Chapter 6: The Night Before My Father Died
I stared at the photograph until my fingers went numb.
My father.
Adrian.
And me.
A younger version of myself reflected in the glass behind them.
I remembered that night.
Not clearly.
Not completely.
But enough.
It was three days before my wedding.
My father had asked me to meet him at his office.
Alone.
I had assumed it was another emotional father-daughter conversation before I became a wife.
I remembered bringing him coffee.
I remembered him sitting behind his desk, looking more tired than usual.
I remembered him smiling when he saw me.
But I did not remember Adrian being there.
Not once.
I looked at the photograph again.
The angle made it impossible to tell what they were discussing.
But one thing was obvious.
Adrian had been there.
And he had lied.
Again.
“Elena?””
Marcus’s voice pulled me back.
I looked up.
My brothers were standing around me.
Concerned.
Waiting.
I turned the phone toward them.
Julian’s expression changed instantly.
Caleb took a step closer.
“Where did you get this?””
“Thomas sent it.””
Marcus went completely still.
“Thomas contacted you directly?””
I nodded.
“He wants me to know something.””
Julian looked at the photograph carefully.
“He wants you afraid.””
I shook my head.
“No.””
They looked at me.
“He wants me confused.””
And that was worse.
Fear made people run.
Confusion made people make mistakes.
My uncle wasn’t trying to scare me away.
He was trying to make me question everyone.
My brothers.
My father.
Adrian.
Even myself.
Richard looked at the photograph.
“Your father’s office.””
I nodded.
“Yes.””
“Do you remember this meeting?””
I closed my eyes.
“I remember my father asking me to trust him.””
The words came out quietly.
“He told me that everything would make sense someday.””
Marcus looked down.
“Why didn’t you tell us that?””
“Because I thought it was about the wedding.””
Nobody spoke.
Because they knew.
My father had always been emotional about me getting married.
Everyone assumed he was struggling with letting go.
But maybe he wasn’t.
Maybe he was trying to warn me.
A terrible thought entered my mind.
“What if Adrian was there because Dad confronted him?””
Marcus looked at Richard.
The attorney’s face had lost its calm.
“That’s possible.””
I turned.
“Possible?””
Richard sighed.
“Your father kept detailed records. But there are gaps.””
“Gaps?””
“Yes.””
He looked at me.
“Files disappeared after his death.””
My stomach tightened.
“Who had access?””
Nobody answered immediately.
Then Caleb spoke.
“Thomas.””
The word felt heavier now.
Every road led back to him.
The uncle who hugged me.
The uncle who called me his favorite niece.
The uncle who stood beside my family and watched everything happen.
I looked at Adrian’s photograph again.
“Why would Adrian meet my father secretly?””
Julian answered.
“Because your father knew something.””
“What?””
He hesitated.
And I hated that everyone kept hesitating around me.
“What?””
Julian looked at me.
“Your father suspected Adrian wasn’t just after the trust.””
“What else was there?””
Marcus took a slow breath.
“Your mother’s inheritance.””
I froze.
“My mother?””
My mother died when I was young.
Too young to remember much.
But I knew one thing.
She had come from another powerful family.
A family my father rarely discussed.
“What does my mother have to do with this?””
Richard opened another file.
“This.””
Inside was a document.
Older than the others.
The paper was fragile.
The ink had faded.
I read the heading.
*Aurelia Foundation Ownership Transfer.*
I frowned.
“I don’t know this company.””
Marcus looked at me.
“You were never supposed to.””
My eyes lifted.
“What?””
Richard continued.
“Your mother’s family created the Aurelia Foundation decades ago. It controlled several international investments.””
Julian added:
“And after your mother passed away, ownership eventually transferred to you.””
I stared at them.
“Me?””
“Yes.””
I laughed once.
A bitter sound.
“How many secret companies do I apparently own?””
Nobody smiled.
Because it wasn’t funny.
I looked back at the documents.
“How much?””
Richard answered carefully.
“Enough that someone could spend a lifetime trying to gain access.””
The room became silent.
And suddenly, Adrian’s behavior made more sense.
The constant questions about my family.
