Chapter 3: The Man Who Was Supposed to Be Gone
Emily stared at the message until the letters on the screen began to lose their shape.
*Thomas Ashford.*
The name belonged to a man who had not appeared in her life for five years.
A man everyone believed was gone.
Dead.
She read the message again.
*Emily, you don’t know the whole truth about what happened five years ago. Daniel wasn’t the one who betrayed you.*
Her first instinct was anger.
Not fear.
Not confusion.
Anger.
Because there were some wounds that never fully healed.
And Thomas Ashford was connected to the deepest one.
The car continued moving through the rain-covered streets, but Emily no longer saw the city outside the window.
She saw a different night.
Five years earlier.
The night everything changed.
“Emily, you need to understand something.””
Thomas Ashford sat behind the enormous wooden desk in his private office, his expression unusually serious.
At the time, Emily had still been relatively new to the family’s inner circle. She was respected inside the company, but many people still saw her as an outsider.
Thomas had been the opposite.
He had treated her like the daughter he never had.
He was the founder of Ashford Enterprises.
The man who built everything from nothing.
The man whose approval Daniel desperately wanted.
That night, he had called Emily to his office after midnight.
Something was wrong.
She remembered the way his hands shook as he pushed a folder toward her.
“Take this.””
Emily frowned.
“What is it?””
“Insurance.””
“For what?””
Thomas looked toward the office door before answering.
“For the possibility that I won’t be here to protect this company.””
The words had frightened her.
“Don’t say that.””
He smiled sadly.
“Emily, power creates enemies. Sometimes the people closest to you become the most dangerous.””
She opened the folder.
Inside were documents she didn’t understand at first.
Trust agreements.
Ownership transfers.
Board authorizations.
Then she saw her name.
“What is this?””
Thomas leaned back.
“If something happens to me, you become the family trust representative.””
Emily immediately shook her head.
“No. Daniel should have this.””
Thomas’s expression changed.
“That is exactly why I chose you.””
She looked at him.
“Because you don’t want power.””
He nodded.
“People who chase power are usually the ones who cannot be trusted with it.””
Before she could respond, his phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
His expression turned cold.
“I need you to leave through the back entrance.””
“Thomas—”
“Promise me something.””
“What?””
“Do not tell Daniel about these documents until you know who is truly loyal.””
Emily remembered that moment.
The seriousness in his voice.
The fear in his eyes.
She never forgot it.
Because two days later…
Thomas Ashford was dead.
Emily looked away from the window.
The memory felt impossible.
Thomas was gone.
The official story was that he suffered a sudden medical emergency while traveling.
Everyone accepted it.
Everyone except Emily.
Because one week before his death, he had been preparing documents.
And one week after his death, Daniel suddenly gained control over decisions he had never been trusted with before.
Emily had questioned it.
But Daniel had convinced her.
“Emily, my father trusted me.””
She had believed him.
Until tonight.
The car stopped outside her apartment.
The driver opened the door.
“Mrs. Ashforth?””
Emily stepped out.
“Thank you.””
She entered the quiet building alone.
For the first time in years, she wished she had been wrong.
The next morning, the Ashford mansion was filled with tension.
Daniel had not slept.
Neither had Patricia.
The board meeting was less than two hours away.
And everyone knew this was not a normal meeting.
It was a battle.
Daniel stood in the study, staring at old photographs hanging on the wall.
Pictures of his father.
His grandfather.
The Ashford legacy.
Patricia entered without knocking.
“We need to talk.””
Daniel didn’t turn around.
“About what?””
“About Emily.””
He finally looked at her.
“What about her?””
Patricia lowered her voice.
“She cannot be allowed to control the board.””
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“You knew?””
A pause.
That pause answered everything.
Daniel stepped closer.
“You knew she had this authority?””
Patricia looked away.
“I knew she had influence.””
“That’s not what I asked.””
Her silence became louder.
Daniel’s face hardened.
