Melissa.
Jake looked shocked.
"Melissa, what did you do?""
A pause.
Then she laughed.
"You still don't understand.""
I stepped closer.
"Understand what?""
Silence.
Then Melissa answered.
"Oh, Emma.""
Her voice became colder.
"You really thought this was about money?""
I felt a chill.
"What is it about?""
Melissa laughed.
"The company was never the goal.""
Jake's face changed.
"What are you talking about?""
Melissa continued.
"The goal was to remove her.""
I froze.
Jake grabbed the phone.
"Remove her from what?""
Melissa didn't answer immediately.
Then she said:
"From the one thing she inherited that nobody knew about.""
The call ended.
Nobody moved.
Jake looked at me.
I looked at him.
"What did she mean?""
He didn't know.
For the first time, I believed that.
Daniel's words echoed in my head.
There were secrets inside secrets.
Jake had been hiding something.
But maybe he wasn't the biggest threat.
A knock came from the front door.
Jake and I both looked toward it.
Nobody was supposed to be there.
Jake slowly walked forward.
I followed.
He opened the door.
A woman stood outside.
Older.
Elegant.
Holding a folder.
She looked directly at me.
"Emma Carter?""
I nodded slowly.
"Who are you?""
She handed me the folder.
"My name is Victoria Lane.""
She took a breath.
"And I believe your grandfather left you something that your entire family has been trying to hide.""
I opened the folder.
The first page had one sentence.
My grandfather's name.
And beneath it:
"Transfer of controlling ownership: 100%.""
I looked up.
Victoria's expression was serious.
"Emma, you were never just the owner of a company.""
May you like
She paused.
"You are the owner of an empire your husband never knew existed.""
