Chapter 9: The Enemy Inside The Family
I drove to Claire’s house faster than I ever had before.
Not because I trusted Marcus.
I didn’t.
Not after what Ethan had suffered.
But because something had changed.
The fear in Ethan’s voice wasn’t the fear of a child being threatened.
It was the fear of a child realizing the person he hated might not be the only person responsible.
When I arrived, Marcus was sitting in the living room.
No anger.
No confidence.
Just exhaustion.
He looked like a man who had been carrying something too heavy for too long.
“You found out,” he said.
I remained standing.
“Found out what?””
“That I knew.””
“Knew what?””
“About the trust.””
I stared at him.
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
He looked away.
“Because I thought I could solve it.””
I laughed bitterly.
“By isolating my son?””
His face tightened.
“No.””
“Then explain.””
Marcus took a breath.
“I made a deal.””
“With who?””
He didn’t answer.
“Marcus.””
“Richard.””
The name shocked me.
“What?””
“He came to me after your father died.””
I stepped closer.
“He recruited you?””
“No.””
He shook his head.
“He warned me.””
“About what?””
Marcus looked toward the hallway where Ethan’s room was.
“About someone inside the family.””
My voice lowered.
“Who?””
Marcus hesitated.
Then Claire walked into the room.
Her face was pale.
“I know who.””
Everyone turned.
She held a folder.
“I found this in Marcus’s office.””
She placed it on the table.
Inside was a collection of documents.
The first page had a name.
A name I had not expected.
Not Richard.
Not Marcus.
Not anyone connected to my father’s company.
It was someone much closer.
Someone who had been around us for years.
Someone who had always acted like they were helping.
Claire pointed to the signature.
“I found this hidden in the original agreement.””
I looked closer.
My heart sank.
Because I knew that handwriting.
I had seen it before.
On birthday cards.
On family letters.
On documents.
The person who created the plan to separate me from Ethan wasn’t Marcus.
It wasn’t Richard.
It wasn’t even someone from my father’s company.
It was someone who knew exactly how to break our family apart.
Someone who knew every weakness.
Someone who knew every secret.
Claire whispered:
“Daniel…”
I looked up.
Her eyes were filled with fear.
“The person who wrote this was your mother.””
I stopped breathing.
“My mother?””
Claire nodded.
“I didn’t understand why at first.””
She opened another page.
“But then I found this.””
A photograph.
An old photograph.
My mother standing beside Richard.
Beside Marcus.
And beside a person I had never seen before.
On the back was a date.
A date from before I was born.
Rachel picked up the photo.
Then she froze.
“Daniel…”
“What?””
She turned it over.
Her voice became quiet.
“This person in the picture…”
I looked at the unfamiliar face.
“Who is she?””
Rachel stared at me.
“She’s the woman who owned half of your father’s company before he died.””
I frowned.
“That’s impossible.””
Rachel shook her head.
“No.””
She pointed at the photograph.
“She was never supposed to be a secret.””
A silence filled the room.
Then she said:
May you like
“She was your father’s first wife.””
And suddenly, everything we believed about our family began to collapse.
