Chapter 9: The Person Behind the Lies
I read Robert's message until the words stopped looking real.
*It wasn't Karen.*
*It was someone who wants you to believe Karen is guilty.*
For the first time in days, I felt something I hadn't expected.
Relief.
Not because I knew the truth.
Because I finally understood the game.
Someone wanted me angry.
Someone wanted me suspicious.
Someone wanted me looking in one direction while they moved somewhere else.
And I had been doing exactly what they wanted.
I grabbed my phone and called Robert.
He answered immediately.
"Thomas.""
"Who was it?""
Silence.
Then:
"Where are you?""
"My apartment.""
"Are you alone?""
I looked around.
The question felt strange.
"Yes.""
"Lock your door.""
My stomach tightened.
"Robert, who took the recording?""
He exhaled.
"I found evidence.""
"Evidence of who?""
Another pause.
Then he said:
"Mia.""
I froze.
The room became completely silent.
"What?""
"I said I found evidence. I didn't say I had proof she did it.""
I sat down.
"Explain.""
"Someone accessed my office using a key.""
"Who has a key?""
"Several people.""
"Karen?""
"Yes.""
"Mia?""
A pause.
"Yes.""
I closed my eyes.
Of course.
Everyone had access.
Everyone had a reason.
Everyone had secrets.
"What evidence did you find?""
"I found a message on my computer.""
"From who?""
"From your sister.""
My heart sank.
"What did it say?""
Robert was quiet.
Then:
"It said she was sorry.""
I frowned.
"Sorry for what?""
"That's what I don't know.""
I stood up.
"Robert, I need the whole story.""
"Come here.""
"Now?""
"Now.""
Twenty minutes later, I was sitting across from Robert again.
This time, he looked different.
Not like someone who had answers.
Like someone who was afraid he had missed something.
He opened his laptop.
"This was left after the recording disappeared.""
On the screen was a message.
No name.
No signature.
Just words.
*I never wanted this to happen.*
I read the next line.
*I thought I could fix it before anyone got hurt.*
My eyes moved down.
*But now Thomas knows everything.*
I looked at Robert.
"How do you know this is from Mia?""
"Because of the account.""
"What account?""
"She used her old email address.""
I stared at the screen.
"Mia wouldn't be that careless.""
Robert nodded.
"Exactly.""
That was the problem.
Mia could be reckless.
Emotional.
Impulsive.
But careless?
Not like this.
Someone wanted me to find this.
Someone wanted me to blame her.
"Where is Mia?""
Robert looked at me.
"I don't know.""
I immediately called her.
No answer.
Again.
No answer.
Third time.
Straight to voicemail.
I felt a knot forming in my stomach.
"Thomas.""
I looked at Robert.
"What?""
"There's something else.""
I waited.
"Your father didn't just leave one recording.""
My eyes narrowed.
"What?""
"He made two.""
I froze.
"Two?""
Robert nodded.
"The first one was about the trust.""
"And the second?""
He looked at me.
"The second one was personal.""
I swallowed.
"What does that mean?""
Robert opened another file.
"This was delivered to me yesterday.""
Inside was a digital recording.
No label.
No date.
Just one sentence:
*For Thomas.*
My hands felt cold.
"Why didn't you give this to me before?""
"Because I wasn't sure.""
"About what?""
"Whether you were ready.""
I almost laughed.
"Ready?""
I looked at him.
"My entire family has been lying to me for weeks.""
My voice became sharper.
"I think I'm ready.""
Robert nodded.
Then he pressed play.
At first, there was only silence.
Then my father's voice.
Older.
Tired.
But unmistakable.
"Thomas, if you're hearing this, then things didn't go the way I hoped.""
I stopped breathing.
"I don't know who will show you this. I don't know what they will tell you.""
A pause.
"But I need you to remember something.""
My eyes burned.
"People are complicated. Someone can hurt you and still love you. Someone can love you and still hurt you.""
I looked down.
That sounded like my father.
Always seeing both sides.
Always searching for the reason behind people's actions.
"I need you to know that Mia is not the enemy.""
My heart tightened.
Robert looked at me.
The recording continued.
"She will make mistakes. She will say things she doesn't mean. She will make choices out of fear.""
I closed my eyes.
"But she is not the person you need to fear.""
A pause.
Then my father's voice changed.
More serious.
"The person you need to be careful with is the person who benefits when my children stop trusting each other.""
I looked at Robert.
The message was clear.
"Your father knew," I whispered.
Robert nodded.
The recording continued.
"I made a mistake.""
My father's words surprised me.
"I thought protecting my children meant hiding painful truths from them.""
The sound of him breathing filled the silence.
"I was wrong.""
I felt tears building.
Because I realized something.
My father wasn't perfect.
He wasn't some all-knowing person who had every answer.
He was a man trying to protect his family.
Just like I had been.
"I should have taught Thomas to set boundaries sooner.""
My throat tightened.
"I should have taught Mia that love does not mean being rescued.""
The recording paused.
Then:
"And I should have seen that someone was using both of my children.""
I looked at Robert.
"Who?""
The recording continued.
"I don't know how far this goes.""
My father's voice became quieter.
"But I found evidence that someone changed documents after my death.""
I froze.
Changed documents.
Not stolen.
Changed.
"The original trust agreement was altered.""
Robert leaned forward.
I looked at him.
"Altered?""
He nodded.
The recording continued.
"The person who did this knows my family.""
My father took a breath.
"And they know exactly which weaknesses to use.""
The recording ended.
Silence filled the room.
I sat there for several seconds.
Then I whispered:
"Karen.""
Robert didn't answer.
Because he knew.
But neither of us said it.
Not yet.
Because my father's message had been clear.
Don't assume.
Find proof.
Then my phone rang.
Mia.
I answered immediately.
"Where are you?""
She didn't respond.
Instead, I heard something in the background.
A car engine.
"Mia?""
"Thomas.""
Her voice was shaking.
"I'm sorry.""
My chest tightened.
"Where are you?""
"I need you to listen to me.""
"Where are you?""
"I found out who took the recording.""
I stood.
"Who?""
Silence.
Then:
"It wasn't Karen.""
I looked at Robert.
The words felt familiar.
Too familiar.
"Then who?""
Mia took a breath.
"The person who took it was someone who knew Dad's plan.""
"Who?""
Her voice dropped.
"The only person Dad trusted with everything.""
My heart stopped.
"Robert?""
"No.""
A pause.
Then:
"Thomas...""
I waited.
"Your father trusted someone else.""
The car engine grew louder.
"Mia, tell me.""
Her voice broke.
"It was someone who was there the night Dad died.""
I gripped the phone.
"Who?""
A long silence.
Then she said the name.
The name that made everything collapse.
"Me.""
The call ended.
I stared at the phone.
Robert stared at me.
Neither of us spoke.
Because suddenly the biggest question wasn't who had betrayed my father.
May you like
It was whether my sister had been protecting me...
or protecting herself.
