Chapter 12: The Man Behind the Curtain
I stared at the message.
Unknown number.
But I knew.
Somehow, I knew.
Thomas.
My father looked over my shoulder.
“Can you trace it?””
His assistant immediately took the phone.
“We’ll try.””
Daniel looked terrified.
“Thomas is dangerous.””
I turned toward him.
“You knew him.””
“Yes.””
“Then tell me everything.””
Daniel hesitated.
“I don’t know everything.””
“Tell me what you do know.””
He looked at the mansion.
Then at Margaret.
Then back at me.
“Thomas never cared about my family.””
Margaret looked offended.
“That’s not true.””
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“You think he saved us because he cared?””
She went silent.
“He saved us because we were useful.””
The words hung in the air.
I watched Margaret’s face change.
Because maybe, for the first time, she realized she had been used too.
Daniel continued.
“He needed someone desperate enough to do what he asked.””
My eyes moved to him.
“And that was you.””
He nodded.
“Yes.””
A painful honesty.
“I was.””
My father’s assistant returned.
“Mr. Bennett.””
Everyone looked up.
“What did you find?””
“The message came through a private server.””
“Can you identify it?””
The assistant hesitated.
“Yes.””
My father stepped closer.
“Who?””
The assistant looked at me.
“Thomas Bennett.””
No one spoke.
The man behind everything.
My own uncle.
My family.
My blood.
My father looked furious.
“I’m calling the authorities.””
“Wait.””
Everyone looked at me.
I surprised myself.
Because two days ago, I would have wanted revenge.
But now I wanted justice.
“What is it, Emily?”” my father asked.
I looked at Daniel.
At Margaret.
At the mansion.
At everything that had been built on lies.
“I want to know why.””
My father nodded.
“Then we find out.””
The assistant handed him another file.
“There’s something else.””
I almost laughed.
“Another secret?””
He didn’t smile.
“This one is different.””
He opened the file.
Inside was a photograph.
A recent one.
Thomas Bennett.
Meeting someone.
Someone I recognized.
My heart stopped.
Because standing beside him…
was Claire.
But Claire wasn’t crying.
She wasn’t angry.
She was smiling.
Like she had won.
I looked at my father.
“She’s still working with him.””
My father nodded slowly.
“Yes.””
Daniel stepped forward.
“Then the motion was a distraction.””
Everyone turned.
“What?””
Daniel pointed at the documents.
“They wanted us looking at the inheritance fight.””
My father’s eyes narrowed.
“While they did something else.””
The assistant checked his tablet.
“Wait.””
“What?””
His fingers moved quickly.
Then his face changed.
“Mr. Bennett…”
“What?””
“The company servers were accessed this morning.””
My father froze.
“By who?””
The assistant looked at the screen.
“An authorized user.””
“Name?””
He swallowed.
“Emily Bennett.””
My blood ran cold.
“That’s impossible.””
The assistant shook his head.
“No.””
He turned the screen toward us.
“The access was made using your credentials.””
I stared at the login record.
My name.
My account.
My authorization.
But I hadn’t done it.
I had been at the gender reveal.
Being humiliated.
Being betrayed.
Someone had used my identity.
My father whispered:
“They’re setting you up.””
I looked at the screen.
Then at everyone around me.
And suddenly I understood.
The cake.
The affair.
The marriage contract.
The inheritance battle.
It was all leading here.
Someone didn’t just want me removed.
They wanted me blamed.
My phone rang.
This time, it wasn’t unknown.
It was Claire.
I answered.
Her voice was calm.
Almost happy.
“Emily.””
I said nothing.
“You’re probably wondering why your name is on those files.””
I looked at my father.
My blood ran cold.
“Claire…”
“Yes?””
“Why?””
She laughed softly.
“Because, little sister…”
A pause.
May you like
Then she said the words I would never forget.
“Soon everyone will believe you stole from your own family.””
