Chapter 5: The Woman Who Knew Too Much
The room went silent.
Not the peaceful kind of silence.
The kind that comes right before something breaks.
Emily stood on the other side of the office door.
The same woman who had smiled at my baby shower.
The same woman who had held my hand and told me I deserved happiness.
The same woman whose hand was resting on my husband's shoulder in a photograph taken before my wedding.
Now she was standing outside, claiming she wanted to tell me what Julian had done to my father.
I looked at Daniel.
His expression was unreadable.
"Don't open the door," he whispered.
A second knock came.
"Nora?""
Emily's voice sounded different.
Not sweet.
Not confident.
Desperate.
"I know you're in there.""
I stepped back.
"How?""
Daniel looked toward the security camera near the ceiling.
Then he cursed quietly.
"She followed us.""
My stomach tightened.
"Why would she follow us?""
"Because she knows what we found.""
The third knock was harder.
"Nora, please.""
I walked closer to the door.
Daniel immediately blocked me.
"No.""
"She might know something.""
"She might be trying to buy time.""
"For Julian?""
He didn't answer.
That was enough.
I looked through the small glass panel beside the door.
Emily stood alone in the hallway.
Her red scarf was still wrapped around her neck.
The same scarf from the picture.
She looked exhausted.
Afraid.
For a moment, I almost felt sorry for her.
Then I remembered the photograph.
The secret meetings.
The year of lies.
I opened the door.
Daniel grabbed my arm.
"Nora.""
"I need answers.""
I stepped into the hallway but kept the door partly closed.
Emily looked at me.
Her eyes immediately filled with tears.
"Nora.""
"Don't.""
She stopped.
"What?""
"Don't say my name like we're friends.""
Pain crossed her face.
Maybe it was real.
Maybe it wasn't.
"I know what this looks like.""
"You mean you know what it feels like?""
She looked down.
"I deserve that.""
I almost laughed.
"Do you?""
Emily swallowed.
"I made mistakes.""
"Mistakes?""
I held up my phone.
The picture was still open.
"Was this a mistake?""
Her face changed.
She looked away.
That tiny movement told me everything.
"You and Julian.""
She closed her eyes.
"Yes.""
The honesty shocked me.
I expected denial.
Excuses.
A story.
Not this.
"How long?""
"Since before your wedding.""
The hallway seemed to tilt.
I stared at her.
"Say that again.""
Emily's voice broke.
"Since before your wedding.""
I stepped backward.
Daniel appeared behind me.
"Why are you here?""
Emily looked at him.
Then at me.
"Because Julian is going to destroy you.""
I looked at her.
"You mean the way you helped him?""
"I didn't know everything.""
"Really?""
"No.""
Her voice became sharper.
"I knew he was cheating. I knew he was using me. I knew he was lying to you.""
"Then what didn't you know?""
Emily looked toward the elevator.
Like she was afraid someone might appear.
"I didn't know about your father.""
The words caught my attention.
"Rachel.""
Emily froze.
Daniel noticed.
"Who is Rachel?""
Emily's face changed.
Fear.
Pure fear.
"Where did you hear that name?""
I held up the letter.
"My father wrote it.""
Emily looked at the page.
Then she whispered:
"She was his first victim.""
The air disappeared from my lungs.
"Who?""
Emily looked at me.
"Julian.""
Daniel stepped forward.
"Explain.""
Emily shook her head.
"Not here.""
"You came here.""
"I came because Julian knows I have information.""
She looked at me.
"He knows I was going to tell you.""
A chill moved through me.
"When?""
"Tonight.""
"Why?""
"Because I was scared.""
I stared at her.
"You weren't scared when you helped him lie to me.""
She looked down.
"I was stupid.""
"No.""
My voice hardened.
"You were selfish.""
Emily accepted that.
"I was.""
For once, she didn't defend herself.
"I thought Julian loved me.""
I looked at her.
"And then?""
"Then I realized he doesn't love anyone.""
Daniel crossed his arms.
"What happened with Rachel?""
Emily took a shaky breath.
"Rachel was Julian's first wife.""
I froze.
"What?""
Daniel looked stunned.
"First wife?""
Emily nodded.
"He never told you?""
"No.""
