Chapter 10: The Father’s Secret
The signature stared back at me.
A name I had seen thousands of times.
A name I trusted more than my own.
*Richard Ellison.*
My father.
For several seconds, I couldn’t understand what I was looking at.
The letters blurred.
The parking garage disappeared.
All I could hear was my own heartbeat.
“No.””
The word escaped before I could stop it.
My father looked at me.
“Claire.””
I held up the document.
“No.””
My voice became sharper.
“You signed this.””
Nobody spoke.
Adrian looked between us.
Even he looked shocked.
Vanessa watched silently.
Almost like she had been waiting for this exact moment.
My father took a slow breath.
“Yes.””
The answer hurt more than a lie would have.
“Why?””
He stepped forward.
“I can explain.””
I laughed quietly.
Everyone always said that.
Adrian said it.
Vanessa said it.
Now my father.
“Explain what?””
My hand shook as I held the document.
“Explain why the man who spent my whole life protecting me signed an agreement involving the man who was sent to find me?””
My father lowered his eyes.
Because he knew there was no easy answer.
“Three years ago, I discovered Victor Hale was looking for you.””
I froze.
“When?””
“Before you met Adrian.””
The air felt heavier.
My father continued.
“I knew Victor wanted access to something your mother left behind.””
“The archive?””
He nodded.
“Yes.””
“Then why didn’t you tell me?””
“Because you were finally happy.””
The answer caught me off guard.
My father’s voice became softer.
“You had spent your entire life surrounded by security, expectations, and people who wanted something from you.””
He looked at me.
“When you told me about Adrian, you were different.””
I remembered.
The first time I told my father I was in love.
The smile on his face.
The way he said he had never seen me so peaceful.
“I thought he was real,” my father whispered.
I looked at Adrian.
So did he.
“And then?””
My father looked away.
“Then I discovered Adrian had accepted money from Victor.””
Adrian closed his eyes.
“I told you I didn’t know.””
My father ignored him.
“I confronted him.””
I stared.
“You knew?””
“Yes.””
My heart sank.
“You knew and still let me marry him?””
The silence was unbearable.
My father’s expression broke.
“I made a mistake.””
A strange feeling moved through me.
Because I had spent years believing Adrian was the only person who betrayed me.
Now I realized betrayal had many faces.
Some came from hatred.
Some came from love.
“You watched me marry a man you suspected.””
“I watched you fall in love with a man who, at the time, seemed to choose you over everything else.””
My father looked at Adrian.
“I thought if Adrian truly loved you, he would break away from Victor.””
Adrian looked down.
“And I did.””
Vanessa laughed softly.
Everyone looked at her.
She shook her head.
“You’re all acting like you’re victims.””
Her eyes moved toward Adrian.
“You knew something was wrong.””
Adrian’s face tightened.
“What?””
“You knew Victor’s company was hiding information.””
“I didn’t know about Claire.””
“But you knew enough to be suspicious.””
Silence.
Because that was the truth.
Adrian had ignored signs.
He had chosen success over questions.
Again.
My father turned to him.
“Is that true?””
Adrian didn’t answer.
And once again, his silence said everything.
I felt something inside me break.
Not because he had been manipulated.
Because even after everything, he still had choices.
Everyone did.
My father stepped closer.
“Claire, I should have told you.””
I looked at him.
“Yes.””
“I was trying to protect you.””
“I know.””
My voice softened.
But only slightly.
“And that’s why it hurts.””
My father looked away.
The strongest man I knew suddenly looked old.
Then the lights in the parking garage flickered.
Everyone became alert.
Evelyn’s voice came through the security system.
“Mr. Ellison.””
My father pressed the communication button.
“What happened?””
A pause.
Then:
“We found Victor Hale.””
Adrian immediately looked up.
“Where?””
Evelyn’s voice became tense.
“Outside.””
My father frowned.
“Outside the building?””
“No.””
Another pause.
“He’s inside the building.””
Everyone froze.
My blood turned cold.
“How?””
Evelyn didn’t answer immediately.
Then:
“Because someone opened the security doors for him.””
My father slowly turned toward me.
And I realized the worst part.
May you like
The enemy was never trying to break into Ellison Capital.
Someone had invited him in.
