Chapter 7: The Call From the Person Derek Feared
The phone continued ringing.
Nobody moved.
Not even the detective.
The sound echoed through the living room, louder with every second.
Unknown number.
The same number that had warned me.
The same number that knew about my room.
The same number Derek recognized.
I stared at him.
“How do you know that number?””
For the first time since I met him, Derek looked like he had no prepared answer.
His eyes moved toward the phone.
Then toward the front door.
Then back to me.
That tiny movement told me everything.
He wasn’t confused.
He was afraid.
“Chloe,” he said quietly, “don’t answer.””
A strange calm settled over me.
Because when someone tells you not to do something, the first question is always:
Why?
“Why?””
Derek stepped closer.
“Because you don’t know who it is.””
I looked at him.
“And you do?””
Silence.
The detective noticed.
“Mr. Walker?””
Derek ignored him.
“Chloe, please.””
Please.
The word sounded foreign coming from him.
An hour ago, he had ordered me to kneel.
Now he was asking.
I looked at the phone.
Then I answered.
“Hello?””
Nobody spoke at first.
Only breathing.
Then a woman’s voice.
Soft.
Tired.
“Chloe?””
My body went still.
Because I recognized that voice.
Not from today.
Not from Derek.
From somewhere much older.
“Who is this?””
The woman took a shaky breath.
“My name is Evelyn Morgan.””
My heart stopped.
My grandmother’s name.
No.
Impossible.
“My grandmother?””
The room changed instantly.
Richard looked up.
Derek’s face lost all color.
The woman on the phone continued.
“I know you were told I died before you understood everything.””
I gripped the phone tighter.
My grandmother had been dead for six years.
I had attended her funeral.
I had held her hand in the hospital.
I had watched her take her last breath.
“This is impossible.””
“I know it sounds impossible.””
The woman’s voice trembled.
“But Chloe, you need to listen carefully.””
Nobody in the room spoke.
Everyone was watching me.
Especially Derek.
“How do you know me?””
A pause.
Then:
“Because I was there the day you were born.””
My knees almost weakened.
Richard stepped forward.
“Chloe.””
I raised my hand.
I needed answers.
“How are you calling me?””
The woman exhaled.
“I can’t explain everything over the phone.””
“Then explain something.””
Silence.
Then she said:
“Derek Walker was never supposed to meet you.””
A cold feeling moved through my chest.
“What does that mean?””
“It means he knew about your inheritance before he knew about you.””
I looked at Derek.
He looked away.
That was enough.
The woman continued.
“He was given information about you.””
“By who?””
Another pause.
Longer this time.
Then:
“By someone inside your family.””
My heart dropped.
“My family?””
“Yes.””
I looked at Richard.
He looked as shocked as I felt.
“Who?””
The line became quiet.
Too quiet.
Then:
“I can’t tell you yet.””
My frustration exploded.
“Can’t tell me?””
I lowered my voice.
“Someone manipulated my marriage. Someone forged my signature. Someone is trying to destroy my life. And you’re telling me you can’t tell me?””
The woman’s voice softened.
“I’m telling you because I tried to stop it.””
“What?””
“I tried to warn your grandmother.””
My hand froze.
“What are you talking about?””
“She knew Derek’s father.””
The room became silent.
Derek’s father.
The name nobody had mentioned.
“What does his father have to do with this?””
The woman didn’t answer immediately.
Then:
“Everything.””
Before I could ask another question, the call ended.
I stared at the screen.
Disconnected.
No explanation.
No goodbye.
Just another secret.
“Chloe.””
Derek’s voice pulled me back.
I looked at him.
“What?””
He swallowed.
“Who was that?””
I almost laughed.
“You tell me.””
His face tightened.
“I don’t know.””
The detective stepped forward.
“Mr. Walker, I think you know more than you’re saying.””
Derek looked angry.
But the anger was different now.
Not toward me.
Toward the situation.
“I don’t.””
Richard studied him.
“Then why did you recognize the number?””
Derek didn’t answer.
Because there was no good answer.
I watched him carefully.
