Chapter 7: The Night Sarah Tried to Warn Me
I stared at the photo until my eyes hurt.
Ryan.
Sarah’s doctor.
A hospital hallway.
And that folder.
The same folder that supposedly contained Sarah’s final wishes.
The same folder that had somehow appeared with fake signatures and altered documents.
Emily stood beside me, her face drained of color.
“That’s Dr. Bennett.””
I looked at her.
“You know him?””
“He treated Mom.””
My stomach tightened.
“Did he ever mention Ryan?””
She shook her head slowly.
“No.””
I zoomed in on the image.
Ryan was standing close to Dr. Bennett.
Too close.
They weren’t two strangers having a conversation.
They looked like people who had been planning something.
My attorney leaned forward.
“We need to verify when this picture was taken.””
Emily looked at him.
“Why?””
“Because if this is the night before your mother died, it could prove someone had access to documents they shouldn’t have had.””
The room went silent.
I remembered that night.
Sarah was weak.
Barely able to speak.
Emily was sleeping in the waiting room.
I sat beside Sarah’s bed holding her hand.
She had looked at me with tears in her eyes.
“Daniel.””
“I’m here.””
“Promise me you’ll never let anyone make Emily feel abandoned.””
I squeezed her hand.
“I promise.””
At the time, I thought she was talking about her illness.
Now I wondered if she was talking about something else.
Someone else.
My phone rang.
It was the hospital.
I answered.
“Mr. Carter?””
“Yes.””
“This is the records department. We received a request regarding Sarah Carter’s medical files.””
My heart started racing.
“Who requested them?””
There was a pause.
“Ryan Walker.””
Emily heard it.
Her expression changed.
“Why would he request Mom’s files?””
I didn’t know.
But I was starting to understand one thing.
Ryan wasn’t returning to reconnect with Emily.
He was returning because something was hidden.
The next morning, Emily and I went to the hospital.
The place looked exactly the same.
The same polished floors.
The same quiet hallways.
But I felt like I was walking through a memory I had never understood.
Dr. Bennett’s office was at the end of the hallway.
When we entered, he immediately looked nervous.
That told me everything.
“Daniel.””
His voice was uncomfortable.
“You know why we’re here.””
He looked at Emily.
Then away.
“I can’t discuss patient information.””
Emily stepped forward.
“I’m Sarah’s daughter.””
He swallowed.
“I know.””
“Then tell me why my biological father was here the night before she died.””
Dr. Bennett froze.
For a second, he said nothing.
Then he closed the office door.
“I never wanted this to happen.””
My hands tightened.
“What happened?””
He sat down.
“Ryan came to me months before Sarah passed away.””
Emily’s face went pale.
“Months?””
“Yes.””
I felt anger rising.
“What did he want?””
Dr. Bennett looked ashamed.
“He asked about Sarah’s condition.””
“That’s normal,” I said.
“No.””
He shook his head.
“It wasn’t about her health.””
The silence became heavy.
“What was it about?””
He looked at Emily.
“Your inheritance.””
Emily stepped back.
I saw the pain on her face.
“Why would he ask about my money?””
Dr. Bennett rubbed his forehead.
“He wanted to know what would happen to Sarah’s assets if she passed away.””
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“He was planning this while she was alive?””
Dr. Bennett didn’t answer.
He didn’t need to.
Emily looked sick.
“Did my mom know?””
The doctor hesitated.
Then he opened a drawer.
“I found this after Sarah died.””
He placed a small envelope on the desk.
My name was written on it.
Daniel.
My hands shook as I picked it up.
“Why didn’t you give this to me?””
“Because Ryan told me Sarah wanted it handled differently.””
I looked up sharply.
“Ryan lied.””
“Yes.””
The doctor looked down.
“I was afraid.””
Emily whispered:
“Afraid of what?””
Dr. Bennett looked at her.
“Afraid because Ryan told me if I talked, people would believe I was involved.””
I opened the envelope.
Inside was a letter.
Sarah’s handwriting.
My eyes immediately filled with tears.
Daniel,
If you are reading this, I am no longer there to explain everything myself.
I need you to understand something.
Ryan came back before I died.
He didn’t come back because he missed Emily.
He came back because he found out about the trust.
My hands trembled.
I kept reading.
He is trying to make Emily believe you were never her father.
He knows the only way to get close to her is to destroy the bond you built.
Emily covered her mouth.
Then I reached the final sentence.
The sentence that made my blood run cold.
But Daniel, there is one thing I never told you about Ryan.
The truth about why he left ten years ago...
Was not what he told us.
I looked at Emily.
May you like
She looked terrified.
Because the next page was missing.
