Chapter 7: The Friend Who Buried the Truth
I stood frozen in the middle of my apartment.
The city outside continued moving.
Cars crossed the streets below.
Lights turned on and off in distant buildings.
People laughed in restaurants.
Normal life continued.
But mine had stopped.
“The person who killed your father was sitting beside you at his funeral.””
The woman’s words repeated in my mind.
Again.
Again.
Again.
My hand tightened around the phone.
“Who?””
Silence.
“Tell me who.””
The woman breathed shakily.
“I can’t.””
My anger rose.
“You called me.””
“Yes.””
“You told me my father was murdered.””
“Yes.””
“Then you refuse to tell me who did it?””
“I’m trying to keep you alive.””
I looked around my apartment.
The locked doors.
The security system.
The expensive walls that were supposed to make me safe.
Suddenly, none of it felt protective.
“Who are you?””
Another pause.
Then:
“You knew me before you knew power.””
My heart skipped.
There were very few people who could say that.
People from before Bennett Group became what it was.
Before my father became a famous businessman.
Before I became the woman everyone feared or respected.
“Tell me your name.””
The woman’s voice softened.
“Evelyn…”
Then the call ended.
I stared at the phone.
I didn’t need her name.
Because I already knew.
I knew exactly who had called.
And that was impossible.
Because she had died three years ago.
The next morning, I walked into Bennett Group headquarters before sunrise.
The building was almost empty.
That was exactly what I wanted.
No employees.
No questions.
No rumors.
I walked directly to the executive floor.
Marcus was already there.
Of course he was.
He stood near the windows, holding a cup of coffee, looking at the city below.
When he saw me, his expression changed.
Not surprise.
Concern.
“You didn’t sleep.””
Neither did he.
I could tell.
“Neither did you.””
He looked away.
“I had things to think about.””
“So did I.””
I placed a folder on his desk.
His eyes moved to it.
“What is that?””
“Something I found.””
He didn’t touch it.
That hesitation told me everything.
“You know what’s inside.””
Marcus looked at me.
“Yes.””
My stomach tightened.
“You knew?””
“Yes.””
“About the company?””
“Yes.””
“About the payments?””
“Yes.””
I stared at him.
“How?””
Marcus slowly sat down.
“Because I created it.””
The room went silent.
I felt my anger rise.
“You created the company that moved money from Ashford Holdings?””
“No.””
His answer came immediately.
“I created it to investigate them.””
I frowned.
“What?””
Marcus opened the folder.
Inside were documents.
Different documents.
Not the ones I found.
“These accounts were designed to track money movement.””
I looked through the pages.
The names were there.
The numbers were there.
But something was different.
“They were fake?””
“Not fake.””
“Then what?””
“Controlled.””
I looked at him.
“You created a company to monitor them?””
“Yes.””
“Without telling my father?””
His silence answered.
“Why?””
“Because your father would have confronted them immediately.””
“And?””
“And they would have known.””
I stared.
Marcus leaned forward.
“Evelyn, your father was brilliant. But he had one weakness.””
“What?””
“He believed people could be reasoned with.””
I thought about my father.
The man who always looked for the good in people.
The man who gave second chances.
The man who believed honesty could change even powerful enemies.
“And you didn’t?””
Marcus shook his head.
“No.””
“You thought they couldn’t be trusted.””
“I knew.””
His voice was heavy.
“Because I had already seen what they were capable of.””
I studied him.
“Then why didn’t you tell me after he died?””
Marcus looked down.
“Because your father asked me not to.””
I froze.
“What?””
“He made me promise.””
“No.””
“He told me if anything happened to him, I had to protect you first.””
I shook my head.
“My father wouldn’t hide the truth from me.””
“He would if the truth put you in danger.””
I wanted to argue.
But I couldn’t.
Because deep down, I knew my father.
And that was exactly something he would do.
Protect me.
Even if it meant hurting me.
“Who was involved?””
Marcus’s face became serious.
“That’s the question we never answered.””
