Chapter 6: The Truth Beneath The Grave
I stared at the photograph until my eyes hurt.
The date couldn’t be real.
It was impossible.
My father had died when I was twelve.
A car accident.
That was the story I had been told.
The story everyone repeated.
But the man in the picture was unmistakably him.
Older.
Different.
Alive.
Standing beside Michael Parker and Vanessa’s father.
I looked up.
“Vanessa.””
She didn’t answer.
She was staring at the photo too.
“Did you know?””
Her lips parted.
“I…”
“Did you know my father was alive?””
“No.””
The answer came too quickly.
I studied her face.
For the first time, I couldn’t tell if she was lying.
My phone rang again.
Michael.
I answered.
“What is this?””
His voice was quiet.
“I knew you would find out eventually.””
“You let me believe my father was dead.””
“I didn’t.””
“Then who did?””
Michael didn’t answer.
That was worse.
“Michael.””
“I found your father eight years after the accident.””
My grip tightened.
“Where?””
“Atlanta.””
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
“Because when I found him, he wasn’t hiding from you.””
A pause.
“He was hiding from someone else.””
I looked at Vanessa.
“Who?””
Michael sighed.
“Vanessa’s father.””
The room went silent.
I walked away from Vanessa.
“Start from the beginning.””
“Your father and Robert Parker built a company together. They were successful. Then Robert started moving money.””
“Stealing?””
“Yes.””
“And my father found out?””
“Yes.””
I looked at the photograph.
“He was killed?””
“No.””
The word shocked me.
“No?””
“Your father discovered the fraud and threatened to expose him. Robert Parker arranged the accident to make him disappear.””
My chest tightened.
“But my father survived.””
“Yes.””
“Then why didn’t he come home?””
Michael’s voice softened.
“Because he was afraid.””
“Of Robert?””
“Yes.””
I looked toward the restaurant windows.
The city lights blurred.
My entire childhood had been built on a lie.
“Where is he now?””
Silence.
Then Michael said:
“He’s gone.””
My heart dropped.
“What do you mean?””
“I found him eight years ago. He was sick.””
“What happened?””
“He left me evidence.””
“What evidence?””
“A recording.””
I sat down.
“What recording?””
“The one Robert Parker spent fifteen years trying to find.””
Vanessa suddenly spoke.
“Michael, stop.””
I turned.
She looked terrified.
Not angry.
Terrified.
“You knew about the recording?””
She looked at me.
“I knew there was something.””
“What did your father do?””
She didn’t answer.
Michael spoke through the phone.
“Ethan, Vanessa isn’t the person you should be afraid of.””
I looked at her.
“Then who?””
Before Michael could answer, the restaurant lights flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Then went out.
Employees shouted in the main dining room.
For a moment, everything was darkness.
Then emergency lights turned on.
My phone screen lit up.
A message appeared.
Unknown number.
*Stop digging into the past. Some people are buried for a reason.*
I stared at the words.
Vanessa walked closer.
“Ethan.””
I looked at her.
“Who sent that?””
Her face went pale.
“I don’t know.””
My phone buzzed again.
Another message.
This time, there was an attachment.
A video.
I pressed play.
The screen showed a dark room.
A man sitting in a chair.
Older.
Weak.
But alive.
My breath caught.
Because I knew that face.
My father.
Then he looked directly into the camera.
And said:
“Ethan, if you’re watching this… it means Robert Parker failed to stop the truth from reaching you.””
The video paused.
Then continued.
“And it also means Vanessa finally confessed.””
I slowly turned toward Vanessa.
She covered her mouth.
Because my father’s next words were not about Robert.
They were about her.
“Ethan, the person who betrayed you first was not Vanessa.””
The video glitched.
May you like
The final sentence appeared.
“The person who destroyed our family was someone you trusted more than anyone.””