"Of course he didn't.""
She laughed bitterly.
"Julian is very good at making people believe they know him.""
I felt sick.
"Where is she?""
Emily looked at me.
"Dead.""
The word landed heavily.
"When?""
"Six years ago.""
I tried to remember.
Julian had told me he had never been married.
He said he had never found the right person.
He said he was waiting for someone who understood him.
All lies.
"What happened to her?""
Emily looked toward the office.
"Can we go inside?""
Daniel hesitated.
Then he opened the door.
Emily entered slowly.
She looked at the documents scattered across the desk.
The photographs.
The letter.
When she saw the picture of Julian and my father, her face went pale.
"You found everything.""
"Not everything," Daniel said.
Emily looked at him.
"You still don't know about the account.""
"What account?"" I asked.
She turned toward me.
"The one Julian tried to access after your father died.""
My hands tightened.
"What account?""
"The Blackwood trust.""
Daniel's expression changed.
"The trust was locked.""
"Not completely.""
"What does that mean?""
Emily looked at me.
"It means Julian needed your signature.""
I remembered the postnuptial agreement.
My blood ran cold.
"He needed my shares.""
Emily nodded.
"And he needed you to believe you were signing something else.""
The room became quiet.
I looked at Daniel.
"How much money?""
He picked up one of the documents.
His eyes moved across the page.
Then stopped.
"Nora.""
"What?""
He looked at me.
"Your father didn't just leave you shares.""
"What did he leave?""
Daniel turned the document around.
A number was written there.
A number so large my brain refused to process it.
"Your father created a private trust.""
I stared.
"How much?""
Daniel hesitated.
"Almost seventy million dollars.""
I sat down.
Not because I cared about the money.
Because suddenly every strange moment in my marriage made sense.
The questions Julian asked.
The way he wanted access to my accounts.
The way he pushed me away from my father's lawyers.
The way he became angry whenever I refused to sign something.
He wasn't trying to build a life with me.
He was trying to unlock one.
Emily sat across from me.
"I should have told you.""
"Yes.""
"I know.""
"Why didn't you?""
She looked ashamed.
"Because Julian threatened me.""
I looked at her.
"What did he threaten?""
"My family.""
The answer was quiet.
"He knew things about my brother. Things that could ruin his life.""
Daniel frowned.
"Julian always collects information.""
Emily nodded.
"He keeps files on everyone.""
I thought of the black case.
The photographs.
The documents.
"He kept one on my father.""
"Yes.""
"And one on me.""
Emily looked away.
"Yes.""
The room felt smaller.
Then my phone buzzed.
Everyone looked at it.
Unknown number.
A video file.
No message.
Just a file.
Daniel stood.
"Don't open it.""
But I already knew.
Julian wanted me to see.
My finger hovered.
Then I pressed play.
The screen showed my father's office.
The date appeared.
The day before he died.
My father was sitting behind his desk.
Across from him sat Julian.
I stopped breathing.
My father's face looked tired.
Older.
But his voice was steady.
"Julian, you need to understand something.""
Julian leaned forward.
"I understand perfectly.""
My father's eyes narrowed.
"You don't love my daughter.""
The words hit me harder than I expected.
Julian smiled.
A cold, unfamiliar smile.
"I never said I did.""
I covered my mouth.
Daniel looked away.
The video continued.
My father pushed a folder across the desk.
"You will never get control of Blackwood Holdings.""
Julian laughed.
"You really think Nora will choose you over me?""
My father's expression hardened.
"She will choose the truth.""
Julian leaned back.
"No.""
He looked directly at the camera.
As if he knew someone was recording.
"She will choose me because she always has.""
The video glitched.
Then Julian stood.
His final words were clear.
"After tomorrow, everything belongs to me.""
The screen went black.
Nobody spoke.
Then Emily whispered:
"Nora.""
I looked up.
She was staring at the door.
"What?""
Her face turned white.
"Because if Julian knows you saw this...""
A sound came from outside.
A key turning in the lock.
Daniel stepped back.
The office door slowly opened.
And a familiar voice said:
"Actually, Nora already saw enough.""
Julian stood in the doorway.
Smiling.
May you like
And in his hand was the one thing I had not realized was missing.
My father's original will.
