Chapter 13: The Night My Father Vanished
The room felt smaller after Ethan spoke.
“I was there.””
Four words.
Four words that changed everything.
I stared at him.
My grandmother covered her mouth.
Even Dean Whitmore looked shocked.
Nobody expected that answer.
Not even me.
“You were there,” I repeated.
Ethan nodded slowly.
“The night Daniel disappeared.””
My hands tightened around the letter.
“And you never told me?””
“I tried.””
“No.””
My voice cracked.
“You protected me from the truth.””
Ethan accepted the anger.
“Yes.””
The honesty hurt more than a lie.
“Why?””
He looked toward my father’s desk.
“Because Daniel asked me to.””
I laughed quietly.
“Of course he did.””
I shook my head.
“Everyone keeps using my father’s name to explain why they kept me in the dark.””
My grandmother stepped closer.
“Amelia—”
“No.””
I looked at everyone.
“I spent years believing my father left me.””
My voice became unsteady.
“Then I found out he was protecting me.””
I looked at Ethan.
“Now I find out the person protecting me was hiding the biggest secret.””
Ethan lowered his head.
“You deserve to be angry.””
“I am.””
A long silence followed.
Then Ethan finally spoke.
“Your father discovered Richard Hale was planning to take control of several companies through illegal financial agreements.””
I listened.
“Daniel collected evidence.””
“The notebook.””
“Yes.””
“But Richard found out.””
I looked at the letter.
“What happened that night?””
Ethan took a breath.
“Daniel called me.””
“Why you?””
“Because he trusted me.””
The answer hurt.
“What did he say?””
Ethan looked at the old desk.
“He said if anything happened to him, I had to protect you.””
I stared.
“And then?””
“He met Richard.””
My heart stopped.
“Alone?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Because Daniel believed he could convince him to stop.””
Ethan’s expression changed.
“He was wrong.””
The room went quiet.
“What happened?””
“They argued.””
“About what?””
“The evidence.””
Ethan paused.
“Then someone else arrived.””
My grandmother looked up.
“Who?””
Ethan looked at me.
“Someone neither of them expected.””
My stomach tightened.
“Who?””
Before Ethan could answer, the lights flickered.
Everyone froze.
A second later, every computer screen in the office turned on.
A message appeared.
*YOU SHOULD HAVE LEFT THE PAST BURIED.*
Dean Whitmore stepped back.
“How did they get inside?””
Ethan immediately moved toward the security panel.
“They’re controlling the system remotely.””
Another message appeared.
*AMELIA CARTER.*
Then:
*YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO KNOW THE ENDING.*
My blood ran cold.
My father’s office.
My father’s secrets.
Someone was watching.
Ethan grabbed his phone.
“Security breach. Lock down the building.””
No response.
He tried again.
Nothing.
That was when he realized.
“They disabled internal communications.””
My grandmother looked terrified.
“Just like before.””
I looked at her.
“Before?””
She hesitated.
Ethan noticed.
“What aren’t you telling us?””
My grandmother looked at me.
“I never told you everything about your father’s last night.””
The room became silent again.
I stepped toward her.
“What?””
She looked ashamed.
“Because Daniel asked me not to.””
I closed my eyes.
Another secret.
Another missing piece.
“What happened?””
She whispered:
“Your father came to my house before he disappeared.””
I froze.
“He was injured.””
My heart raced.
“He told me he had failed.””
“Failed?””
She nodded.
“He said someone close to him had betrayed him.””
The computer screens flickered again.
A final message appeared.
*ASK YOUR GRANDMOTHER WHO SHE SAW LEAVE THAT NIGHT.*
Everyone looked at her.
My grandmother’s face turned pale.
Because she knew exactly what that message meant.
I whispered:
“Grandma…”
She looked at me.
And tears filled her eyes.
“The person I saw leaving your father’s house…”
A pause.
“The person who was with him before he vanished…”
May you like
She looked at Ethan.
“It was Ethan Sterling.””
