Chapter 14: The Final Betrayal
The message stayed on my phone.
Before you learn the rest.
A threat.
Not a warning.
A threat.
Daniel looked over my shoulder.
“Do not respond.””
I locked my phone.
“What does he mean?””
Victor sat down slowly.
“He knows what’s in that notebook.””
“What’s in it?””
Victor looked at the pages.
“Proof.””
“Proof of what?””
“Everything.””
I stared at him.
“Then why didn’t Grandpa use it?””
Victor looked away.
“Because he was trying to protect your mother.””
That sentence made me angry.
“Again?””
I slammed the notebook shut.
“Everyone protected everyone except me.””
Mom flinched.
I immediately regretted saying it.
But it was true.
All my life, people had decided what I could handle.
What I should know.
What I deserved.
Victor looked at me.
“Your grandfather loved you more than anything.””
“Then why hide this?””
“Because he knew the truth could destroy your family.””
I laughed.
“My family is already destroyed.””
Nobody answered.
Later that night, Daniel reviewed the notebook.
Page by page.
Every entry.
Every name.
Every transaction.
Then he stopped.
“What?””
He looked at me.
“There’s something here.””
“What?””
He turned the notebook around.
A handwritten entry.
A date.
The day before Grandpa died.
I know who helped Richard.
My heartbeat increased.
“Who?””
Daniel continued reading.
It was not Linda.
Mom covered her mouth.
I looked at her.
She started crying.
For the first time, I saw the weight she had carried.
She wasn’t innocent.
But she wasn’t the person everyone assumed.
Daniel kept reading.
The person closest to me betrayed me.
My blood ran cold.
“Who?””
The next line was torn.
The page was damaged.
Someone had ripped out the rest.
Victor suddenly stood.
“No.””
Everyone looked at him.
“What?””
His face changed.
“He found it.””
“Found what?””
“The missing page.””
I looked at the notebook.
“You mean someone took part of it?””
Victor nodded.
“Richard.””
Daniel closed the notebook.
“We need to find that page.””
“How?””
Victor looked at me.
“Because Richard doesn’t know everything.””
“What does that mean?””
“Your grandfather made copies.””
I stared.
“Where?””
Victor looked at the notebook.
“Only Ethan can find them.””
I frowned.
“Why me?””
“Because your grandfather trusted you.””
“That doesn’t make sense.””
Victor pointed to the cover.
“Look.””
I examined it.
At first, I saw nothing.
Then I noticed a small engraving.
A symbol.
One Grandpa used to draw when I was younger.
“What is this?””
“A clue.””
I opened the back cover.
Inside was a small hidden compartment.
My hands shook.
Inside was a tiny key.
And a note.
Only four words.
The first place you remember.
I froze.
Because I knew exactly what Grandpa meant.
The old treehouse.
The one in his backyard.
The place where he taught me how to read.
The place where he told me secrets.
The place where nobody else ever went.
I looked at Daniel.
“We need to go.””
Before anyone could answer, the lights went out.
The entire house went dark.
Mom gasped.
A sound came from outside.
A car door.
Then footsteps.
Slow.
Heavy.
Coming closer.
Victor whispered:
“He found us.””
The front door handle moved.
Once.
Twice.
Then stopped.
A voice came from the other side.
Richard.
“Ethan.””
Everyone froze.
“I know you’re in there.””
My hands tightened around Grandpa’s notebook.
Richard continued.
“You don’t understand what you’re holding.””
I stepped closer to the door.
“Yes, I do.””
Silence.
Then Richard said:
“No.””
May you like
His voice was colder than I had ever heard.
“You don’t understand what your grandfather did to your father.””
