Chapter 8 - THE LIE RYAN CARRIED

I found Ryan the next morning.

He was standing outside his office.

The second he saw my face, he knew.

“What happened?”

I walked straight toward him.

“How long have you known about Lily?”

His expression changed.

That was enough.

He knew.

“You’re going to explain.”

“Emma…”

“How long?”

He looked away.

“Six months.”

I felt like the ground disappeared.

“Six months?”

“I was trying to find out the truth.”

“No.”

My voice became sharp.

“You were hiding another secret from me.”

“I didn’t know how to tell you.”

“That’s your excuse?”

Ryan stepped closer.

“I found Lily while investigating my mother.”

“And you said nothing?”

“I was afraid.”

I laughed bitterly.

“Everyone in my life keeps saying they were afraid.”

My eyes burned.

“My mother was afraid. You were afraid. Everyone knew something except me.”

Ryan looked ashamed.

“I wanted to protect you.”

“No.”

I shook my head.

“You wanted to control what I knew.”

That hurt him.

Because it was true.

Ryan reached into his coat and handed me a folder.

“This is everything I found.”

I opened it.

Inside were photos.

Reports.

Letters.

And one document that made my hands shake.

A DNA test.

I looked at him.

“What is this?”

He swallowed.

“Your father knew about Lily.”

I looked down.

The document showed he had tried to contact her years ago.

But someone intercepted the letters.

Someone stopped them.

Someone with access.

I turned the page.

And there it was.

A signature.

Diane Caldwell.

My anger turned into something colder.

“She destroyed a family.”

Ryan nodded.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

He looked at me.

“Because Lily was the only person who could expose her.”

I looked confused.

“What does Lily have?”

Ryan took a deep breath.

“Your father gave her something before he died.”

“What?”

“The original company records.”

My eyes widened.

“The proof?”

“Yes.”

The truth.

The thing Diane had spent twenty-two years trying to destroy.

My phone rang.

This time, it was Lily.

I answered.

“Emma.”

Her voice sounded nervous.

“I’m ready to meet.”

“Where?”

She gave me an address.

Before hanging up, she said:

“But come alone.”

I frowned.

“Why?”

Her answer froze me.

“Because someone has been following me.”

The place Lily chose was an old coffee shop outside the city.

I arrived early.

I sat in the corner.

Waiting.

Five minutes passed.

Ten.

Twenty.

Then the door opened.

A woman walked in.

She looked like my father.

Same eyes.

Same smile.

Same sadness.

I knew immediately.

My sister.

Lily saw me.

She stopped.

For a moment, neither of us moved.

Then she whispered:

“You really are his daughter.”

I stood.

“And you really are my sister.”

We hugged.

A stranger’s hug.

But somehow familiar.

Then Lily pulled away.

Her expression changed.

“Emma…”

“What?”

“He didn’t die because of an accident.”

I held my breath.

“I know.”

“No.”

She shook her head.

“You don’t understand.”

She looked around the coffee shop.

“Your father wasn’t killed because he was exposing Diane.”

“Then why?”

Lily leaned closer.

“Because he discovered Diane wasn’t working alone.”

My blood ran cold.

“Who was helping her?”

Lily looked directly into my eyes.

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