Chapter 6: The Man Who Was Supposed to Be Dead
Nobody moved.
The security monitor showed the same impossible image.
Adrian.
Vanessa.
And a stranger who looked like my father.
A man who had been dead for twelve years.
I whispered:
“That’s not possible.””
Marcus stared at the screen.
His face had lost all color.
“Emily…”
“No.””
I stepped closer.
“That’s him.””
Caleb looked at me.
“You’re sure?””
I nodded slowly.
Because some faces are burned into your memory forever.
The curve of a smile.
The shape of the eyes.
The way someone stands.
That man looked like my father.
But my father was gone.
I watched him lower his head toward Adrian.
Like they knew each other.
Like they had planned this.
My stomach turned.
“What is happening?””
Nobody answered.
Then the building intercom buzzed.
Vanessa’s voice filled the apartment.
“Emily, we need to talk.””
Julian stepped forward.
“You have five seconds to leave.””
Vanessa laughed softly.
“You still think you’re in control.””
Her confidence irritated me.
Because it reminded me of Adrian.
People who believe money makes them untouchable.
People who mistake silence for surrender.
I pressed the intercom button.
“Why are you here?””
Vanessa answered immediately.
“Because I know the truth.””
I almost laughed.
“You?””
“Yes.””
“After everything you did?””
A pause.
Then she said:
“I did what I had to do.””
The words were so casual.
Like betrayal was just another business decision.
“You ruined my life.””
“No.””
Her voice sharpened.
“Adrian ruined your life.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“You still don’t understand.””
I looked at Adrian through the camera.
He wasn’t smiling.
That worried me.
Because Adrian always smiled when he thought he had control.
Now he looked nervous.
Vanessa continued.
“Adrian has been hiding things from everyone.””
I narrowed my eyes.
“You’re asking me to trust you?””
“No.””
She paused.
“I’m asking you to listen.””
The apartment became silent.
Julian shook his head.
“It’s a trap.””
Maybe he was right.
But something about Adrian’s face bothered me.
He wasn’t watching me.
He was watching Vanessa.
Like she had done something he didn’t expect.
“Let her in,” I said.
Everyone turned.
“Emily, no,” Caleb warned.
“I need answers.””
Marcus stepped closer.
“Answers can get you killed.””
I looked at him.
“So can ignorance.””
Nobody had a response.
The elevator doors opened twenty minutes later.
Vanessa walked inside first.
Adrian followed.
The third man entered last.
And the moment I saw him standing in front of me, my entire body froze.
Up close, he looked even more like my father.
Same dark eyes.
Same scar near his eyebrow.
Same expression.
I couldn’t breathe.
The man looked at me.
“Emily.””
My knees almost gave out.
Nobody had called my name that way since my father died.
Not Adrian.
Not my brothers.
Nobody.
“Who are you?””
The man stared at me.
Then slowly removed his glasses.
“My name is Thomas Valez.””
My blood went cold.
Valez.
My last name.
Julian stepped forward.
“Impossible.””
Thomas looked at him.
“Hello, Julian.””
Marcus grabbed the edge of the table.
“You’re dead.””
Thomas nodded.
“Yes.””
The room went silent.
Then he said:
“That was the only way I could survive.””
I stared at him.
“You’re my father.””
He looked at me with tears in his eyes.
“Yes.””
The world stopped.
Everything I knew shattered.
My father was alive.
My mother’s death.
Adrian’s lies.
The charity scandal.
The secrets.
All of it.
Suddenly connected.
I took a step back.
“No.””
Thomas moved toward me.
“I know this is hard.””
“Hard?””
My voice broke.
“You let me bury you.””
His face fell.
“I had no choice.””
“You had twelve years.””
“I spent twelve years trying to protect you.””
“By leaving me?””
The pain in his eyes almost made me angry.
Almost.
But I had spent years grieving him.
Years wondering why he left.
Years believing death had stolen him from me.
“You’re not my father.””
The words hurt me as much as him.
Thomas whispered:
“I know why you feel that way.””
Adrian suddenly spoke.
“Emily, you need to understand something.””
I turned toward him.
For once, he looked afraid.
“You don’t know the whole story.””
I stared at him.
“You’re right.””
I stepped closer.
“I don’t.””
Then I looked at my father.
“Start talking.””
Thomas took a breath.
“My death was staged because I discovered something about Adrian’s family.””
I crossed my arms.
“What?””
Thomas looked at Adrian.
Then at Vanessa.
Then back at me.
“The man you married wasn’t the person who planned everything.””
My heart sank.
“Then who was?””
Thomas’s expression became serious.
“The person who destroyed our family…”
He paused.
“…was your own grandfather.””
The room went silent.
Because my grandfather had been dead for twenty years.
May you like
And somehow…
I knew this was only the beginning. :::