“You knew.””
Patricia sighed.
“Daniel, don’t act like you’re innocent. You benefited from it.””
His expression changed.
“What does that mean?””
“It means your position existed because Emily trusted you.””
Daniel stared at her.
For once, Patricia looked uncomfortable.
“You think I wanted this?””
“Yes.””
“No.””
She walked toward him.
“Daniel, your father never believed you were ready. Emily was the one who made him change his mind.””
The room went quiet.
Daniel looked stunned.
“She told him I could lead.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Patricia shrugged.
“Because she loved you.””
That answer hurt more than any accusation.
Because Daniel remembered.
Emily had always defended him.
Even when others doubted him.
Even when his own father criticized him.
She had stood beside him.
And he had rewarded her by humiliating her in front of everyone.
At 8:45 AM, Emily entered the Ashford headquarters.
The building had changed.
Not physically.
But emotionally.
Employees who usually greeted her confidently now stood straighter.
They knew something had happened.
As she walked through the lobby, whispers followed.
“That’s her.””
“The new chairperson?””
“She was always in charge?””
Emily ignored them.
She entered the private elevator.
At the top floor, Rafael was waiting.
“You look tired.””
“So do you.””
He smiled.
“I’m old. I’m allowed.””
Emily almost smiled.
Almost.
Then Rafael noticed her expression.
“What happened?””
Emily handed him the phone.
He read the message.
His face changed.
“No.””
“Yes.””
“Thomas?””
Emily nodded.
“Someone claiming to be him.””
Rafael looked troubled.
“Emily, Thomas Ashford is dead.””
“I know.””
“Then this could be a trap.””
“I know.””
“Then why are you going?””
Because she already knew the answer.
Because there were questions that had haunted her for five years.
Questions she had buried because she was afraid of the answers.
“Because if Thomas is alive,” she said, “everything we believed is wrong.””
Rafael looked at her.
“And if he isn’t?””
Emily looked toward the boardroom doors.
“Then someone wants me to believe he is.””
The board meeting began at exactly 9:00 AM.
Daniel entered first.
Patricia beside him.
Several relatives followed.
They expected Emily to arrive angry.
Emotional.
Ready for revenge.
Instead, she walked in calmly.
A black suit.
A simple expression.
No hesitation.
Daniel looked at her.
For a moment, he saw the woman he had married.
Not the powerful executive.
Not the chairperson.
Just Emily.
And somehow that made everything harder.
“Emily.””
She nodded.
“Daniel.””
The board members took their seats.
Nobody spoke.
Then the legal advisor stood.
“Before we begin, there is one additional matter.””
Daniel frowned.
“What matter?””
The advisor looked at Emily.
“Chairperson, we received a request this morning from an individual claiming to have information regarding the Ashford succession documents.””
Emily’s heart stopped.
The room remained silent.
Daniel noticed.
“What individual?””
The advisor hesitated.
Then he answered.
“Thomas Ashford.””
A wave of shock moved through the room.
Patricia immediately stood.
“That’s impossible.””
Emily looked at her.
For the first time that morning, Patricia looked afraid.
Not angry.
Not confident.
Afraid.
The board members began whispering.
Daniel stared at Emily.
“You knew about this?””
Emily did not answer.
Because at that moment, the conference room doors opened.
Everyone turned.
A man stepped inside.
Older.
Thinner.
A gray coat covering his shoulders.
But the eyes were unmistakable.
The same eyes Emily remembered from five years ago.
The room froze.
Daniel slowly stood.
“No…”
The man looked directly at Emily.
“I’m sorry it took me so long.””
Emily couldn’t breathe.
Because the impossible man standing in front of her said the one sentence nobody expected to hear.
“Emily, I need to tell you the truth about the night I disappeared.””
He paused.
“And the person who tried to have me removed from this family.””
His eyes moved past her.
Toward Daniel.
May you like
And Patricia.
“Was someone sitting in this room.””
