Chapter 10: The Daughter of the Enemy
Nobody spoke after Sophia Hale’s words.
The room became painfully quiet.
My father stared at her like he had seen a ghost.
Not because he didn’t know who she was.
Because he knew exactly who she was.
“Your daughter?”” I asked.
Michael nodded slowly.
“Sophia is Victor Hale’s only child.””
Sophia didn’t look away.
“And I’m here because I’m tired of watching both families destroy each other over a lie.””
I studied her.
She looked nothing like the monster I expected.
She wasn’t arrogant.
She wasn’t threatening.
She looked exhausted.
Like she had carried a secret for too long.
Thomas stood.
“This is a trap.””
Sophia turned toward him.
“Of course you would say that.””
His expression hardened.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.””
“I know more than you think.””
She reached into her coat and placed a small flash drive on the table.
“I brought proof.””
Richard immediately picked it up.
“What is this?””
“Everything my father hid.””
Nobody moved.
My father looked at the flash drive.
“Why would you help us?””
Sophia looked at him.
“Because I finally found out what kind of man my father really was.””
The answer surprised me.
She sat down across from us.
“Growing up, I thought Victor Hale was a genius.””
She gave a humorless smile.
“Everyone did.””
“He donated money. He gave speeches. He acted like he was saving the world.””
Her fingers tightened around her cup of water.
“But inside our house, he was different.””
I listened carefully.
“He kept files on everyone. Competitors. Employees. Partners.””
She looked at Michael.
“Your family was his biggest obsession.””
Michael’s jaw tightened.
“Why?””
“Because your father built something he couldn’t buy.””
The words hit harder than I expected.
“He couldn’t understand why people trusted Michael Brooks more than they trusted him.””
Thomas looked away.
Sophia continued.
“He didn’t just want the company.””
She paused.
“He wanted your father to lose everything.””
I looked at the flash drive.
“And you have proof?””
“Yes.””
Richard connected it to the computer.
The screen filled with folders.
Financial records.
Private messages.
Photos.
Then one folder appeared.
MICHAEL BROOKS INCIDENT.
My stomach dropped.
Richard opened it.
Inside were documents about the crash.
Insurance records.
Payments.
Names.
And one video file.
Sophia looked at my father.
“You need to watch that.””
Michael didn’t move.
“Why?””
“Because it shows what happened before the crash.””
Richard played the video.
The image was blurry.
A security camera.
A parking garage.
A man walking toward a car.
I leaned closer.
Then I saw him.
Thomas.
My uncle.
My breathing stopped.
Thomas immediately stepped back.
“No.””
The video showed him approaching my father’s car.
Then another figure appeared.
A second person.
Someone wearing a dark coat.
The footage cut off before their face appeared.
Thomas looked at me.
“Daniel, listen to me.””
I couldn’t.
Not after seeing him there.
“You were there.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
He looked devastated.
“Because I was trying to stop it.””
Nobody believed him.
Not even me.
Sophia spoke quietly.
“He’s telling the truth.””
Everyone looked at her.
She continued.
“My father hired someone to sabotage the car.””
Michael stared at her.
“But Thomas was there.””
“He found out.””
Sophia looked at my uncle.
“He was trying to warn you.””
Thomas closed his eyes.
“I was too late.””
The room shifted.
Because suddenly the story wasn’t simple.
My uncle wasn’t innocent.
But he wasn’t the villain either.
I looked at him.
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
His face collapsed.
“Because your father made me promise.””
“Again with the promises.””
“I thought protecting you meant keeping you away from the truth.””
I laughed quietly.
“Everyone’s favorite excuse.””
Sophia looked at me.
“Daniel.””
I turned.
“You don’t have to forgive anyone today.””
The fact that she said that surprised me.
She wasn’t asking me to trust her.
She was just telling me the truth.
Then my father stood.
“We need to leave.””
I looked at him.
“Why?””
He looked at the screen.
Because a new message had appeared.
A message sent from an unknown account.
One sentence.
WE KNOW YOU FOUND SOPHIA.
Michael’s face went pale.
“They’re here.””
A loud crash echoed from downstairs.
Everyone froze.
Richard checked the security cameras.
His eyes widened.
“What?””
I stood.
“What is it?””
He turned the monitor toward us.
The hotel entrance was surrounded.
Not by police.
Not by reporters.
By men in black suits.
May you like
And leading them was a man smiling at the camera.
Victor Hale.
