Chapter 8: The Enemy Within
I stared at the message until my vision blurred.
My name.
My phone number.
My identity.
Someone had created a trap using me.
Marcus looked at me.
“Mom?””
I couldn’t answer.
Because there was only one person who could have copied my information.
Someone who had access to everything.
Someone who had spent years close enough to know how I thought.
“How did they send this?””
Marcus checked the number.
“It came from a private account.””
“Show me.””
He handed me the phone.
I studied the message.
Then I noticed something.
A small detail.
Something most people would miss.
The punctuation.
The spacing.
The wording.
My hands went cold.
“I know who wrote this.””
Marcus looked at me.
“Who?””
I looked up.
“Your father.””
His expression changed.
“What?””
“Not the message.””
I pointed at the screen.
“The way it was written.””
Marcus frowned.
“Mom, Dad has been dead for twelve years.””
“I know.””
“Then how?””
I stood.
“Because someone studied him.””
David had a habit.
When he wrote notes, he always used the same phrases.
The same structure.
The same way of ending sentences.
It was something only someone close to him would notice.
Someone who had spent time reading his private documents.
Someone who had access to his handwriting.
“Richard,” Marcus said.
I shook my head.
“Maybe.””
“But?””
“But Richard wouldn’t make this mistake.””
Marcus looked confused.
“What mistake?””
“He wants me afraid.””
“And?””
“He wouldn’t imitate David.””
“Why?””
“Because Richard hated him.””
I looked at the message again.
“This is someone who admired him.””
The realization frightened me more.
We returned to Daniel’s office.
He examined the message carefully.
“I agree.””
“With what?”” Marcus asked.
“This isn’t random.””
Daniel looked at me.
“Someone wants you to go somewhere.””
“And?””
“And someone wants Marcus to follow.””
Marcus frowned.
“Why me?””
“Because you’re the key.””
Daniel opened the documents again.
“The company shares. The ownership transfer. The inheritance.””
He looked at Marcus.
“Everything connects to you.””
Marcus leaned back.
“I’m starting to hate that sentence.””
Daniel almost smiled.
“Your father used to say something.””
“What?””
“He said the greatest weakness of a family is not money.””
“What is it?””
“Secrets.””
The room became quiet.
Because that was exactly what destroyed us.
Not greed.
Not betrayal.
Secrets.
That evening, I received another message.
This time from the unknown number.
*You have until midnight.*
Attached was a photograph.
David’s missing envelope.
Sitting on a table.
Beside it was something else.
A wedding ring.
My breath caught.
David’s wedding ring.
The one buried with him.
Impossible.
I stared at the picture.
“That’s not real.””
Marcus looked over my shoulder.
“How do you know?””
“Because I placed that ring in his coffin.””
Silence.
Then Marcus whispered:
“Someone is playing with us.””
“Yes.””
“Who?””
I looked at the photograph.
“I don’t know.””
And that was the first time I admitted it.
I didn’t know.
For years, I believed I understood every person around me.
I was wrong.
At 11:30 p.m., Marcus and I arrived at the location.
An old warehouse near the river.
The place was abandoned.
Dark windows.
Rusty doors.
The kind of place where bad decisions were made.
“Mom, stay behind me.””
I almost laughed.
“You’re telling me what to do now?””
He smiled faintly.
“Trying to.””
For a second, he looked like the boy I raised.
Then the door opened.
A figure stepped out.
My heart stopped.
Because I knew him.
“Thomas?””
He looked older.
Tired.
Guilty.
Marcus immediately stepped forward.
“You?””
Thomas looked down.
“I’m sorry.””
I couldn’t move.
“Where is the envelope?””
Thomas swallowed.
“I have it.””
“Why?””
His eyes filled with regret.
“Because David gave it to me.””
The world seemed to stop.
“What?””
Thomas nodded.
“He knew something would happen.””
Marcus stared.
“You had my father’s letter for twelve years?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Thomas looked at me.
“Because he asked me to wait.””
“Wait for what?””
Thomas reached into his coat.
He pulled out the envelope.
But he didn’t give it to us.
Not yet.
“Until Evelyn was ready.””
I felt anger rise.
“Ready?””
Thomas looked at me.
“To hear the truth.””
Marcus stepped forward.
“Give me the letter.””
Thomas hesitated.
Then said:
“There’s something you need to know first.””
“What?””
Thomas looked at me.
“Your father wasn’t afraid Claire would hurt the company.””
A chill went through me.
“He was afraid she would hurt Marcus.””
I held my breath.
“Why?””
Thomas looked at Marcus.
“Because Claire wasn’t the first person to try.””
Marcus froze.
“What does that mean?””
Thomas lowered his voice.
“Your father believed someone inside your own family had been manipulating you since you were a child.””
My heart stopped.
“Who?””
Thomas looked directly at me.
May you like
And said:
“Your mother.””
