Chapter 8 - THE TRUTH THAT WAS BURIED
Rachel arrived at Gabriel’s mansion two hours later.
She looked nothing like Harper expected.
She wasn’t angry.
She wasn’t dramatic.
She looked tired.
Like someone who had spent years carrying a secret too heavy to hold.
When she saw Harper, she stopped.
“I’m sorry.”
Harper frowned.
“For what?”
“For not finding you sooner.”
Harper didn’t understand.
Rachel sat down.
“Derek told me I was crazy too.”
The room became quiet.
“He convinced everyone I was unstable.”
Harper listened.
“He isolated me from my friends. My family. Everyone.”
Rachel looked at her.
“Then one night, I escaped.”
Harper swallowed.
“Why didn’t you report him?”
Rachel gave a painful smile.
“I did.”
“And?”
“He was a respected officer.”
The answer was enough.
Rachel pulled a small envelope from her bag.
“I kept copies.”
Gabriel looked at the papers.
“Copies of what?”
“Everything.”
Inside were messages.
Photos.
Documents.
Dates.
Names.
Evidence.
Harper stared.
“Why keep all this?”
Rachel looked at her.
“Because I knew one day someone else would need proof.”
For the first time in years…
Harper felt something she thought she lost.
Hope.
But Derek wasn’t waiting.
Across town, he sat inside his car watching the Ashford mansion.
His phone rang.
“Did you find her?”
A man’s voice answered.
“Yes.”
Derek looked toward the house.
“Good.”
“She has help.”
Derek smiled.
“Gabriel Ashford.”
“Yes.”
Derek’s expression changed.
“That’s a problem.”
“Should we handle him?”
Derek was silent.
Then he said:
“No.”
A pause.
“Not yet.”
He started the engine.
“First, we destroy her.”
That evening, Harper received a message.
A photo.
Her heart stopped.
It was Noah.
Standing outside school.
Taken that same day.
Below the picture were four words.
YOU CAN’T PROTECT HIM.
Harper dropped the phone.
“No…”
Gabriel grabbed it.
His expression changed instantly.
“Where was Noah today?”
“School.”
“Who picked him up?”
“No one.”
Gabriel looked at the photo.
“This picture was taken by someone close.”
Harper started shaking.
“He was there.”
Gabriel looked at her.
“Who?”
May you like
Harper whispered:
“Derek.”
