Chapter 12 - THE SIN OF THE BLACKWOOD FAMILY

The room went silent.

My grandfather.

The man everyone respected.

The founder of the Blackwood empire.

The man whose portrait hung in every company building.

My father looked broken.

“Your grandfather knew about Arthur.”

I couldn’t believe it.

“Then why didn’t he stop him?”

My father sat down slowly.

“Because Arthur wasn’t working alone.”

I felt a cold wave move through me.

“Who else?”

My father looked at the old family portrait.

“Your grandfather made mistakes.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“No.”

He looked at me.

“It’s the beginning.”

He explained everything.

Thirty years ago, my grandfather discovered that Arthur was stealing money from the company.

But instead of exposing him immediately, he tried to control the situation.

He thought he could use Arthur.

He was wrong.

Arthur collected evidence against him.

And when the truth threatened to come out, everyone started protecting themselves.

Including my grandfather.

“Lucas was caught in the middle.”

My father’s voice cracked.

“He found documents he wasn’t supposed to see.”

“What documents?”

My father looked at me.

“Documents proving our family wasn’t completely innocent.”

I felt sick.

The Blackwood name.

The legacy.

Everything had a darker side.

“So Lucas was hidden because he knew the truth?”

My father nodded.

“And you?”

“I was five years old.”

He looked down.

“Arthur convinced everyone you were safer if you knew nothing.”

I laughed quietly.

“My whole life was a lie.”

My father didn’t argue.

Because it was true.

Then my mother entered the room.

She had been listening.

“There is one more thing you need to know.”

I turned.

“What now?”

She held an old envelope.

“I found this years ago.”

She placed it on the table.

It had my grandfather’s handwriting.

My heart raced.

I opened it.

Inside was a confession.

Not from Arthur.

From my grandfather.

The first sentence destroyed me.

I was the reason my family was vulnerable.

I kept reading.

Arthur did not create the monster. I did. I gave him power. I trusted the wrong person.

My hands shook.

Then I reached the final paragraph.

If Vincent ever discovers the truth, he must know one thing. The Blackwood empire cannot survive on lies anymore.

I looked at my family.

At my mother.

My father.

Lucas.

For thirty years, everyone had been fighting to protect something.

But maybe they were protecting the wrong thing.

Then my phone rang.

The police.

I answered.

“Mr. Blackwood?”

“Yes?”

The officer hesitated.

“We found Arthur’s hidden records.”

I stood still.

“What records?”

The officer lowered his voice.

“Evidence of another crime.”

My heart started pounding.

“What crime?”

A pause.

Then:

“Your mother’s disappearance wasn’t the first thing he planned.”

I looked at Clara.

She immediately understood.

Because we both knew.

Arthur’s secret was bigger than we imagined.

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