Chapter 4: The Truth My Mother Left Behind
I stared at the message until the screen went dark.
Then I turned it back on.
Then I read it again.
*Stop digging into your mother's secrets, or the next thing you lose won't be your lunch.*
My fingers went numb.
It wasn't the threat itself that terrified me.
It was the fact that someone knew exactly what happened at school.
Someone knew about the bucket.
Someone knew about my mother's letter.
Someone was watching.
I ran downstairs so fast I nearly slipped on the marble steps.
"Dad?""
No answer.
The house felt different at night.
Usually, it felt warm.
Safe.
Like nothing bad could reach me behind the tall gates and security cameras.
Tonight, every shadow looked like it was hiding something.
"Dad!""
I reached the living room.
Empty.
The television was off.
The lights were dim.
I grabbed my phone and called him again.
Straight to voicemail.
My heart started pounding.
My father never ignored my calls.
Never.
Not when I was eight and afraid of thunderstorms.
Not when I was twelve and crying after losing my mother.
Not even when he was in the middle of business meetings with important people.
I called again.
Nothing.
Then I heard footsteps.
I turned quickly.
A man stood near the hallway entrance.
I froze.
It wasn't my father.
It was Daniel, my father's head of security.
He had worked for our family for years.
"Emily.""
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
"Where is my dad?""
He didn't answer immediately.
That scared me.
"Daniel.""
"He asked me to come here.""
"Why?""
Daniel looked at my phone.
"Did you receive a message?""
I stepped back.
"How did you know that?""
His face changed.
Just slightly.
But I noticed.
"Emily, show me.""
"No.""
The word came out faster than I expected.
Daniel paused.
"Why not?""
"Because nobody is telling me anything.""
My voice shook.
"My father hid things from me. My mother hid things from me. Everyone keeps saying they're protecting me, but nobody actually explains anything.""
Daniel looked at me for a moment.
Then he nodded.
"You're right.""
I didn't expect that.
He took a slow breath.
"Your father should have told you sooner.""
"About what?""
Before he could answer, the front door opened.
My father walked in.
I had never been so relieved to see him.
But the relief disappeared when I saw his face.
His shirt was slightly torn.
There was a cut near his eyebrow.
"Dad?""
I rushed toward him.
"What happened?""
He looked at Daniel.
"Are you both okay?""
I stared.
"Are you okay?""
He touched the cut.
"It's nothing.""
"It doesn't look like nothing.""
His eyes met mine.
And I saw exhaustion.
Not physical exhaustion.
The kind that comes from carrying something too heavy for too long.
"Emily, we need to talk.""
I crossed my arms.
"We've been saying that a lot lately.""
He didn't argue.
That made me even more nervous.
We went into his office.
A room I had rarely entered.
Not because I wasn't allowed.
Because it always felt like a place where adults discussed problems.
Tonight, I realized I was one of those problems.
My father closed the door.
Daniel stayed outside.
"Tell me what happened.""
My father sat down.
"Someone broke into one of my properties tonight.""
"One of your buildings?""
"Yes.""
"What did they take?""
He looked at me.
"Nothing.""
"Then why?""
"Because they weren't looking for something.""
He paused.
"They were looking for someone.""
The room went quiet.
"Me?""
"No.""
His answer was immediate.
"Your mother.""
I frowned.
"She's been gone for years.""
"I know.""
He rubbed his face.
"But whoever is doing this believes Catherine left something behind.""
"The shares?""
He nodded.
"The shares. Documents. Information.""
"About what?""
My father walked to a cabinet and opened it.
Inside were dozens of files.
He pulled out one.
"This is the original agreement between Carter Developments and Blake Holdings.""
I looked at the papers.
"My grandfather and Thomas Blake.""
"Yes.""
He placed the document on the desk.
"When my grandfather and Thomas started the company, they agreed that ownership would be divided equally.""
"Then why does Carter Developments belong to us?""
My father looked at the paper.
"Because Thomas betrayed that agreement.""
"By stealing money?""
