Chapter 13: The Last Piece Of The Letter
Ryan didn’t move.
Nobody did.
The room felt frozen around us.
My mother’s words stayed in the air.
“The person he trusted most.””
I looked at Ryan.
Because everyone else looked at him too.
Vanessa’s expression changed.
“You have it.””
Ryan shook his head immediately.
“No.””
My voice was barely above a whisper.
“Ryan.””
He looked at me.
And I saw something in his eyes.
Not guilt.
Fear.
That scared me more.
“What do you mean no?””
Ryan took a step back.
“Emily, I don’t have the letter.””
“Then why do you look like you know something?””
He looked away.
Because he did.
I knew him.
Even after everything.
Even after the lies.
I knew when he was hiding something.
“Ryan.””
He sat down.
Slowly.
“I didn’t have the missing piece.””
“Then who did?””
He closed his eyes.
“Your father gave it to me.””
The room went silent.
My anger returned instantly.
“You just said you didn’t have it.””
“I don’t.””
“Where is it?””
Ryan looked at the floor.
“I destroyed it.””
The words hit me harder than I expected.
“You what?””
Vanessa stepped forward.
“Ryan…”
He shook his head.
“I had no choice.””
I laughed.
“No choice?””
My voice broke.
“Everyone keeps saying that.””
Ryan looked at me.
“Your father gave me the letter because he knew someone would try to force me to reveal it.””
“Who?””
He looked toward my mother.
Then Vanessa.
Then me.
“He didn’t write a name.””
“Then what was in it?””
Ryan’s hands tightened.
“A warning.””
“About who?””
Ryan looked at me.
“About you.””
My heart stopped.
“What?””
“Not that you were responsible.””
He quickly continued.
“He was afraid someone would use you to get control of the company.””
My mother nodded.
“That’s why he kept everything hidden.””
I looked at the torn letter.
“But why destroy the evidence?””
Ryan looked ashamed.
“Because the person who came after me knew I had it.””
“Who?””
His jaw tightened.
“The night after your father died, someone broke into my apartment.””
Everyone went quiet.
“They searched everything.””
Ryan continued.
“They found the letter.””
My eyes narrowed.
“But you said you destroyed it.””
“I did.””
“How?””
Ryan looked at me.
“Because I knew if they took it, they would know what your father discovered.””
Vanessa frowned.
“What did he discover?””
Ryan didn’t answer.
Instead, he reached into his wallet.
He pulled out a small piece of paper.
Folded.
Old.
Worn.
My breath caught.
“You kept part of it?””
Ryan nodded.
“The only part I memorized.””
He unfolded it.
The handwriting was my father’s.
One sentence.
That was all.
But it changed everything.
*The person closest to Emily is not protecting her. They are preparing to take everything from her.*
I looked at my mother.
She looked hurt.
I looked at Ryan.
Then Vanessa.
Everyone had a reason.
Everyone had secrets.
“How do we know who?””
Ryan looked at the security footage.
“We find out who entered your house.””
My phone suddenly buzzed.
A new message.
Unknown number.
This time, there was a photo.
I opened it.
My blood turned cold.
It was a picture of my father’s office.
But this time, the image was different.
There was someone standing beside him.
Someone alive.
Someone I recognized.
I dropped the phone.
Ryan picked it up.
His face changed.
“What?””
Vanessa looked over.
Then she froze.
Because in the picture…
My father wasn’t alone.
May you like
He was standing beside my mother.
The night he died.
