Chapter 13 - THE FACE BEHIND THE LIE

The screen went black.

But the image remained burned into my mind.

Genevieve standing beside the person I trusted most.

The person who had helped me search for answers.

The person who had stood beside me while my family was falling apart.

I stared at the frozen screen.

“No.”

The word escaped before I could stop it.

Prescott looked at me.

“Lawson…”

I raised my hand.

Nobody spoke.

Because I already knew what everyone was thinking.

The photo wasn’t fake.

The security system had verified it.

The timestamp matched.

The location matched.

The person standing beside my wife was real.

And I knew exactly who it was.

Dr. Franklin Yates.

The man who had treated my children.

The man who had delivered the news that they only had ten days left.

The man who had looked me in the eyes and pretended he was helpless.

My blood turned cold.

“Find him.”

Prescott immediately reached for his phone.

But Clara stopped him.

“No.”

I turned toward her.

“What did you say?”

She looked terrified.

“Lawson, think.”

My anger exploded.

“Think?”

I stepped closer.

“My children are dying. My wife was murdered. Someone has been poisoning my family, and you want me to think?”

Clara’s eyes filled with tears.

“I want you to survive.”

The room became quiet.

“What does that mean?”

She looked at the picture.

“That photo is exactly what they wanted you to see.”

I stared at her.

“You think it’s a trap?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because whoever is behind this knows you.”

Her voice lowered.

“They know your anger. They know your habits. They know you will destroy the first person you believe is responsible.”

I looked at Dr. Yates’ picture again.

For the first time, doubt entered my mind.

Not because I trusted him.

Because I knew someone was playing a bigger game.

A knock came from the hallway.

A guard entered.

“Mr. Mercer.”

“What?”

“We found Dr. Yates.”

My eyes narrowed.

“Where?”

The guard hesitated.

“In the old medical building.”

The abandoned building on the east side of my property.

The place nobody used anymore.

“Take me there.”

The old medical building smelled like dust and forgotten memories.

The lights flickered as we moved through the hallway.

Prescott walked beside me.

“Something feels wrong.”

I nodded.

Because I felt it too.

The door at the end of the hallway was open.

Inside was a desk.

A chair.

A laptop.

And Dr. Yates.

Sitting alone.

Waiting.

He looked up when I entered.

“Lawson.”

I pointed my gun.

“Don’t move.”

His eyes closed.

“I knew this day would come.”

My anger burned.

“You poisoned my children.”

His face changed.

Pain.

Not guilt.

Pain.

“No.”

“Then explain.”

He looked at the weapon.

“Before you kill me, listen.”

“You don’t get to ask for anything.”

“I tried to save them.”

Silence.

I lowered the gun slightly.

“What?”

Dr. Yates looked exhausted.

“The person poisoning your children forced me to hide the truth.”

“Who?”

His eyes moved toward the hallway.

Then back to me.

“Someone inside your family.”

My grip tightened.

“Name.”

He opened his mouth.

Then the lights suddenly went out.

A gunshot exploded.

Dr. Yates fell forward.

Everyone moved at once.

“Down!”

Security rushed through the room.

When the lights returned…

Dr. Yates was gone.

Only one thing remained on the desk.

A note.

I picked it up.

May you like

THE MAID’S DAUGHTER

“GET OUT OF MY HOUSE,” HIS FIANCÉE TOLD THE MAID—THEN THE MAFIA BOSS LOOKED AT HER LITTLE GIRL“Get out of my house. And take that...

**MY HUSBAND CALLED ME A “BARREN LEECH”—HE DIDN’T KNOW MY MONEY WAS KEEP...

My husband threw his wedding ring at my feet and told security to remove the “barren leech” from the ballroom.He had no idea he wa...

MY DAUGHTER’S NOTE STOPPED MY WEDDING—AND EXPOSED MY BRIDE

MY DAUGHTER SLIPPED ME A NOTE BEFORE “I DO”—AND EXPOSED MY BRIDE’S PLANPART 1 — TEN MINUTES BEFORE THE VOWS“Daddy, if you marry he...

Three words.

YOU CHOSE WRONG.