"That is what my family believed.""
I noticed the way he said it.
"My family believed.""
Not "it happened.""
"What aren't you telling me?""
He was silent.
Then he opened another file.
Inside was a copy of a letter.
From Thomas Blake.
I read the first few lines.
My eyes widened.
*Jonathan, you don't understand what your father discovered. The numbers were changed before I ever saw them. Someone else is responsible.*
I looked up.
"What is this?""
My father's expression hardened.
"I found it after your mother died.""
"Then Thomas wasn't the enemy?""
"I don't know.""
"But you said he betrayed us.""
"I said that is what we believed.""
My mind raced.
"So someone framed him?""
"Maybe.""
"Who?""
My father looked away.
"That's the question your mother was trying to answer.""
I sat down slowly.
Everything I knew was changing.
The Blakes weren't just angry.
My mother wasn't just leaving me money.
And my father wasn't just hiding a business secret.
Someone had built an entire war on a lie.
The next morning at school felt like walking into a different world.
Everyone knew about my father.
Everyone knew about Madison.
But nobody knew what was really happening.
I entered the hallway and immediately saw her.
Madison.
She was standing by her locker.
For a second, we just looked at each other.
Yesterday, I would have walked past.
Today, I stopped.
She looked surprised.
"Emily.""
I lowered my voice.
"Your father.""
Her expression changed.
"What about him?""
"Did he know my mother?""
Madison froze.
Only for a second.
But enough.
"You need to leave this alone.""
I stared at her.
"Why?""
"Because you don't know what you're getting into.""
"Neither do you.""
Her jaw tightened.
"You think I don't know that?""
The hallway noise faded around us.
"Madison, someone is threatening me.""
Her face changed.
"What?""
I watched her carefully.
"My mother's secrets.""
Madison looked genuinely shocked.
"Who?""
"I don't know.""
She glanced around.
Then whispered:
"Did they contact you?""
I nodded.
A strange fear crossed her face.
"What did they say?""
Before I could answer, a voice interrupted.
"Emily.""
We both turned.
Ryan stood a few feet away.
His eyes moved between us.
"Everything okay?""
Madison immediately stepped back.
"Fine.""
Ryan looked suspicious.
"Really?""
She grabbed her books.
"Yeah.""
Then she looked at me.
Not angry.
Not cruel.
Just worried.
"Be careful who you trust.""
Then she walked away.
Ryan watched her leave.
"That's new.""
"What?""
"Madison Blake warning someone instead of insulting them.""
I sighed.
"It's complicated.""
Ryan looked at me.
"Is everything with your family complicated?""
I almost smiled.
"Apparently.""
After school, I returned home earlier than usual.
I needed answers.
Real answers.
I went straight to my father's office.
But he wasn't there.
On his desk was a folder.
My name was written on it.
Again.
I hesitated.
I knew I shouldn't open it.
But every secret people kept from me had only made things worse.
So I opened it.
Inside were photographs.
Old photographs.
One showed my mother standing beside my father.
Another showed my grandfather.
Then I found one that made my breath stop.
It was a picture of my mother.
Standing with Thomas Blake.
But that wasn't what shocked me.
It was the date.
The picture had been taken two weeks before she died.
I flipped it over.
There was handwriting on the back.
My mother's handwriting.
Three words.
*I found him.*
My hands trembled.
Because beneath those words was another name.
A name I recognized.
A name that belonged to someone who was still part of my life.
Someone who had been around my family for years.
Someone I trusted.
The office door suddenly opened.
I turned.
My father stood there.
His face went pale when he saw the photograph in my hand.
"Emily.""
I held it up.
"Dad.""
My voice shook.
"Who is this?""
He didn't answer.
I stepped closer.
"Why was Mom meeting Thomas Blake before she died?""
My father looked at the picture.
Then at me.
And finally said the words that changed everything.
"Because your mother discovered the person who destroyed our family.""
A pause.
"And that person...""
May you like
He swallowed.
"...was someone we invited into our home.""
