Chapter 8: The Secret Under My Mother's Roof
The photograph stayed open on my phone as Daniel drove.
My mother sat rigidly on the living-room sofa, her hands clasped in her lap.
Julian stood behind her.
And in his hand was the original will.
I zoomed in.
Something was wrong.
"Stop.""
Daniel glanced at me.
"What?""
I pointed at the photograph.
"Look at the window.""
He narrowed his eyes.
"What am I looking for?""
"The reflection.""
He slowed near an intersection.
In the dark glass behind my mother, there was a faint reflection of another person.
A man.
Tall.
Standing near the hallway.
"That's not Julian.""
Daniel looked again.
"No.""
My heart began racing.
"Who is he?""
"I don't know.""
"Someone is in the house.""
Daniel accelerated.
I called my mother.
She answered on the second ring.
"Mom?""
Her breathing was shaky.
"Nora.""
"Are you hurt?""
"No.""
"Where's Julian?""
A pause.
"He left.""
I looked at Daniel.
"He left?""
"Yes.""
"Did he hurt you?""
"No.""
"Mom, tell me the truth.""
"I am.""
Her voice lowered.
"He's waiting for you.""
"Where?""
She hesitated.
"In the study.""
Daniel shook his head.
"No.""
I ignored him.
"Mom, what happened?""
"The man you saw in the photograph wasn't with Julian.""
"Who was he?""
"I don't know.""
"But you saw him.""
"Yes.""
"Then why didn't you tell me?""
My mother started crying.
"Because I know him.""
My stomach tightened.
"Who is he?""
She whispered a name.
"Marcus.""
Daniel's face went pale.
I noticed.
"Who is Marcus?""
Daniel said nothing.
"Mom, who is Marcus?""
My mother answered.
"Your father's partner.""
I stared at Daniel.
"Your father never had a partner.""
My mother gave a broken laugh.
"He did. Your father just made sure you never knew.""
The call ended.
I looked at Daniel.
"You know Marcus.""
He kept his eyes on the road.
"I know of him.""
"That's not what I asked.""
"I met him once.""
"When?""
"Years ago.""
"Why?""
Daniel was silent.
I reached for the door handle.
"Pull over.""
"What?""
"Pull over.""
He did.
The car stopped beneath a streetlamp.
Snow drifted over the windshield.
I turned toward him.
"I've had enough.""
"Nora—"
"Everyone has been deciding what I deserve to know.""
I held up my phone.
"My mother. My father. You.
Julian. Emily.""
My voice cracked.
"Every person in my life has known something about my marriage that I didn't.""
Daniel looked at me.
"I didn't know about Marcus.""
"But you know who he is.""
"Yes.""
"Then tell me.""
He exhaled.
"Marcus Hale worked with your father.""
"Doing what?""
"Private investigations.""
"Like Rachel?""
"Yes.""
"Then why did my mother say he was your father's partner?""
Daniel rubbed his jaw.
"Because he was more than an investigator.""
"What was he?""
"A business partner.""
My mind raced.
"Did Julian know him?""
"Yes.""
"And Rachel?""
"She worked directly under him.""
I stared through the windshield.
"The person Julian was supposedly afraid of.""
Daniel nodded.
"Marcus.""
I swallowed.
"Where is he now?""
"Nobody knows.""
My phone buzzed.
A new message.
Unknown number.
*Don't trust the man driving you home.*
I slowly looked at Daniel.
He saw my face.
"What?""
I showed him.
He closed his eyes.
"Marcus.""
"How do you know?""
"Because that's his style.""
My stomach dropped.
The phone buzzed again.
*Your father didn't die because of Julian.*
Then:
*He died because he chose you.*
I stared at the words.
"What does that mean?""
Daniel started the car.
"We need to get to your mother.""
We drove the rest of the way without speaking.
When we finally reached my mother's house, the front door was open.
Daniel stopped the car.
"Stay here.""
"No.""
"Nora.""
"My mother is inside.""
He got out.
I followed.
The house smelled like lavender and old books.
The lights were on.
Everything looked normal.
Too normal.
"Mom?""
No answer.
"Mom!""
We moved through the hallway.
A lamp in the living room had been knocked sideways.
There were papers scattered across the floor.
A chair was overturned.
Then I heard a voice.
"Don't come any closer.""
My mother.
We found her standing in the study.
She was holding the original will.
And beside her stood an older man with silver hair.
Marcus.
He raised both hands.
"I don't want to hurt you.""
Daniel stepped in front of me.
"Marcus.""
The older man looked at him.
"Daniel.""
They stared at each other.
Then Marcus said quietly:
"You should have stayed out of this.""
Daniel's face hardened.
"You disappeared.""
"I was hiding.""
"From Julian?""
"From everyone.""
I looked at my mother.
"Mom.""
She looked at me.
"I'm sorry.""
I stepped into the room.
"Is he the man in the photograph?""
She nodded.
"Yes.""
I looked at Marcus.
"Are you the one who sent me the messages?""
"Some of them.""
"Which ones?""
"The ones that told you to leave the train.""
I froze.
"You saved me?""
"I warned you.""
"Why?""
"Because Julian was going to make you disappear.""
The words chilled me.
