Chapter 5: The Secret Hidden Beneath the Ashes
The police took Juliette away before sunset.
But the questions she left behind stayed.
That night, I sat in a quiet hotel room with Lily asleep beside me.
I watched her chest rise and fall.
Five years.
I had lost five years.
I reached out and gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face.
She moved slightly.
"Mommy?""
My heart broke all over again.
"I'm here.""
She opened her eyes halfway.
"You're not going away again, right?""
The question was so small.
So innocent.
I felt tears burn my eyes.
"No.""
I kissed her forehead.
"I'm not going anywhere.""
Across the room, Nathan stood by the window.
He hadn't said much since the wedding.
Neither had I.
There was too much history between us.
Too much pain.
Finally, he spoke.
"I should have looked harder.""
I looked at him.
"Nathan...""
"No.""
He shook his head.
"I believed them.""
His voice cracked.
"Five years. I went to your funeral. I mourned you.""
I looked down.
"You loved me?""
He turned around.
"Every day.""
The honesty hurt.
Because I still remembered waking up alone.
I still remembered waiting for someone.
Anyone.
"Then why didn't you question it?""
His face fell.
"I did.""
He sat down.
"Juliette told me you hated me. She said before the fire, you planned to leave.""
I stared at him.
"She said that?""
He nodded.
"She showed me messages.""
My stomach tightened.
"What messages?""
Nathan looked confused.
"Texts from your phone.""
I felt cold.
"My phone was destroyed in the fire.""
"I know that now.""
Detective Vance walked into the room.
He had been waiting outside.
"That's why we need to talk.""
I looked at him.
"What did you find?""
He placed a folder on the table.
"Your phone records.""
Nathan leaned forward.
"The messages?""
"Fake.""
Detective Vance opened the folder.
"Someone cloned Caroline's number and sent messages pretending to be her.""
My hands curled into fists.
"Juliette.""
"Most likely.""
He paused.
"But there's something else.""
I hated those words.
Every time someone said them, my life changed.
"What?""
Detective Vance pulled out another document.
"A bank transfer.""
Nathan looked at it.
"From Juliette?""
"No.""
Detective Vance looked at me.
"From your father.""
The room went silent.
I stared.
"My father?""
The document showed a payment made three days before the fire.
A large payment.
To an unknown account.
Nathan looked shocked.
"Douglas knew?""
I couldn't breathe.
"No.""
But my own voice didn't believe me.
My entire life, I thought my father was the one person who would protect me.
Even when he sat silently through Juliette's lies.
Even when he accepted my death.
I wanted to believe he was just weak.
Not involved.
Detective Vance watched me carefully.
"Caroline, your father has been hiding something.""
"What?""
"He knew Juliette was obsessed with Nathan.""
I closed my eyes.
"He knew?""
"He confronted her before the fire.""
My stomach dropped.
"Why didn't he tell me?""
Detective Vance hesitated.
"Because he was afraid.""
"Afraid of what?""
The detective opened another folder.
Inside was an old photograph.
A photograph of my mother.
On the back was a handwritten note.
I recognized my father's handwriting.
If Caroline ever finds out the truth about her mother, she will leave this family forever.
I looked up.
"What truth?""
Nobody answered.
Then my phone rang.
The number was blocked.
I almost ignored it.
But something inside me told me to answer.
"Hello?""
Silence.
Then a woman's voice whispered:
"Caroline.""
I froze.
Because I knew that voice.
It couldn't be possible.
The woman spoke again.
"You need to stop looking for answers.""
My blood ran cold.
"Who is this?""
A pause.
Then:
"The woman Juliette tried to kill.""
The phone slipped slightly in my hand.
Nathan stood.
"Caroline?""
The voice continued.
"Your sister didn't start the fire.""
I couldn't move.
"What did you say?""
The woman whispered:
May you like
"She was covering up someone else's crime.""
Then the call ended.
