Chapter 3: The Envelope in the Locker
Daniel didn't move.
Neither did I.
His phone remained on the table between us, the three words glowing on the screen.
*I know, Daniel.*
"How does he know you're here?"" I whispered.
Daniel looked toward the station entrance.
"I don't know.""
"That's not true.""
His jaw tightened.
"I said I don't know.""
I pushed back my chair.
The sudden scrape against the floor made several people glance our way.
"Daniel, you brought me here.""
"I brought you somewhere public.""
"You showed me documents you stole from your brother.""
"I needed you to know what he was planning.""
"Then tell me why he knows you're with me.""
Daniel stood.
"Because Julian always knows more than he should.""
The sentence stayed with me as we walked toward the far end of the station.
I kept one hand on my stomach.
The other held the folded postnuptial agreement so tightly the paper began to crease.
At the lockers, Daniel stopped.
"Wait here.""
"Why?""
"I need to make a call.""
"No.""
He turned.
"What?""
"I'm not waiting alone.""
He studied me for a moment.
Then he nodded.
"Fine.""
He stepped aside and dialed someone.
I watched his face while he listened.
His expression became darker.
"Are you sure?"" he asked.
A pause.
"Tonight?""
Another pause.
"Then don't come to the station.""
He hung up.
"Who was that?""
"My lawyer.""
I frowned.
"Your lawyer?""
"I knew this was going to get ugly.""
"How long?""
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"Longer than I wanted.""
"How long?""
He finally looked at me.
"About eight months.""
The number hit me strangely.
Eight months.
My pregnancy was already showing then.
I remembered that period.
Julian had started coming home later.
He said work was overwhelming.
He stopped wanting me at company dinners.
He started changing passwords.
He became irritated when I touched his phone.
And all that time, I had thought our marriage was merely going through a difficult season.
I laughed bitterly.
"You knew for eight months.""
"I suspected.""
"You knew.""
"I didn't have proof.""
"You had a picture.""
"Not until today.""
I turned away.
My eyes burned.
"Why didn't you tell me when you first suspected?""
Daniel didn't answer.
That silence was answer enough.
Then something caught my attention.
A small silver locker near the end of the row.
Its door wasn't fully closed.
A white envelope had been shoved inside.
My name was written across it.
*NORA.*
I stopped.
"Daniel.""
He followed my gaze.
"Don't touch it.""
"Why?""
"I didn't put that there.""
Neither of us moved.
The station seemed to grow quieter around us.
Then Daniel slowly reached for his phone.
"Who could have left it?""
I stepped closer.
There was no return address.
No stamp.
No name.
Only mine.
The envelope looked old, slightly wrinkled at the corners.
I stared at it.
"I know that handwriting.""
Daniel's eyes narrowed.
"Whose?""
I didn't answer immediately.
Because I suddenly remembered seeing it years ago.
On birthday cards.
On wedding congratulations.
On notes tucked into my college textbooks.
My father's handwriting.
I swallowed.
"That's impossible.""
Daniel looked confused.
"What?""
"My father wrote like that.""
He went silent.
"Your father?""
"He died eleven months ago.""
I reached toward the envelope.
Daniel caught my wrist.
"Don't.""
"Why?""
"Because if Julian planted this, we don't know what's inside.""
I looked at his hand.
He let go.
"I need to know.""
"You don't.""
"I do.""
I pulled the envelope from the locker.
My name was written in dark blue ink.
My father's handwriting was slightly slanted.
The same way.
The exact same way.
My pulse raced.
"What if he left it for me?""
Daniel shook his head.
"He was dead almost a year ago.""
"I know when he died.""
"Then think.""
"I am thinking.""
"No. You're hoping.""
I stared at him.
"Hope is the only thing I have left.""
I opened the envelope.
Inside was a single folded sheet of paper.
And a key.
A small brass key.
My hands began to tremble.
I unfolded the paper.
There were only four lines.
*Nora,*
*If you're reading this, Julian finally showed you who he is.*
*Do not trust the story he tells about our family.*
*The truth is in Locker 314.*
I looked up.
"What does this mean?""
Daniel's face had gone completely still.
"Locker 314?""
I checked the row.
"That one.""
I pointed.
Daniel stepped toward it.
Then stopped.
"No.""
"What?""
"There's something wrong.""
"What?""
He pointed to the key in my hand.
"The station lockers were replaced three years ago.""
I stared at him.
"What does that mean?""
"That key is from the old system.""
My heart began pounding harder.
"Then how did it get here?""
Daniel didn't answer.
I walked toward Locker 314.
A narrow brass plate showed the number.
My fingers shook as I inserted the key.
