Chapter 8: The Secret Inside the Accident
I hated secrets.
Not because they existed.
Everyone had secrets.
I had them.
Daniel had them.
Even Emily had them.
I hated secrets because they always demanded a price.
Someone always paid for what was hidden.
And now I was beginning to understand that my daughter had spent eight years paying for mine.
Daniel invited me inside.
For the first time, there was no arrogance.
No business rivalry.
No pretending.
Only exhaustion.
He poured two glasses of water and sat across from me.
“I know you don’t trust me.””
“You’re right.””
He nodded.
“I deserve that.””
I studied him.
“Start talking.””
Daniel looked at his hands.
“Eight years ago, your company exposed corruption at Whitmore Financial.””
“I exposed criminals.””
“Yes.””
His voice was quiet.
“But you didn’t know everything.””
I leaned forward.
“What don’t I know?””
“My wife was not involved.””
I frowned.
“I never said she was.””
“No.””
Daniel looked up.
“But the investigation destroyed her reputation anyway.””
I remembered the headlines.
The accusations.
The collapse.
Thousands of people lost money.
Careers disappeared overnight.
“I thought the evidence was clear.””
“It was.””
He paused.
“Too clear.””
I stared.
“What does that mean?””
“It means someone wanted you to find it.””
The room became silent.
A terrible thought entered my mind.
“Someone used me.””
Daniel nodded.
“Exactly.””
I stood and walked toward the window.
All these years, I believed I had uncovered a crime.
But what if I had only uncovered what someone wanted me to see?
“Who?””
Daniel looked away.
“I don’t know.””
“You expect me to believe that?””
“I’m telling you the truth.””
I turned.
“Your sister tried to kill me.””
Daniel’s face hardened.
“Yes.””
“And you don’t know why?””
“No.””
He stood.
“But I know one thing.””
“What?””
“Olivia was obsessed with one person.””
“Who?””
Daniel looked directly at me.
“You.””
I said nothing.
Because I remembered something.
A conversation.
Years ago.
Before the accident.
A woman calling my office.
A woman asking for a meeting.
A woman whose name I never remembered.
“Olivia contacted me.””
Daniel’s eyes narrowed.
“When?””
“Before the crash.””
He stepped closer.
“What did she say?””
I searched my memory.
“She said she had proof.””
“Proof of what?””
I closed my eyes.
“I don’t know.””
Daniel looked frustrated.
“You don’t know?””
“She never came to the meeting.””
“Why?””
I remembered the voicemail.
The one I deleted.
Because I thought it was another threat.
“Because she said someone was following her.””
Daniel went quiet.
“Who?””
“I don’t know.””
Before he could respond, my phone rang.
Marcus.
I answered.
“Talk.””
“Sir, we found something from the school footage.””
“What?””
“The woman who gave Nathan the stick.””
I looked at Daniel.
“Olivia.””
“No.””
Marcus’s voice became serious.
“It wasn’t Olivia.””
I froze.
“What?””
“We checked the footage again.””
“Then who was it?””
A pause.
“Sir…”
“What?””
“The woman changed her appearance.””
My stomach tightened.
“What are you saying?””
“We enhanced the image.””
“And?””
Marcus sent another picture.
I opened it.
And felt the air leave my lungs.
The woman in the video wasn’t Olivia.
Not exactly.
It was someone wearing Olivia’s face.
A mask.
A disguise.
Someone wanted us to believe Olivia was alive.
Someone wanted us chasing the wrong person.
“Marcus.””
“Yes?””
“Find out who made the disguise.””
“We’re already trying.””
I looked at Daniel.
His face was pale.
“You understand what this means.””
“Yes.””
“Someone is using your sister’s identity.””
Daniel nodded slowly.
“And they know exactly how to hurt both of us.””
That was when another notification appeared.
A new message.
No number.
No sender.
Just a photo.
Emily.
Standing outside the school.
Taken that morning.
My hands shook.
The message appeared underneath.
“You keep looking for the person who attacked your daughter.””
A second message arrived.
“You should ask who helped her survive.””
I stared at the words.
Because they weren’t a threat.
They were a clue.
And the person sending them knew something I didn’t.
May you like
Something about the night Emily lost her leg.
Something about the reason she survived.
