Chapter 8 - THE TRUTH UNDER THE FLOOR
The shooting stopped as quickly as it started.
But the silence afterward was terrifying.
Nobody knew who was alive.
Nobody knew who was watching.
Mark slowly moved toward the window.
“Don’t.”
Laura grabbed his arm.
“You don’t even know who’s out there.”
Mark looked at her.
“For once, I need to know.”
He pulled back the curtain.
Nothing.
Only darkness.
Whoever fired the shots was gone.
Rebecca stood up slowly.
Blood ran down her arm.
But she looked more angry than hurt.
“You need to leave.”
Laura stared at her.
“Why?”
Rebecca looked at Mark.
“Because your father was right.”
Nobody spoke.
“What was he right about?” Evelyn asked.
Rebecca looked toward the floor.
“He knew someone inside the family would betray him.”
Everyone looked at each other.
“Who?”
Rebecca shook her head.
“I don’t know.”
That answer shocked them.
“You don’t know?”
“No.”
She looked exhausted.
“Because your father trusted too many people.”
Mark held the letter tighter.
“Then why did he hide everything?”
Rebecca looked at the old house.
“Because this house wasn’t built on land.”
She paused.
“It was built on a secret.”
Claire frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Rebecca walked toward the living room.
She stopped beside the fireplace.
“Your grandfather owned this property.”
She pointed downward.
“But underneath this house is something nobody was supposed to find.”
Mark looked confused.
“What?”
Rebecca moved the old carpet.
Underneath was a hidden metal door.
Laura stared.
“How long has that been there?”
“Since before you were born.”
Rebecca looked at Mark.
“Your father spent his entire life protecting what was inside.”
Mark unlocked it using the key.
The door opened.
A narrow staircase led underground.
The air smelled old.
Like something forgotten.
They descended slowly.
At the bottom was a hidden room.
Inside were hundreds of files.
Photos.
Hard drives.
Documents.
Evidence.
Claire picked up one file.
Her hands froze.
“What?”
Laura asked.
Claire turned the folder around.
Inside was a picture.
A picture of Daniel Cross.
But beside him was someone else.
Their father.
And behind them…
A young Rebecca.
Mark opened another file.
His face changed.
“What?”
Laura moved closer.
“What did you find?”
Mark looked up.
His voice barely came out.
“This isn’t about money.”
He held the document.
“This is about a murder.”
Everyone froze.
Rebecca whispered:
“No…”
Mark looked at her.
“Dad wasn’t protecting the fortune.”
He turned the page.
“He was protecting the identity of the person who killed Daniel Cross.”
Claire grabbed the paper.
Then she saw the name.
Her hands started shaking.
Because the name written there was:
May you like
SARAH BENNETT.
Their mother.
