Chapter 8: The Father Who Buried the Truth
I stared at my father.
For years, I imagined the worst things Juliette could have done.
I imagined betrayal.
Jealousy.
Cruelty.
But I never imagined my father standing in the center of it all.
"You?""
My voice barely came out.
"You were the target?""
My father nodded slowly.
Nathan looked confused.
"Why would anyone want Douglas dead?""
Detective Vance's expression changed.
"Because of the company.""
My father looked at him.
"You figured it out.""
Detective Vance placed the recorder into his bag.
"Not completely.""
I looked between them.
"What aren't you telling me?""
Nobody answered.
That silence was louder than any confession.
I stepped toward my father.
"No more secrets.""
His eyes filled with tears.
"I was trying to protect you.""
"You keep saying that.""
My voice shook.
"But every secret you protected destroyed me.""
He looked down.
"I know.""
For the first time, he didn't defend himself.
"I know I failed you.""
The words hurt because they were honest.
My father had always been strong.
The kind of man who never apologized.
Seeing him broken was almost worse.
"What did Mom find?""
He took a deep breath.
"Your mother discovered someone inside the company was laundering money.""
"Who?""
He looked at me.
"I don't know.""
I shook my head.
"Again?""
"No.""
His voice became desperate.
"This time I mean it.""
He looked toward the ruined house.
"Your mother kept investigating. She found documents. Names. Accounts.""
"And then she died.""
His silence answered.
I felt my stomach tighten.
"Mom's cancer was real.""
"Yes.""
"But?""
My father looked away.
"She believed someone made her sick.""
The words hung in the air.
Nathan stepped back.
"You're saying she was poisoned?""
"I don't know.""
My father rubbed his face.
"But she believed it.""
Detective Vance looked serious.
"And Caroline knew?""
My father nodded.
"Your mother told her.""
I froze.
"What?""
"You found the files before the fire.""
Memories flashed.
A week before the flames.
My mother crying in my bedroom.
Her hands holding a folder.
Her voice whispering:
"Promise me you'll never trust anyone with this.""
I had forgotten.
Or maybe my mind buried it.
Because remembering hurt too much.
"I had the files?""
My father nodded.
"Juliette knew.""
My chest tightened.
"How?""
"She saw you with them.""
A horrible thought formed.
"She wasn't trying to kill me because of Nathan.""
"No.""
My father looked at me.
"She thought you had evidence.""
The pieces began falling together.
Juliette's obsession.
The fire.
My fake death.
The stolen documents.
But one question remained.
"Why did she keep Lily?""
My father's expression changed.
Because he knew.
"Because Lily was proof.""
"Proof of what?""
He looked at Nathan.
Nathan went pale.
"What?""
My father swallowed.
"Your mother discovered Juliette wasn't the only person involved.""
Everyone turned.
"Who else?""
My father looked at Nathan.
"Someone close to you.""
Nathan shook his head.
"No.""
"I didn't say it was you.""
The relief disappeared immediately.
Because my father continued.
"I said someone close.""
A phone rang.
Detective Vance answered.
"Yes?""
He listened.
Then his face changed.
"What?""
He walked away.
A minute later, he returned.
"We have a problem.""
I stood.
"What happened?""
He looked at me.
"The hospital records from Pennsylvania were accessed.""
"When?""
"Today.""
My blood ran cold.
"By who?""
Detective Vance handed me a printed record.
A name appeared at the bottom.
The person who requested access.
My hands went numb.
Because I knew the name.
Everyone knew the name.
Juliette Mercer.
But she was in police custody.
Nathan stared.
"How could she access anything?""
Detective Vance shook his head.
"She couldn't.""
"Then who did?""
Nobody spoke.
Then my phone received a message.
One sentence.
One name.
May you like
A name that made my father collapse into a chair.
*Your mother is alive.*
