Chapter 12: The Lighthouse Secret
479 Words
The morning after the warehouse incident, Alexander couldn't stop thinking about the inscription on the silver pocket watch.
"The truth is buried where the lighthouse meets the sea."
He placed the watch on his desk as Maya entered his office.
"You wanted to see me?"
Alexander nodded.
"I need your help."
She looked at the watch.
"You think it's a clue?"
"I know it is."
Maya studied the inscription carefully.
"Is there a lighthouse connected to your family?"
Alexander was silent for a moment.
"There is only one."
---
Two hours later, Alexander, Maya, Detective Laura Bennett, and Jordan arrived at Blackwater Lighthouse, an old stone tower overlooking the ocean.
The lighthouse had been abandoned for nearly twenty years.
The crashing waves echoed against the cliffs as they climbed the narrow path.
"It feels... eerie," Maya admitted.
"It was my father's favorite place," Alexander said quietly.
"He used to bring Nathan and me here when we were children."
Detective Bennett shined her flashlight toward the weathered entrance.
"The inscription said the truth is buried."
"So we start looking."
---
After nearly an hour of searching, Maya noticed something unusual.
One of the old stone tiles near the lighthouse base was loose.
"Alexander!"
He hurried over.
"I think I found something."
Together, they lifted the heavy stone.
Beneath it was a small, rusted metal box.
Alexander carefully opened it.
Inside were several old photographs, a leather journal, and a sealed envelope addressed in his father's handwriting.
To My Sons.
Alexander's hands trembled.
He slowly opened the letter.
«If you are reading this, it means I am no longer alive. There is something you must know...»
Everyone stood in silence as Alexander continued reading.
«The accident that divided our family was no accident. Someone close to us wanted control of Stone Global and was willing to destroy everything to get it.»
Maya felt a chill run down her spine.
Alexander kept reading.
«Nathan was innocent. I sent him away because I believed it was the only way to keep him alive.»
Alexander lowered the letter, unable to speak.
"Nathan... was innocent?"
Jordan looked stunned.
"Then who betrayed your father?"
Before anyone could answer, a gunshot echoed across the cliffs.
The bullet shattered the lantern above the lighthouse entrance.
"Everyone down!" Detective Bennett shouted.
A black SUV sped away from the road above.
The shooter was gone before the police could react.
Alexander looked toward the escaping vehicle.
"They know we found the box."
Detective Bennett picked up the letter.
"If someone is trying this hard to stop the truth from coming out..."
"...then the real mastermind is still out there."
Far away, inside a luxurious penthouse, a man watched live drone footage of the lighthouse on a computer screen.
He smiled coldly.
"So... they've found the first clue."
He closed the laptop.
"But they'll never discover the second."
To be continued
- Writer
