Chapter 12: The Person Behind the Curtain
The anonymous message bothered me more than I wanted to admit.
Not because I believed it immediately.
But because it reminded me of something my grandfather wrote.
Trust no one blindly.
For the first time, I understood why he chose those words.
The next morning, my dad and I met with the company’s legal team.
We needed answers.
Not guesses.
Not assumptions.
Facts.
The attorney reviewed everything.
“The fake document was created recently.””
My dad frowned.
“Recently?””
“Yes.””
The attorney looked at me.
“Someone wanted it to appear legitimate after your grandfather passed away.””
I asked:
“Could Karen have done it?””
The attorney paused.
“She could have.””
That answer bothered me.
“Could someone else?””
He nodded.
“Yes.””
The possibility sat heavily in the room.
Someone else.
Someone we hadn’t considered.
When we returned home, I noticed something strange.
Devon was standing in the hallway.
Talking to someone on the phone.
The second he saw us, he ended the call.
My dad noticed too.
“Who was that?””
Devon looked nervous.
“Nobody.””
My dad stared.
“Devon.””
He sighed.
“It was Mom.””
My stomach tightened.
“Why are you talking to her?””
He looked frustrated.
“Because she called me.””
“What did she want?””
Devon hesitated.
Then he said:
“She wanted me to convince you to drop everything.””
Silence.
My dad’s expression changed.
“And what did you say?””
Devon looked at me.
“I said no.””
I believed him.
Because the old Devon would have avoided conflict.
The new Devon was finally facing it.
“What else did she say?””
Devon swallowed.
“She said she wasn’t the only person involved.””
My heart stopped.
“What does that mean?””
He looked at my dad.
“She said someone else helped her.””
Nobody spoke.
The anonymous message.
The fake document.
The company.
Everything connected.
My dad immediately called the attorney.
While he talked, I walked upstairs.
I needed air.
I needed a moment where nobody was telling me another shocking truth.
But when I reached my room, I noticed something.
My desk drawer was slightly open.
I knew I had closed it.
Slowly, I walked toward it.
Inside was the letter from my grandfather.
The one I had placed there.
But something was different.
A second piece of paper was underneath.
I picked it up.
My grandfather’s handwriting.
Again.
My hands shook as I read the first line.
Tasha, if you found this hidden letter, it means someone has already tried to take what belongs to you.
I froze.
There was more.
The person who betrayed me was not a stranger.
I held my breath.
The next sentence made my blood run cold.
It was someone I trusted with my family.
I looked toward the door.
Because suddenly, I realized something.
My grandfather had known this would happen.
He had prepared for it.
And at the bottom of the letter was a name.
May you like
A name I never expected.
A name that changed everything.
