Chapter 7 - THE SECRET IN THE PHOTOGRAPH
Mara didn’t sleep.
The photograph stayed on the kitchen table all night.
Every time she looked at it, another question appeared.
Why was her mother with Julian’s family?
Why did nobody tell her?
And what happened that night?
The next morning, Mara went back to the Vale mansion.
This time, she wasn’t hiding.
Julian was waiting in his office.
“I received something.”
She placed the photograph on his desk.
His face changed immediately.
“Where did you get this?”
“Someone sent it to me.”
Julian picked it up carefully.
His fingers tightened.
“I haven’t seen this picture in fifteen years.”
“Who took it?”
Julian stayed silent.
Mara stepped closer.
“Julian.”
He finally answered.
“My father.”
“Why was my mother there?”
Julian looked away.
“Because she found something.”
“What?”
He walked to the window.
“My father was involved in illegal financial deals.”
Mara froze.
“You’re saying your family was corrupt?”
“I’m saying my father was not the man everyone thought he was.”
The honesty surprised her.
Rich people rarely admitted their families were broken.
They usually buried the damage.
Julian continued.
“Your mother discovered documents proving money was being moved through fake companies.”
“And then?”
“She planned to expose him.”
Mara whispered:
“But she disappeared.”
Julian nodded.
“Yes.”
The room felt heavier.
“Did your father hurt her?”
Julian closed his eyes.
“I don’t know.”
That answer scared Mara more than anything else.
Because it meant nobody knew the truth.
Suddenly, Julian’s phone rang.
He answered.
His expression changed.
“What?”
A pause.
“Are you sure?”
He ended the call.
“What happened?”
“The security footage from last night was deleted.”
Mara frowned.
“But you already saw it.”
“Not all of it.”
Julian looked at the screen.
“Someone removed the backup files.”
“Can they recover them?”
“Yes.”
A pause.
“But whoever did it knew exactly where to look.”
Mara crossed her arms.
“Someone inside your house.”
Julian nodded.
“Yes.”
Before they could continue, the office door opened.
Celeste walked in.
She looked exhausted.
But she was smiling.
“Julian, we need to talk.”
He didn’t move.
“You first.”
Celeste stopped.
“What?”
“Tell me why you knew Anna Ellison.”
The smile disappeared.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
May you like
Then Celeste whispered:
“Because I was there the night she disappeared.”
