Chapter 6: The Betrayal Hidden In The Family
The world seemed to stop when Daniel said those two words.
“Your mother.””
Grant didn’t move.
For several seconds, he simply stared at Daniel like he was waiting for him to laugh.
Waiting for the confession to become a cruel joke.
But Daniel didn’t laugh.
He didn’t apologize.
He just stood there with the weight of the truth between us.
“My mother is dead,” Grant said finally.
Daniel nodded.
“I know.””
“Then explain how a dead woman betrayed me.””
His voice was sharp.
Daniel looked at him.
“She wasn’t dead when she gave Richard the information.””
The silence that followed was unbearable.
I looked at Grant.
His face had lost all color.
“No.””
Daniel didn’t respond.
“No,” Grant repeated.
“My mother would never do that.””
I understood that reaction.
Because I had spent years believing certain people were incapable of hurting me.
Until they did.
Daniel slowly held out the flash drive.
“The truth is on here.””
Grant didn’t take it.
“Why should I believe anything you say?””
“Because you already know something is wrong.””
Grant’s jaw tightened.
Daniel continued.
“Your mother wasn’t just involved with Richard. She was involved with Daniel Whitmore Industries long before you knew.””
“My mother worked as a nurse.””
Daniel nodded.
“That’s what everyone believed.””
I stared at him.
“What does that mean?””
Daniel looked at me.
“It means some people have very good disguises.””
Grant stepped closer.
“You’re accusing my mother of being a criminal.””
“I’m telling you she was protecting criminals.””
“That’s not the same thing.””
“No.””
Daniel’s voice lowered.
“But the result was the same.””
Grant looked away.
I could see the fight inside him.
He wanted to reject it.
He wanted to call Daniel a liar.
But somewhere deep down, something wasn’t adding up.
Because Daniel wasn’t the first person to suggest there were secrets in Grant’s family.
Victoria had hinted at it.
Richard had hinted at it.
And now Daniel was saying the same thing.
Different people.
Same warning.
I looked at Daniel.
“What exactly did she do?””
Daniel sighed.
“She gave Richard information about Elena.””
My stomach tightened.
“Why?””
“Because Richard needed to know where you were.””
“But why would she help him?””
Daniel looked at Grant.
“Because she believed she was protecting you.””
Grant laughed once.
A painful sound.
“Protecting me?””
“Yes.””
“By destroying my wife?””
Daniel didn’t answer immediately.
And that hesitation told me everything.
There was more.
“What aren’t you telling us?”” I asked.
Daniel looked at me.
“Your husband’s mother believed Elena was dangerous.””
Grant’s eyes narrowed.
“She believed the lies.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Daniel looked down.
“Because someone convinced her.””
The wind moved through the warehouse.
“Who?””
Daniel looked at the flash drive.
“The person who has been controlling everything from the beginning.””
Grant crossed his arms.
“And who is that?””
Daniel didn’t answer.
Not immediately.
Instead, he looked toward the entrance.
“We need to leave.””
Grant frowned.
“What?””
“Now.””
A sudden sound came from outside.
A car door closing.
Daniel’s face changed.
“They found us.””
Everything happened at once.
Grant grabbed my hand.
“Move.””
We ran deeper into the warehouse.
The old wooden floor creaked beneath us.
Outside, footsteps approached.
Multiple people.
My heart raced.
“How did they find us?”” I whispered.
Daniel looked at me.
“Because someone knew you would come.””
Grant stopped.
“You said nobody knew.””
Daniel’s expression changed.
“I was wrong.””
A shadow appeared near the entrance.
Then another.
Grant pulled us behind a stack of old equipment.
The warehouse suddenly felt too small.
Too exposed.
A man’s voice echoed through the building.
“Daniel.””
I recognized it.
Richard.
My entire body froze.
“He knows we’re here,” I whispered.
Daniel nodded.
“Yes.””
Grant looked at him.
“How long has he been hunting you?””
“Seven years.””
“And you survived?””
Daniel looked away.
“Barely.””
Another voice appeared.
A woman’s voice.
My stomach dropped.
Because I knew it.
Victoria.
“She’s here too,” I whispered.
Grant looked at me.
“Victoria?””
I nodded.
The betrayal hurt more because it made sense.
She hadn’t been acting alone.
She had been following a plan.
A plan that started long before she entered our house.
Richard’s voice echoed.
“You should have stayed hidden, Daniel.””
Daniel stepped forward slightly.
Grant grabbed his arm.
“No.””
Daniel looked at him.
“If they find us, you and Elena won’t leave.””
“Then we fight.””
Daniel almost smiled.
“You sound like your father.””
Grant froze.
“My father?””
Daniel looked at him.
“Yes.””
The sound of footsteps grew closer.
But Grant ignored it.
“What does my father have to do with this?””
Daniel looked at him.
“Everything.””
Another secret.
Another hidden piece.
I was beginning to wonder if anyone in our lives had ever told the full truth.
“My father died when I was fifteen,” Grant said.
“I know.””
“Then explain.””
Daniel lowered his voice.
“Your father was the first person who discovered what Daniel Whitmore Industries was really doing.””
Grant stared.
“He knew?””
“Yes.””
“And my mother?””
Daniel didn’t answer.
Grant understood.
His expression changed.
“No.””
Daniel whispered:
“She chose them.””
A noise came from the other side of the warehouse.
They were getting closer.
Victoria’s voice called out.
“Daniel! This doesn’t have to end badly.””
Daniel looked toward the sound.
“You always say that before it gets worse.””
I watched Grant.
The anger in his face wasn’t directed at Daniel anymore.
It was directed at everything he was learning.
His entire childhood.
His family.
His memories.
All of it was changing.
Then Victoria stepped into view.
She looked different.
Not like the woman who had cried and accused me.
Not like the woman who pretended to be helpless.
She looked confident.
Prepared.
“Grant.””
He stepped out.
“What did you do?””
Victoria’s expression softened.
“I was trying to save you.””
“By lying to me?””
“By protecting you from the truth.””
Grant laughed bitterly.
“You don’t get to decide what truth I deserve.””
Victoria looked at me.
“This is why I warned you.””
I stared at her.
“You weren’t warning me.””
She looked away.
“You were dangerous.””
“Because I found evidence?””
“Because you destroyed everything.””
I felt anger rise.
“I exposed criminals.””
“No.””
Victoria shook her head.
“You exposed people who were trying to keep this family alive.””
Grant stared at her.
“What family?””
Victoria looked at him.
“Ours.””
The word sounded wrong coming from her.
Grant’s voice became cold.
“You used Lily.””
Victoria’s face changed.
“I love Lily.””
“Then why did you scare her?””
Victoria looked down.
For a second, she looked ashamed.
Then it disappeared.
“You don’t understand.””
“No,” Grant said.
“I understand enough.””
Richard stepped forward.
“We’re wasting time.””
Grant looked at him.
“You knew.””
Richard smiled.
“I knew a lot of things.””
Daniel moved closer.
“Richard, it’s over.””
Richard laughed.
“No.””
He looked at me.
“It’s only beginning.””
Then he reached into his coat.
My heart stopped.
Grant moved immediately.
But Richard wasn’t holding a weapon.
He was holding a photograph.
He tossed it onto the ground.
It landed face up.
I looked down.
And my entire body went cold.
Because the photograph showed something impossible.
Something that changed everything I thought I knew about my own past.
It showed my father.
Standing beside Richard.
May you like
Alive.
And the date on the back was from three years after my father was supposed to have died.
