Chapter 4: What My Father Left Behind
I read Julian's message until the words stopped looking like words.
*Now you know why he died.*
My fingers went numb.
Outside the car window, Milwaukee blurred into streaks of white and gold as Daniel drove through the snow. Streetlights smeared across the glass. Tires hissed over wet pavement.
I looked at Daniel.
"What does that mean?""
His eyes stayed on the road.
"I don't know.""
"Don't lie to me.""
"I'm not.""
"You knew my father. You knew about the shares. You knew Julian was hiding something. What don't you know?""
Daniel gripped the steering wheel.
"Nora, your father's death was investigated.""
"I know.""
"Did you ever see the report?""
"No.""
"Did you read the medical records?""
"No.""
"Why not?""
I swallowed.
"Because my mother said there was nothing suspicious. Because the doctors said it was sudden. Because I was planning my wedding.""
Daniel's jaw tightened.
"Your father wasn't planning on dying.""
The sentence chilled me.
"Nobody is.""
"No. I mean he was preparing for something.""
He reached across the center console and took the black case from me.
"There were things your father was collecting before he died.""
"Evidence?""
"I don't know.""
"Then what was he preparing for?""
Daniel glanced at me.
"Julian.""
The name hung in the car.
I opened my phone again.
There was another message.
This time, it wasn't from Julian.
It was from Emily.
*Please stop listening to Daniel. He doesn't know the whole story.*
I stared at it.
A second message appeared.
*Your father lied to you, Nora.*
My heart hammered.
"What?"" Daniel asked.
"Emily just texted me.""
His expression hardened.
"Block her.""
I shook my head.
"Not yet.""
"She's trying to manipulate you.""
"Maybe.""
I typed.
*What did my father lie about?*
Three dots appeared.
Disappeared.
Appeared again.
Then her answer came.
*Ask Daniel who was with your father the night he died.*
I slowly turned toward him.
"Who was with my father the night he died?""
Daniel's face changed.
Only slightly.
But I saw it.
He knew.
"You know.""
"Emily is lying.""
"Then tell me.""
He said nothing.
"Daniel.""
His hands remained fixed at ten and two.
Finally, he spoke.
"Julian was there.""
The world seemed to tilt.
"What?""
"Julian was with your father that night.""
"Why?""
"I don't know.""
"You said you knew.""
"I said Julian was there. I never said I knew why.""
"When was this?""
"The night before your father's hospitalization.""
"My father called me that night.""
Daniel nodded.
"What did he say?""
"Nothing unusual.""
I searched my memory.
A phone call.
A warm summer evening.
My father's voice sounding strangely tired.
He had asked whether I was happy.
I'd thought it was sentimental.
Maybe he'd known it was the last time he'd hear my answer.
"He asked me if I was happy.""
Daniel's eyes flicked toward me.
"What did you tell him?""
"Yes.""
I covered my mouth.
The memory suddenly felt enormous.
"Why didn't anyone tell me Julian was there?""
Daniel's voice was quiet.
"Because your father told us not to.""
"Us?""
"Me. My mother. Julian.""
I stared at him.
"Your father made us promise not to tell you.""
"Why?""
Daniel didn't answer.
"Dad trusted me.""
"I know.""
"He should have told me.""
"He believed he was protecting you.""
"From what?""
Daniel finally pulled into an underground parking garage.
He turned off the engine.
Snow was no longer visible.
The sudden silence felt unnatural.
He looked at me.
"From your husband.""
I laughed bitterly.
"Then he failed.""
Daniel didn't argue.
He took the black case and led me toward the elevator.
"What are we doing?""
"Going somewhere Julian can't reach.""
"Where?""
"My office.""
"Does he know about it?""
"Not anymore.""
The elevator doors opened.
We stepped inside.
Daniel pressed the button for the top floor.
As the doors closed, my phone buzzed again.
Julian.
*Call me.*
I didn't.
Another message.
*You don't understand what your father did.*
I stared at the screen.
Then another.
*He stole from me.*
My stomach turned.
Daniel looked over.
"What did he say?""
I showed him.
Daniel's expression hardened.
"That's not true.""
"How do you know?""
"Because Blackwood Holdings didn't belong to Julian.""
He paused.
"It belonged to your father.""
I looked at him.
"Then why does Julian think it did?""
"Because your father let him.""
The elevator reached the top floor.
Daniel led me into a quiet office suite.
There was no receptionist.
No staff.
Only dark windows overlooking the snow-covered city.
He locked the door behind us.
"Why would my father pretend Julian owned the company?""
"To find out what he would do.""
I frowned.
"That makes no sense.""
"It will.""
Daniel walked to a cabinet and removed a small metal box.
