Chapter 6: The Key Beneath Isabella’s Name
Nobody spoke on the way back.
Not one word.
Sofia survived the shooting, but barely.
The bullet missed her heart by inches.
Dante called it luck.
I wasn’t sure I believed in luck anymore.
Because my entire life seemed connected by things that should never have happened.
A necklace.
A photograph.
A dead sister.
A hidden key.
When we returned to the mansion, Ricardo immediately ordered everyone into the security room.
I stood near the table while Dante placed the evidence they had collected from the cemetery.
The key.
A tiny silver key.
Old.
Almost identical to the necklace.
Ricardo looked at me.
“Your mother knew someone would come after you.””
I swallowed.
“She prepared me without telling me.””
“Yes.””
“That doesn’t feel like protection.””
Ricardo didn’t argue.
Because he understood.
I looked at him.
“Did Isabella hate me?””
His expression changed.
“No.””
“How do you know?””
“Because I found her last letter.””
My heart jumped.
“What letter?””
Ricardo reached into a drawer.
He hesitated before handing it to me.
The paper was folded carefully.
The handwriting was elegant.
The same handwriting as the note.
I opened it.
The first line destroyed me.
*Dear Clara,*
I forgot how to breathe.
My sister had written my name.
Not Isabella.
Not some stranger.
My sister.
I continued reading.
*If you are reading this, it means I failed to come home.*
My vision blurred.
*I need you to know something. I never stopped looking for you.*
I covered my mouth.
Ricardo looked away, giving me privacy.
*Mother told me you were dead. But I never believed her. Sisters know when something is missing.*
A tear fell onto the page.
*You were my little sister. The girl I promised to protect.*
I closed my eyes.
For years, I thought nobody remembered me.
But someone had.
Someone had been searching.
The letter continued.
*The necklace you wear is not the secret. It is the warning.*
I stopped.
Warning?
*The person who wants you dead is someone you trust. Someone who has been near you for years.*
My blood ran cold.
Someone I trusted?
I looked up.
Ricardo noticed.
“What?””
I handed him the letter.
He read silently.
Then his expression hardened.
“Who knows you?””
I shook my head.
“Not many people.””
“Think.””
I tried.
My mother.
My coworkers.
My landlord.
Friends.
Then one face appeared.
A face that suddenly felt wrong.
“No.””
Ricardo looked at me.
“Who?””
I stepped back.
“My mother’s old friend.””
“Name.””
My voice became quiet.
“Evelyn’s closest friend after my father died.””
Dante leaned forward.
“Who?””
I looked at him.
“Margaret Bell.””
The room went silent.
Ricardo’s eyes narrowed.
“The woman who came to the mansion?””
I nodded slowly.
“She knew my mother.””
Dante’s expression changed.
“Boss…”
Ricardo understood.
Margaret wasn’t just a messenger.
She had been close enough to know everything.
The lights suddenly flickered.
Everyone reached for their weapons.
Then the security alarm sounded.
Dante checked the cameras.
His face turned pale.
“What?””
He looked at Ricardo.
“Someone entered the mansion.””
Ricardo stood.
“Where?””
Dante stared at the screen.
Then looked at me.
“They’re already inside.””
A second later, the office door behind me slowly opened.
And a voice whispered:
“Hello, Clara.””
I turned.
Margaret Bell stood there.
Holding the missing half of my necklace.
And smiling.
“Your mother spent twenty-eight years hiding the truth from you.””
She lifted the silver piece.
“But she never told you why.””
A pause.
Then she said:
“Because the truth is…”
May you like
Her eyes moved to Ricardo.
“…your father is still alive.””
