Chapter 6: The Truth Hidden Underground
The emergency lights flickered on.
A dim red glow filled the archive.
And standing in the doorway was the last person I expected.
Thomas Brooks.
My uncle.
My father’s brother.
The man who had spent years telling me he loved me.
He looked older.
His hair was gray.
His expensive suit was perfectly pressed.
Even after all these years, he still carried himself like a man who owned every room he entered.
But something was different.
Fear.
Real fear.
His eyes moved from me to the folder in my hand.
Then to the letter.
“Daniel.””
I stepped in front of Lily.
“What are you doing here?””
Thomas looked at Richard.
Then Elena.
“You told him.””
Nobody answered.
That was answer enough.
My grip tightened around the papers.
“You knew.””
Thomas sighed.
“I was hoping you would never come back.””
The words hurt more than I expected.
Not because they surprised me.
Because they confirmed everything.
“You were hoping I would stay away?””
He looked at me.
“Daniel, you don’t understand.””
“I understand plenty.””
I held up the letter.
“You knew my father was investigating you.””
His face changed.
Only for a second.
But I saw it.
“You found that.””
“Yes.””
“Then you know why he did what he did.””
I stared at him.
“Why don’t you tell me?””
Thomas walked slowly into the room.
“Because your father was paranoid.””
Elena stepped forward.
“Don’t.””
Thomas looked at her.
“You still protect him?””
She shook her head.
“I protect the truth.””
He laughed quietly.
“The truth?””
He looked around the archive.
“You want the truth? Fine.””
He pointed at the boxes.
“Your father built this room because he trusted nobody.””
“Except you?””
His expression hardened.
“No.””
That answer surprised me.
“Then who?””
Thomas looked at the photograph of my father.
“Your father trusted only one person.””
He looked at me.
“You.””
I frowned.
“That makes no sense.””
“It does.””
Thomas took a deep breath.
“Your father knew someone close to him was stealing from the company. He knew someone was trying to destroy everything he built.””
“Was it you?””
He didn’t answer immediately.
That silence was enough to make my heart sink.
“Answer me.””
Thomas looked away.
“I made mistakes.””
My stomach twisted.
“Mistakes?””
Richard stepped forward.
“Michael Brooks discovered financial transfers connecting Thomas to a private account.””
Thomas glared at him.
“You don’t know the whole story.””
“Then explain.””
He looked at me.
“I was trying to save the company.””
I almost laughed.
“By stealing?””
“I borrowed money.””
“Without permission?””
“I was going to return it.””
“People always say that.””
The room went silent.
Thomas looked hurt.
Not angry.
Hurt.
And somehow that made it worse.
Because part of me still saw the uncle who taught me to ride a bicycle.
The uncle who sat beside me during thunderstorms.
The uncle who told me family was everything.
“I didn’t kill your father,” Thomas said.
Nobody spoke.
The sentence hung in the air.
Because I realized something.
I had never accused him of murder.
Not out loud.
But he knew exactly what I was thinking.
“What happened that night?””
Thomas looked at Claire.
Then at the floor.
“Your father was going to expose someone.””
“Who?””
Thomas slowly looked at me.
“Someone you never suspected.””
A notification sound suddenly came from the archive computer.
Everyone turned.
The old monitor, which had been turned off, came alive.
A file appeared automatically.
A video.
The title was simple.
MICHAEL BROOKS — FINAL MESSAGE.
My breath caught.
“My father recorded something?””
Richard moved closer.
“I didn’t know this existed.””
The video began loading.
Then my father appeared on the screen.
Older.
Tired.
Like a man who knew he didn’t have much time left.
He looked directly into the camera.
And the first words he said destroyed everything I thought I knew.
“Daniel, if you are watching this, it means Thomas found you before I could tell you the truth.””
Thomas stepped backward.
His face went pale.
My father continued.
“And it means the person who betrayed our family is still alive.””
The video paused.
The screen went black.
Then one final line appeared.
A name.
Not Thomas.
Not anyone I expected.
A name that made Claire cover her mouth.
May you like
Because the person my father accused…
Was someone standing in that room with us.