He set it on the desk.
"My father told me something after your father's funeral.""
I stared at the box.
"What?""
"He said your father had built Blackwood Holdings under another name.""
"What other name?""
Daniel slid the box toward me.
"Nora, you need to understand something before you open this.""
I waited.
"Your father never trusted Julian.""
"Then why did he let me marry him?""
"Because he thought Julian was useful.""
I felt sick.
"Useful?""
"Your father believed Julian could help expose the people stealing from the company.""
"People?""
Daniel nodded.
"Several accounts had been drained. Contracts had been altered. Money was being moved through shell companies.""
I thought of the documents in the train station.
"Who was doing it?""
Daniel looked at me.
"We never proved it.""
"But you suspected someone.""
"Yes.""
"Who?""
He looked away.
"Your father.""
I stared at him.
"What?""
"We suspected your father was involved.""
My mouth went dry.
"No.""
"Listen.""
"My father wouldn't steal from his own company.""
"Your father wasn't stealing.""
"Then what?""
"He was moving money.""
"Why?""
"To hide it.""
"From whom?""
Daniel's voice dropped.
"From Julian.""
The room seemed to lose oxygen.
I looked at the metal box.
"What's inside?""
"Answers.""
"Then open it.""
"I can't.""
"Why?""
"It's locked.""
I looked at him.
"You brought it here.""
"Your father gave me the box two days before he died.""
"Why didn't you open it?""
"Because he asked me not to.""
I shook my head.
"Everyone keeps protecting dead people and secrets.""
I reached for the box.
Daniel didn't stop me.
There was a keyhole.
I searched my coat pocket.
The brass key.
The one from Locker 314.
I held it up.
Daniel's eyes widened.
"That key...""
"It opens this.""
I inserted it.
The lock clicked.
Daniel stepped back.
I lifted the lid.
Inside was a stack of documents wrapped in plastic.
A flash drive.
And a handwritten letter.
My name was on the envelope.
My hands trembled.
I opened it.
My father's handwriting filled the page.
*Nora,*
*If Daniel gives you this, then I am gone and Julian has already made his move.*
I stopped breathing.
Daniel looked away.
I kept reading.
*There is one thing I need you to understand. I did not leave you twenty-three percent of Blackwood Holdings because I wanted you to become wealthy. I left it to you because you are the only person Julian cannot legally control.*
My eyes filled.
I continued.
**He will tell you I was paranoid. He will tell you I was sick. He will tell you I made mistakes.
Some of those things may even be true. But he will never tell you the real reason he married you.**
I stared at that sentence.
The room seemed to spin.
"The real reason?"" I whispered.
Daniel stepped closer.
"Keep reading.""
My father's next words made my hands go cold.
*Julian did not marry you for love.*
I stopped.
My vision blurred.
Four years.
Four years of photographs.
Four years of anniversaries.
Four years of whispered promises.
Four years of believing the ring on my finger meant something.
Then I reached the final paragraph.
*He married you because he believed I would eventually give the company to you.*
I looked up.
Daniel was watching me.
"That's impossible.""
"No.""
"It can't be.""
"Your father knew.""
I shook my head violently.
"Then why didn't he tell me?""
"Because Julian was already watching.""
I looked back at the letter.
The final line had been underlined twice.
*And Nora, whatever happens, do not sign anything Julian puts in front of you.*
My father's warning.
The same warning Daniel had given me.
Then I noticed something else.
At the bottom of the page was a date.
Eleven months ago.
The day before my father's death.
My breathing became shallow.
"Daniel.""
He looked at me.
"There's something else.""
"What?""
I pointed.
The signature beneath my father's letter wasn't alone.
Beside it was another signature.
One I knew instantly.
I had seen it on our marriage certificate.
On our bank documents.
On every legal form Julian had ever asked me to sign.
*Julian Blackwood.*
My husband had signed the letter.
Before my father died.
I looked at Daniel.
"Why would Julian sign my father's letter?""
Daniel's face went pale.
"I've never seen that.""
I turned the page over.
Nothing.
I looked closer.
There was a faint indentation in the paper.
As though something had once been written there.
Daniel noticed.
"Hold it under the lamp.""
I did.
He switched on the desk lamp.
Slowly, faint words appeared in the indentation.
Four words.
*Ask him about Rachel.*
I stared.
"Who is Rachel?""
Daniel didn't answer.
He was looking at the door.
A knock sounded.
Three slow knocks.
Then a woman's voice came from the hallway.
"Nora?""
I froze.
I knew that voice.
Emily.
May you like
Then she spoke again.
"Please open the door. I'm here to tell you what Julian did to your father.""
