Chapter 14 - THE TRUTH COMES OUT

The warehouse was abandoned.

At least, it looked abandoned.

Broken windows.

Dust-covered floors.

Dark corners.

The perfect place for someone who wanted secrets to disappear.

I walked inside alone.

“Michael.”

My voice echoed.

A slow clap came from the darkness.

“You came.”

Michael stepped forward.

Older than I remembered.

Colder than I remembered.

“You look just like your father.”

I stared at him.

“Where is Ryan?”

He smiled.

“Still worried about him.”

“You don’t get to talk about him.”

He laughed.

“You know what’s interesting about people?”

“What?”

“They always believe they are the good ones.”

I stepped closer.

“You killed my father.”

Michael’s smile disappeared.

“No.”

That surprised me.

“I didn’t kill him.”

“Then tell me the truth.”

He looked at me.

“Your father killed himself.”

My blood ran cold.

“What?”

“He chose to fight a battle he couldn’t win.”

I shook my head.

“You’re lying.”

Michael sighed.

“Your father found everything.”

He walked closer.

“He found Diane’s theft. He found Lily. He found me.”

“Then why is he dead?”

“Because he refused to cooperate.”

My fists tightened.

“You threatened him.”

“I warned him.”

“You destroyed him.”

Michael looked almost offended.

“No, Emma.”

His voice became darker.

“People destroy themselves when they refuse reality.”

Then a door opened behind him.

Ryan was pushed forward.

His face was bruised.

But he was alive.

“Ryan!”

I moved toward him.

Michael stopped me.

“Not yet.”

Ryan looked at me.

His eyes were full of regret.

“Emma…”

“Are you okay?”

He nodded.

“I’m sorry.”

I almost laughed.

Even now.

Still those words.

But this time, I believed him.

Because he wasn’t hiding.

Michael walked around us.

“You know what your problem is?”

I looked at him.

“You think love makes people loyal.”

He smiled.

“But people are loyal to power.”

Then he pulled out a folder.

My father’s documents.

“You want the truth?”

He threw it on the ground.

“Read it.”

I picked it up.

Inside was a letter.

My father’s handwriting.

My hands trembled as I read.

“Emma, if you ever find this, I need you to know one thing…”

I stopped breathing.

“He was writing to me.”

Michael watched.

“Keep reading.”

The letter continued.

“I made mistakes. I hurt people. I thought I could fix everything before anyone got hurt.”

I looked at Lily.

My father was apologizing.

“To my daughters…”

My eyes filled.

“To Emma and Lily.”

For the first time, I felt like I knew him again.

The letter continued.

“Michael believes money is everything. Diane believes control is everything. But they are both wrong.”

I looked up.

Michael’s expression changed.

Because he knew what came next.

“My greatest mistake was trusting Michael.”

The room became silent.

Michael’s face hardened.

I continued reading.

“If anything happens to me, do not fight each other. The only way they lose is if my daughters stand together.”

I looked at Lily.

She nodded.

Michael suddenly moved.

Too fast.

He grabbed my arm.

Ryan reacted immediately.

He pushed Michael away.

For the first time…

Ryan wasn’t protecting his mother.

He was protecting me.

Michael stumbled back.

And that was his mistake.

Because outside the warehouse…

sirens appeared.

Michael froze.

“What did you do?”

I looked at him.

“I stopped trusting people who tell me they’re protecting me.”

The police entered.

Behind them were Jake, Lily, and my mother.

Michael stared at me.

“You think this is over?”

I looked at him.

“No.”

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I stepped closer.

“It’s finally beginning.”