The man I married had spent years building a perfect image.
But images crack under pressure.
And Derek was cracking.
The detective looked at me.
“Mrs. Walker, do you know who Evelyn Morgan is?””
I nodded slowly.
“My grandmother.””
He frowned.
“Your grandmother passed away six years ago.””
“Yes.””
“Then who was that?””
I looked at the phone.
“I don’t know.””
And that was the truth.
For the first time in days, I had no idea what was happening.
Not because I lacked information.
Because I had too much.
Every answer created another question.
Richard walked closer.
“Chloe, there’s something you need to understand.””
I looked at him.
“What?””
“Your grandmother was more careful than anyone realized.””
“What does that mean?””
“She didn’t trust the people around her.””
My eyes moved toward Derek.
Richard continued.
“She created a second layer of protection.””
“For my inheritance?””
“Yes.””
“What kind of protection?””
Richard hesitated.
Then looked at Derek.
“A condition.””
The room went silent.
“What condition?””
Richard reached into his briefcase.
He removed a small envelope.
“I was instructed to open this only if certain events occurred.””
My stomach tightened.
“What events?””
Richard looked at me.
“A marriage to someone connected to the Walker family.””
The silence was immediate.
Derek whispered:
“No.””
Everyone looked at him.
Richard opened the envelope.
He removed a handwritten letter.
My grandmother’s handwriting.
I knew it instantly.
The sight of it almost broke me.
My grandmother had written me hundreds of notes.
Birthday cards.
Recipes.
Advice.
But this felt different.
Richard read:
“Dear Chloe,
If you are reading this, then my greatest fear has come true.””
I stopped breathing.
Richard continued.
“I hoped I was wrong about the Walkers. I hoped time had changed them. I hoped the mistakes of the past would remain buried.””
My eyes lifted.
Derek looked frozen.
“However, if a Walker man has entered your life and gained your trust, you must understand one thing.””
Richard paused.
Then read the next sentence.
“Do not trust his love until you know why he chose you.””
My chest tightened.
Nobody spoke.
Richard continued.
“Derek Walker did not find you by chance.””
I looked at Derek.
The room seemed to tilt.
“He was directed toward you.””
Derek shook his head.
“No.””
But nobody believed him.
Not even himself.
Richard read the final lines.
“The person who introduced him to you knows the truth. Find that person before they destroy the evidence.””
My fingers went cold.
Because suddenly I remembered.
The first day Derek and I met.
The thing I had always considered romantic.
The coincidence.
The moment I thought fate had brought us together.
I was at a charity event.
I was standing alone near the garden.
Derek approached me.
But he hadn’t been the first person to talk to me that night.
Someone else had introduced us.
Someone who had said:
“You two should meet.””
Someone who knew both of us.
Someone who had brought Derek into my life.
My mind raced.
Because I suddenly knew the name.
“Maya.””
Everyone looked at me.
Derek’s expression changed.
“What about Maya?””
I stared at him.
“She introduced us.””
The room went silent.
Natalie whispered:
“No.””
Richard looked shocked.
“Maya Collins?””
I nodded.
“She was there that night.””
Derek took a step back.
“No.””
This time, his voice was different.
Not defensive.
Not angry.
Afraid.
The detective noticed.
“You know her?””
Derek didn’t answer.
He didn’t need to.
Because everyone saw it.
And then the front gate alarm sounded.
A loud warning echoing through the house.
Everyone turned.
The detective moved toward the window.
Outside, the figure who had been standing at the gate was gone.
But something had been left behind.
A small package.
The detective opened the front door carefully.
A minute later, he returned holding a sealed envelope.
He looked at me.
“This has your name on it.””
My stomach dropped.
I took it.
The handwriting was familiar.
Too familiar.
Because it was the same handwriting as the messages.
I opened it.
Inside was one photograph.
One sentence.
And a truth that made my entire world collapse.
The photograph showed Maya standing beside Derek.
Not at the charity event.
Not recently.
Years earlier.
Before I ever met him.
May you like
And beneath the photo were five words:
*She chose you first.*
