Chapter 15 - THE MAN WHO KNEW MY FATHER
I spent my entire life believing my father was perfect.
Not because he was.
Because I needed him to be.
He was the person who protected me.
The person who made me feel safe.
The person who promised nothing bad would ever happen to me.
But standing there…
With Richard smiling…
And Michael refusing to look at me…
I realized something.
My father was human.
And humans make mistakes.
“Michael.”
My voice shook.
“Tell me.”
He stayed silent.
“Please.”
Finally, he spoke.
“Your father made one mistake.”
Richard smiled.
“There it is.”
Michael looked at him.
“Be quiet.”
Richard laughed.
“You spent years protecting his secret.”
I looked at Michael.
“What secret?”
Michael took a deep breath.
“Before your father died…”
A pause.
“He discovered Richard wasn’t working alone.”
I waited.
“Someone inside the family was helping him.”
My heart dropped.
“Who?”
Michael looked at me.
“I never found out.”
Richard smiled.
“Because he never wanted you to know.”
I looked at Richard.
“Why are you telling me this?”
His expression changed.
For the first time…
He looked almost human.
“Because your father ruined my life.”
A pause.
“But he also ruined yours.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
I looked at Michael.
“No more secrets.”
Michael nodded slowly.
Then he reached into his coat.
And pulled out a final envelope.
My name was written on it.
Again.
My father’s handwriting.
I stared.
“How many things did he leave behind?”
Michael whispered:
“Enough to destroy everyone.”
I opened it.
Inside was a letter.
Emma,
If you are reading this, then the people around you have finally shown their true faces.
I stopped.
The letter continued.
But there is one person you must never blame.
Michael Russo.
He protected you when I could not.
My eyes filled with tears.
I looked at Michael.
He looked away.
My father trusted him.
The letter continued.
The person responsible for everything is not the one you think.
Richard Blackwell is dangerous.
But he is not the beginning.
My hands started shaking.
Not the beginning?
Then who?
I kept reading.
The person who betrayed me was someone who knew my heart.
Someone I loved.
Someone I trusted.
I looked up.
Everyone was silent.
Then the final sentence appeared.
The person who destroyed our family…
Was someone who called themselves family.
The lights suddenly went out.
A gunshot echoed.
Everyone dropped.
Michael pulled me down.
When the emergency lights came on…
Richard was gone.
Daniel was gone.
And on the table…
The letter from my father was missing.
But one thing remained.
A new note.
Not from Richard.
Not from Vanessa.
Not from Sarah.
From someone else.
Someone who had been watching us the entire time.
The message said:
YOU FINALLY FOUND THE TRUTH.
NOW FIND THE PERSON WHO STARTED IT.
I looked at Michael.
His face was pale.
Because he knew exactly what it meant.
May you like
The enemy was never outside my family.
It was inside.