It fit.
Perfectly.
The lock clicked.
The door opened.
Inside was a black leather case.
Nothing else.
No note.
No name.
Just the case.
I looked at Daniel.
"You open it.""
He shook his head.
"No.""
"Why?""
"Because whatever is inside was meant for you.""
I took it out.
The case was heavier than it looked.
There was a small metal clasp on the front.
I opened it.
Inside were photographs.
Dozens of them.
My family.
Julian's family.
Our wedding.
Our first apartment.
My pregnancy announcement.
Pictures I had never seen before.
I picked up the first one.
Julian was standing outside a restaurant.
With Emily.
They were holding hands.
The date printed on the back made my breath stop.
Two months before Julian and I got married.
I dropped it.
Another photograph.
Julian with Chloe.
Then another.
Julian entering a bank.
Then another.
A photograph of me sitting in my father's old office.
I froze.
I remembered that day.
I had been twenty-six.
It was the last summer before my father became sick.
But I hadn't known someone was taking pictures.
"Who took these?"" I whispered.
Daniel crouched beside the case.
"I don't know.""
I kept looking.
Then I found one that made my skin prickle.
It showed my father speaking to Julian.
Not at our wedding.
Not at a family gathering.
They were standing outside a building I recognized immediately.
My father's law office.
The date was printed underneath.
Three months before my wedding.
I looked at Daniel.
"Why would my father meet Julian without telling me?""
Daniel stared at the photograph.
"Maybe he wanted to stop the wedding.""
My chest tightened.
"What?""
Daniel turned the picture over.
There was writing on the back.
*I warned him. He promised me he'd leave her alone.*
My father's handwriting.
I sat down on the station floor.
"No.""
Daniel crouched beside me.
"Nora—"
"My father knew.""
"It looks like it.""
"He knew Julian was dangerous?""
"I don't know.""
I flipped through the photographs faster.
There were bank statements.
Property records.
Copies of emails.
A handwritten list of dates.
Then I saw one name repeated over and over.
*Blackwood Holdings.*
I recognized it.
Julian had mentioned the company before.
He called it an investment group.
A family business.
Something boring I had never bothered to understand.
But on one document, my name appeared beside it.
Not Julian's.
Mine.
"What is this?""
Daniel took the paper.
His eyes widened.
"This can't be right.""
"Tell me.""
He kept reading.
"Your father transferred shares.""
"To me?""
"Yes.""
"How many?""
Daniel looked up.
"Twenty-three percent.""
My mouth went dry.
"Of what?""
He looked at the top of the document.
"Blackwood Holdings.""
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then the pieces began connecting.
The unexplained meetings.
The postnuptial agreement.
Julian's obsession with my signatures.
The strange questions he'd asked about my father's estate.
The sudden interest in our property.
The way he had reacted whenever I mentioned seeing an attorney.
He hadn't simply been trying to leave me.
He had been trying to get something from me.
Something that had belonged to my father.
Something that apparently belonged to me.
I looked at Daniel.
"Did Julian know about these shares?""
Daniel didn't answer.
"Did he?""
"Yes.""
"How?""
"Because he worked with your father.""
My stomach dropped.
"No.""
"Your father didn't tell you everything.""
I stared at the documents.
"Why?""
Daniel's voice softened.
"Maybe he was trying to protect you.""
I shook my head.
"My father told me everything.""
Daniel looked at me.
"No.""
He pointed at the photographs.
"He told you what he thought you could survive hearing.""
That sentence broke something open in me.
My father had always protected me.
Even when I hated him for it.
Even when he refused to explain certain business matters.
Even when he insisted I shouldn't marry Julian immediately.
I'd thought it was because he didn't like Julian.
Maybe it had been something much bigger.
A sound came from behind us.
Footsteps.
Daniel stood instantly.
"Close the case.""
I did.
The footsteps came closer.
A man's voice echoed through the corridor.
"Nora?""
I froze.
Julian.
Daniel grabbed my arm.
"Back door.""
We rushed toward the emergency exit.
Behind us, Julian's voice rose.
"Nora, stop!""
The door slammed shut.
We stumbled into the alley behind the station.
Snow whipped across my face.
A car waited at the curb.
Daniel opened the passenger door.
"Get in.""
I climbed inside.
He ran around to the driver's side.
As the car pulled away, I looked through the rear window.
Julian had reached the station entrance.
He stood beneath the lights, staring directly at us.
He wasn't angry.
He wasn't shouting.
He was smiling.
My phone buzzed.
One new message.
From Julian.
*You found your father's box.*
May you like
Another message arrived before I could breathe.
*Now you know why he died.*