The way he pushed me to sign things.
The way he always said I didn’t need to worry about money.
The way he wanted to handle everything.
He wasn’t trying to help me.
He was trying to control my access.
I whispered:
“He knew.””
Marcus nodded.
“Yes.””
“How?””
Richard looked uncomfortable.
“Because Thomas told him.””
My chest tightened.
My uncle had brought Adrian into my life.
Not by accident.
Not by coincidence.
He had chosen him.
I felt sick.
“Why?””
Nobody answered.
So I answered for them.
“Because Adrian was easy to manipulate.””
Marcus looked at me.
I continued.
“He was ambitious.””
Julian nodded slowly.
“He wanted power.””
“He wanted recognition.””
Caleb’s expression hardened.
“And Thomas gave him a path.””
I looked at the photograph again.
My father.
Adrian.
The missing piece.
“What happened that night?””
Nobody knew.
Or at least, nobody had proof.
Then Richard quietly said:
“There is one person who might.””
Everyone turned.
“Who?””
Richard looked toward the ballroom entrance.
“Your father’s former assistant.””
I frowned.
“She’s here?””
Richard nodded.
“She has been waiting outside.””
“Why?””
He looked at me.
“Because she was afraid to come forward.””
A few minutes later, a woman entered the private room where we had gathered.
Her name was Clara Bennett.
She had worked for my father for twelve years.
I remembered her.
She was always carrying files.
Always organizing meetings.
Always reminding my father to eat.
When she saw me, her eyes filled with tears.
“Elena.””
I hugged her before I could stop myself.
Because she was one of the few people who still connected me to the father I lost.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
I pulled back.
“For what?””
She looked at my brothers.
Then at Richard.
“I should have told you sooner.””
My heart sank.
“What did you know?””
She sat down.
Her hands trembled.
“I was there that night.””
The room went quiet.
“The night my father died?””
She nodded.
“Yes.””
I sat across from her.
“What happened?””
She looked at me for a long moment.
Then she said:
“Your father was not meeting Adrian.””
I frowned.
“But the picture—”
“Adrian arrived later.””
The room changed.
“What?””
Clara swallowed.
“Your father called him there.””
I stared.
“Why?””
Her eyes filled with sadness.
“Because your father wanted to give him one final chance.””
A chill moved through me.
“Chance for what?””
Clara looked at the photograph.
“To tell the truth.””
Nobody moved.
She continued.
“Your father already knew Adrian was involved with Thomas.””
My hands tightened.
“He knew?””
“Yes.””
“Then why didn’t he tell me?””
Clara looked down.
“Because Adrian wasn’t the only person he was worried about.””
A terrible feeling entered my chest.
“What do you mean?””
She reached into her bag.
And placed a small envelope on the table.
“I found this after your father died.””
Marcus picked it up.
“There’s a problem.””
“What?””
He turned the envelope over.
His face changed.
“It was never opened.””
I frowned.
“Why?””
Clara whispered:
“Because your father sealed it for Elena.””
My name.
Written in my father’s handwriting.
I reached for it.
My fingers shook as I opened the envelope.
Inside was a single page.
Only a few sentences.
But they destroyed everything I thought I knew.
*Elena, if Adrian tells you he loved you before he knew who you were, he is lying.*
I stopped breathing.
I read the next line.
*But if he tells you he never loved you at all, that is also a lie.*
My hands trembled.
Because I didn’t understand.
Why would my father write something like that?
Then I read the final sentence.
And every piece of my past shifted.
*The most dangerous person in your life is not the person who wants your fortune.*
A pause.
*It is the person who believes they are saving you.*
I looked up.
Nobody spoke.
Because everyone understood the same thing.
My father wasn’t warning me about Adrian.
He wasn’t warning me about Thomas.
He was warning me about someone else.
Someone close.
Someone who thought they were doing the right thing.
Then Clara whispered:
“Elena…”
Her voice broke.
“There’s something else your father told me before he died.””
I looked at her.
“What?””
She stared at me with tears in her eyes.
“He said if anything happened to him…”
May you like
She swallowed.
“You should never trust your oldest brother.””
