Chapter 9: The Choice That Broke The Family
Victor Hale stood in front of me like he owned the room.
Like he belonged there.
Like the past fifteen years hadn’t happened.
I wanted to hate him immediately.
But something complicated stopped me.
Because somewhere inside me was the terrifying question I couldn’t escape.
What if part of him was telling the truth?
Victor noticed my hesitation.
“You’re wondering.””
I frowned.
“Wondering what?””
“If Arthur told you everything.””
My father stepped forward.
“Enough.””
Victor smiled.
“Still playing the hero.””
“You don’t get to come here and manipulate him.””
Victor looked at me.
“Manipulate?””
He laughed.
“I’m giving him answers.””
I looked at my father.
“Did you steal something from him?””
My father didn’t respond.
That silence hurt.
“Dad.””
He looked at me.
“No.””
Victor immediately laughed.
“There it is.””
He shook his head.
“Same answer. Same lies.””
Rachel stepped forward.
“Victor, leave.””
He ignored her.
Instead, he placed another folder on the table.
“Open it.””
I didn’t move.
Victor smiled.
“Go ahead.””
My father grabbed the folder.
“No.””
I looked at him.
“Why?””
“Because you don’t know what he’s trying to do.””
I stared at my father.
“That’s the problem.””
The words hurt him.
But they were true.
“I don’t know anything.””
Slowly, I opened the folder.
Inside were financial records.
Old contracts.
Emails.
Photographs.
I flipped through them.
Then I stopped.
One document had my father’s signature.
And Victor’s.
“What is this?””
Victor answered.
“The agreement between us.””
I looked at my father.
“Explain.””
My father took a deep breath.
“Before I met your mother, Victor and I built a company together.””
My eyes moved between them.
“You were partners.””
“Yes.””
Victor smiled bitterly.
“Until Arthur betrayed me.””
My father’s expression hardened.
“I saved the company.””
“You took control.””
“I prevented you from destroying it.””
The room went silent.
I looked at Victor.
“Did you?””
His smile faded.
For the first time, I saw anger.
Real anger.
“You weren’t there, Ethan.””
“No.””
I looked at him.
“I wasn’t.””
“And that’s because Arthur made sure your mother disappeared with him.””
My father’s voice became sharp.
“Don’t.””
Victor ignored him.
“Your mother discovered what I was planning.””
I looked at him.
“What were you planning?””
Nobody answered.
Victor looked at Diane.
That was when I noticed.
She looked terrified.
Not angry.
Not defensive.
Terrified.
“You know,” I said.
Diane shook her head.
“No.””
But her voice was weak.
“You know what happened.””
She looked away.
My father noticed.
“Diane.””
She closed her eyes.
“I didn’t want this.””
“What didn’t you want?””
She whispered:
“For Victor to come back.””
The room froze.
Vanessa looked at her mother.
“You knew he was alive?””
Diane didn’t answer.
Vanessa stepped back.
“Oh my God.””
Victor smiled.
“Your mother and I have always understood each other.””
Diane immediately snapped:
“Don’t.””
Everyone turned.
Victor laughed.
“There she is.””
I felt sick.
“How are you connected?””
Diane looked at me.
“I was involved in the original deal.””
“What deal?””
She swallowed.
“The deal that protected your father’s company.””
My father looked shocked.
“You never told him?””
Diane looked away.
“I was ashamed.””
Victor interrupted.
“She helped Arthur bury the truth.””
My father shook his head.
“That’s not true.””
Victor smiled.
“Isn’t it?””
The room became a battlefield of secrets.
I looked at everyone.
My father.
My mother-in-law.
My biological father.
The people who had shaped my entire life.
And I realized something.
They all had one thing in common.
They decided what I was allowed to know.
My phone buzzed.
Another message.
This time from Rachel.
I looked at her.
She looked confused.
“I didn’t send that.””
I opened it.
A single sentence.
*Ask Arthur why your mother died.*
My blood turned cold.
I slowly looked at my father.
He saw the message.
And his face changed.
Not anger.
Not surprise.
Fear.
“Dad?””
He didn’t answer.
“Why would someone ask me that?””
My father sat down.
His hands shook.
“Because…”
He stopped.
I stepped closer.
“Because what?””
He looked at me.
And whispered the words I never expected to hear.
“Because your mother’s death was not an accident.””
The room went silent.
May you like
And then Victor smiled.
“Now you’re finally ready to hear the truth.””