My mother shut the study door.
"Sit.""
I remained standing.
"No more secrets.""
She nodded.
"No more.""
Marcus put a thick folder on the desk.
"This is what your father died protecting.""
I opened it.
Inside were bank transfers.
Company ledgers.
Photographs.
Medical records.
And one birth certificate.
I stared at it.
My name.
My mother's name.
And under father…
A name I'd never seen before.
*Thomas Hale.*
I looked up.
"Who is Thomas Hale?""
Marcus didn't move.
My mother covered her face.
Daniel whispered:
"Marcus's brother.""
My throat tightened.
"Then he's not my father?""
Marcus shook his head.
"No.""
"Then why is his name on my birth certificate?""
Marcus looked at my mother.
She began to cry.
"Because your father wasn't your biological father.""
I remembered her confession.
But this was different.
The name was real.
Documented.
I looked at Marcus.
"Is Thomas alive?""
"No.""
"When did he die?""
Marcus looked at the floor.
"Twenty-seven years ago.""
I stared.
"Then how could he be my father?""
Marcus didn't answer.
My mother whispered:
"He wasn't.""
My head snapped toward her.
"What?""
She came closer.
"Thomas was listed because your father changed the record.""
"Why?""
"To protect me.""
I felt dizzy.
"Protect you from what?""
My mother sat down.
She looked suddenly much older.
"Thomas was not your father.""
"Then who was?""
She closed her eyes.
"Julian's father.""
The room went silent.
I couldn't breathe.
Daniel stepped backward.
Marcus lowered his head.
I stared at my mother.
"No.""
She nodded through tears.
"Your biological father was Richard Blackwood.""
Julian's father.
The name made no sense.
Richard Blackwood had died before Julian and I met.
I had seen his photograph in Julian's family home.
A respected businessman.
A man everyone described as brilliant.
My mother's voice shook.
"He had an affair with me before I met your father.""
I felt the floor disappear beneath me.
"And he was married.""
"Yes.""
"To whom?""
She looked at me.
"Julian's mother.""
I covered my mouth.
The implications slammed into me.
Julian and I.
Married.
Pregnant.
And if what my mother was saying was true…
I looked at Daniel.
He looked horrified.
"Does Julian know?""
Marcus answered.
"Yes.""
My heart stopped.
"When?""
"Before he married you.""
Everything inside me went cold.
He knew.
He had known.
He knew my father's suspicions.
He knew the shares.
He knew the truth about my birth.
And he had still married me.
I touched my stomach.
My voice barely worked.
"Does that mean—"
"No," Marcus said immediately.
He looked at me.
"Your baby is not related to Julian.""
I almost collapsed with relief.
"Julian was never your mother's son by Richard.""
I stared.
"What?""
Marcus continued.
"Julian was adopted.""
The room spun.
My mother looked at me.
"Richard was his uncle.""
That explained the bloodline.
The deception.
The reason Julian had needed my father's company.
But one question remained.
"Then why did Julian marry me?""
Marcus looked at me.
"Because your father had discovered Richard's secret.""
"What secret?""
Marcus opened the folder.
He slid a photograph toward me.
It showed Richard Blackwood shaking hands with my father.
Behind them was a young woman.
Rachel.
My heart stopped.
Marcus pointed to her.
"Rachel discovered that Richard had been laundering money through Blackwood Holdings.""
I looked at the photograph.
"My father knew.""
"Yes.""
"Julian knew.""
"Eventually.""
"And Rachel?""
Marcus's expression hardened.
"Rachel found proof.""
"Then what happened?""
"She disappeared.""
I stared.
"Did Julian kill her?""
Marcus didn't answer immediately.
"No.""
Relief and fear mixed inside me.
"Then who did?""
Marcus looked at my mother.
She whispered:
"Richard.""
My breath caught.
"But he's dead.""
"He died after Rachel disappeared," Marcus said.
"How?""
"Officially? A heart attack.""
I looked at Daniel.
He shook his head.
"Unofficially?""
Marcus opened another document.
"Poison.""
My stomach dropped.
"Who poisoned him?""
Marcus looked directly at me.
"Your husband.""
I couldn't speak.
"But Richard died before Julian was married to me.""
"Yes.""
"How could Julian have killed his father?""
Marcus's face hardened.
"Because Julian isn't the man you think he is.""
Daniel stepped forward.
"Marcus.""
"No.""
Marcus looked at me.
"She deserves the truth.""
He placed one final photograph on the desk.
It showed Julian as a teenager.
Standing beside Richard.
And behind them was my father.
But there was another person in the picture.
A woman.
Rachel.
Alive.
I stared at her face.
Then at the date.
The photograph had been taken twenty-four years ago.
One year after I was born.
I whispered:
"That's impossible.""
Marcus nodded.
"That's what your father wanted you to believe.""
I looked at him.
"Where is Rachel now?""
The door behind us suddenly slammed.
Everyone turned.
A voice came from the hallway.
"She's closer than you think.""
I knew that voice.
Emily.
She stepped into the doorway, breathless and terrified.
"Nora," she whispered.
"Rachel isn't dead.""
May you like
Then she looked at Marcus.
"And Julian just found her.""
