Chapter 7: The Man Who Knew Too Much
The man’s footsteps echoed across the marble terrace.
Nobody spoke.
Not the guests.
Not the reporters who had started gathering near the gates.
Not even Vanessa.
She simply stared at him as if she was seeing a ghost.
Daniel moved closer to me.
“Emma,” he whispered.
“That’s Thomas Vale.””
The name meant nothing to me.
But judging by Vanessa’s reaction, it meant everything to her.
Thomas stopped a few feet away.
He looked older than the last photograph I had seen of him in the documents. His hair was silver, his face lined with years of regret, and he leaned heavily on a cane.
But his eyes were sharp.
Too sharp.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Thomas said.
I stared at him.
“I don’t think you understand how many questions I have right now.””
A faint sadness crossed his face.
“You deserve answers.””
Vanessa finally found her voice.
“You shouldn’t be here.””
Thomas looked at her.
“You said that five years ago too.””
The words made her freeze.
Richard stepped forward.
“Who is this man?””
Thomas looked at him.
“My name is Thomas Vale. I was the Carlisle Foundation’s legal advisor for eighteen years.””
Richard’s expression changed.
“I remember you.””
“You should.””
Thomas lowered his eyes.
“Because I was there when everything started falling apart.””
Vanessa crossed her arms.
“You’re sick. You’re confused.””
Thomas smiled sadly.
“That’s what you told everyone when I tried to speak.””
The guests shifted uncomfortably.
I felt my chest tighten.
This was bigger than stolen money.
Bigger than a ruined career.
There was a story buried underneath all of this.
A story that had been hidden for years.
Thomas reached into his coat.
He pulled out a small notebook.
“This belonged to your father.””
My breath caught.
“My father?””
He nodded.
“He gave it to me the night before he died.””
I stepped closer.
“Why?””
Thomas looked at Vanessa.
“Because he knew he was in danger.””
The words landed like a physical blow.
Vanessa immediately shook her head.
“No.””
Thomas ignored her.
“Your father discovered that the missing funds weren’t just connected to Vanessa.””
Richard looked confused.
“What are you saying?””
Thomas opened the notebook.
“He found evidence that someone else was controlling the operation.””
Daniel stepped forward.
“Do you have proof?””
Thomas handed him the notebook.
“Read the final page.””
Daniel flipped through it.
His eyes moved quickly.
Then stopped.
“What?””
Everyone looked at him.
“What does it say?”” Richard asked.
Daniel slowly looked up.
“It says the person behind the accounts was not Vanessa.””
The terrace erupted with whispers.
Vanessa looked almost relieved.
But only for a moment.
Because Thomas continued.
“It says Vanessa helped cover it up.””
Her relief disappeared.
Richard turned toward his daughter.
“You knew?””
Vanessa looked away.
“I was trying to fix it.””
Thomas laughed quietly.
“No.””
She looked at him.
“You were trying to protect yourself.””
Her expression hardened.
“You don’t know anything.””
“I know exactly what happened.””
Thomas stepped closer.
“Your father found the truth. He confronted you.””
Vanessa’s face changed.
A tiny reaction.
But enough.
I saw it.
“You were there,” I whispered.
Everyone looked at me.
I looked at Vanessa.
“You were with my father that night.””
She didn’t answer.
That was answer enough.
Richard looked devastated.
“Vanessa.””
She finally spoke.
“He wasn’t supposed to die.””
The entire terrace went silent.
The words came out before she could stop them.
Her own confession.
I felt my hands go cold.
“What did you just say?””
Vanessa realized her mistake.
“I didn’t mean—”
“No.””
I stepped forward.
“Say it again.””
Her eyes met mine.
For a second, I saw something beneath the anger.
Regret.
Then it disappeared.
“I said he wasn’t supposed to die.””
Thomas looked at her.
“And yet he did.””
Vanessa’s jaw tightened.
“I didn’t kill him.””
Nobody accused her.
Nobody needed to.
The question was already hanging in the air.
If she didn’t kill him…
who did?
Thomas closed the notebook.
“There is one more thing your father wrote.””
Daniel looked at him.
“What?””
Thomas looked directly at me.
“He wrote that if anything happened to him, Emma needed to know the truth.””
My heart stopped.
“What truth?””
Thomas looked at Vanessa.
“The truth about who was really controlling the foundation.””
A phone rang.
Everyone looked around.
This time, it was Richard’s.
He answered.
“Hello?””
His face changed.
“What?””
He looked toward me.
Then toward Vanessa.
The color disappeared from his face.
“Are you sure?””
He ended the call.
Nobody moved.
“Dad?”” Vanessa asked.
Richard slowly lowered the phone.
“The police found the person who transferred the missing money.””
Daniel frowned.
“Who?””
Richard looked at his daughter.
Then at me.
And said:
“Your name was never on the account.””
May you like
A pause.
“The account belonged to someone who is standing on this terrace right now.””
