The Secret our Mother left Behind
964 Words
“Dad?”
Emily stared at Richard.
He looked broken.
“Emily…”
Her voice shook.
“Is it true?”
Richard couldn’t meet her eyes.
“Tell me.”
Jonathan pressed the gun harder against his head.
“Your father has been very helpful.”
Emily’s heart broke.
“Why?”
Richard closed his eyes.
“Because I was afraid.”
“Of what?”
“Losing you.”
Emily laughed bitterly.
“You were willing to sacrifice Victoria.”
“I thought I could save both of you.”
“You lied about your illness.”
“I needed you to agree to the marriage.”
Emily stared.
“Why?”
“Because Alexander’s company was the only place I could get close enough to recover something.”
Alexander looked at him.
“Recover what?”
Richard hesitated.
Victoria answered.
“The Blackwood files.”
Everyone turned toward her.
“Our mother worked for Alexander’s grandfather.”
Emily stared.
“Our mother?”
Victoria nodded.
“She was a software engineer.”
“I never knew that.”
“Dad hid it.”
Richard’s eyes filled with tears.
“She created an algorithm.”
Alexander’s expression changed.
“What kind?”
“One capable of predicting financial crimes.”
Victoria continued.
“Your grandfather stole it.”
Alexander’s face hardened.
“And my company?”
“Your company was built partly from her work.”
Emily looked at her father.
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell us?”
“Because your mother died trying to expose them.”
Silence.
Emily felt as if the floor had disappeared.
“Our mother wasn’t killed in an accident.”
Richard shook his head.
“No.”
“She was murdered?”
“Yes.”
Alexander stepped forward.
“Who killed her?”
Richard looked at Jonathan.
“His father.”
Jonathan’s face changed.
“My father?”
Richard nodded.
“Your father ordered the murder.”
Jonathan laughed.
“You expect me to believe that?”
Victoria interrupted.
“There is proof.”
She pulled a small drive from her pocket.
“Everything is here.”
Jonathan’s expression changed.
Alexander looked at the drive.
“Give it to me.”
Victoria did.
Alexander handed it to Daniel.
“Can you open it?”
Daniel nodded.
“Give me a minute.”
Jonathan raised his gun.
“Put it down.”
Security surrounded him.
He laughed.
“You think this ends here?”
Alexander looked at him.
“It ends now.”
Jonathan’s smile disappeared.
“You don’t understand.”
He pressed a button.
The warehouse doors locked.
Gas began filling the room.
Emily coughed.
“What is happening?”
Daniel shouted:
“Everyone out!”
The doors wouldn’t open.
Jonathan disappeared behind a security wall.
Alexander grabbed Emily.
“Stay with me.”
Victoria grabbed Richard.
Daniel rushed to the control panel.
“I can override it.”
“How long?”
“Three minutes.”
“We don’t have three minutes.”
Alexander looked around.
His technology was scanning the room.
“Emergency exit.”
Daniel looked up.
“Where?”
“Behind the storage wall.”
Emily stared.
“How do you know?”
Alexander’s voice was calm.
“Because the building plans are in my system.”
He grabbed a metal bar.
“Help me.”
They broke through the wall.
Cold air rushed in.
One by one, they escaped.
Outside, Emily collapsed onto the ground.
Victoria knelt beside her.
The twins stared at each other.
For years, they had been separated by secrets.
Now they were together.
Alive.
But the danger wasn’t over.
Police vehicles approached.
Jonathan was arrested.
Daniel was taken for questioning.
Richard surrendered.
Alexander stood beside Emily.
She looked at him.
“It’s over.”
He shook his head.
“No.”
“What?”
He looked toward the warehouse.
“Jonathan wasn’t the only person involved.”
Emily’s heart sank.
“How do you know?”
“Because he was too confident.”
Victoria looked at him.
“She’s right.”
Emily frowned.
“What?”
Victoria’s expression became serious.
“Jonathan was only the man we could see.”
Alexander looked at her.
“Who was behind him?”
Victoria reached into her pocket.
She pulled out another photograph.
It showed a man standing beside Alexander’s grandfather.
Emily stared.
“Who is that?”
Alexander’s face went pale.
“I know him.”
“Who?”
“My grandfather’s lawyer.”
Victoria shook her head.
“Not anymore.”
Alexander stared at the photograph.
“He died twenty years ago.”
Victoria looked at Emily.
“He didn’t.”
Silence.
Emily’s heart began racing again.
“Where is he?”
Victoria whispered:
“Inside Blackwood Technologies.”
Alexander’s phone suddenly rang.
He answered.
No one spoke.
Then a distorted voice said:
“You found the wrong man.”
Alexander’s face hardened.
“Who are you?”
The voice laughed.
“You still don’t recognize me.”
A pause.
Then:
“Ask your grandfather’s lawyer why your first fiancée was never supposed to survive the accident.”
The call ended.
Alexander stood completely still.
Emily touched his arm.
“Alexander?”
He didn’t respond.
Victoria looked at him.
“Your grandfather’s lawyer may be alive.”
Alexander finally spoke.
“And if he is…”
His expression turned cold.
“…he knows why Eleanor was targeted.”
Emily looked at Victoria.
Victoria looked back at her.
The three of them understood at the same moment.
The conspiracy was much bigger than they had imagined.
And somewhere inside Blackwood Technologies, a man who was supposed to have been dead for twenty years was watching them.
Waiting.
For the perfect moment to strike.
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