“We?””
“Yes.””
“Daniel too?””
Marcus nodded.
“You talked to Daniel.””
“He contacted me.””
Marcus closed his eyes briefly.
“He stayed alive longer than I expected.””
“You knew?””
“Yes.””
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
“Because Daniel was hiding for a reason.””
I laughed bitterly.
“Everyone has a reason.””
Marcus didn’t argue.
Because he knew.
Later that afternoon, I met Victoria Ashford.
Not in a luxury restaurant.
Not in some expensive private club.
In a quiet café across the street from her family’s headquarters.
She arrived alone.
That surprised me.
The Victoria I met yesterday would never appear without an audience.
Without cameras.
Without people watching.
She sat across from me.
“You look tired.””
“So do you.””
She looked away.
“I haven’t slept.””
“Why?””
“Because I realized my family is not what I thought it was.””
I studied her.
“That’s convenient.””
Her eyes narrowed.
“You think I’m lying.””
“I think you’ve spent your entire life protecting your family name.””
“And you haven’t?””
The question caught me off guard.
“What?””
“You built Bennett Group after your father died. You protected his legacy. You defended his reputation.””
She leaned forward.
“We’re not so different.””
I looked at her carefully.
“What happened?””
Victoria looked down.
“My father received a call yesterday.””
“From who?””
“I don’t know.””
“What did they say?””
She hesitated.
“They said the Bennett girl had found the box.””
My body went still.
“How did they know about the box?””
Victoria looked at me.
“That’s what scares me.””
A silence followed.
Then I asked:
“Why does your father want to meet me?””
Victoria looked uncomfortable.
“Because he’s afraid.””
“Of me?””
“No.””
She shook her head.
“Of whoever knows what happened.””
I leaned back.
“You said your family destroyed itself.””
“Yes.””
“You know something.””
She looked at the table.
“When I was younger, I overheard my father arguing with someone.””
“Who?””
“I don’t know.””
“What did they argue about?””
Victoria swallowed.
“They mentioned your father.””
My heart tightened.
“What did they say?””
She whispered:
“They said Evelyn Bennett could never know the truth.””
The café suddenly felt too quiet.
“Truth about what?””
Victoria looked at me.
“About who was really responsible.””
I stared.
“Did they mention Marcus?””
“No.””
“Daniel?””
“No.””
“Then who?””
Victoria looked terrified.
“The person who was sitting next to you at the funeral.””
My blood ran cold.
The same words.
The same warning.
Different person.
I stood.
“Who was sitting next to me?””
Victoria grabbed my wrist.
“Wait.””
I looked down.
She released me immediately.
“I don’t know the name.””
“Then what do you know?””
She swallowed.
“I know your father trusted them.””
The answer was too familiar.
Everyone my father trusted seemed connected.
Everyone who claimed to love him had a secret.
My phone buzzed.
A message.
From David.
*EVELYN, I FOUND THE ORIGINAL FUNERAL RECORDS. YOU NEED TO SEE THIS BEFORE YOU MEET ASHFORD.*
Attached was a photograph.
An old funeral program.
A guest list.
My eyes scanned the names.
Family.
Friends.
Executives.
Then I saw one entry.
A name written at the bottom.
Not a guest.
Not family.
Not an employee.
A person listed as:
*Private witness.*
My hands went cold.
Because I recognized the name.
It was someone I thought had disappeared forever.
Someone everyone believed was dead.
Someone who had the final piece of my father’s story.
I looked at Victoria.
She saw my expression.
“What is it?””
I couldn’t answer.
Because at that moment, I received another message.
This one from the unknown number.
*YOU ARE LOOKING FOR THE PERSON BESIDE YOU.*
A second message appeared.
*YOU SHOULD HAVE LOOKED BEHIND YOU.*
I slowly turned toward the café window.
Outside, across the street…
A person was standing there.
Watching me.
And when they saw me notice them…
May you like
They smiled.
Because they wanted me to know exactly who they were.
