The Secret They Burried
1119 Words
By the time Sebastian arrived, Sierra was waiting outside her office.
The photograph was still in her hand.
He stepped out of the elevator and immediately noticed her expression.
“Sierra.”
She crossed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around Sebastian, holding him tightly as though she needed to reassure herself that he was safe. Relief washed over her, overwhelming her with gratitude that nothing had happened to him. For a moment, she simply held on, unwilling to let go.
“What happened?”
"I was worried something happened to you. Then she handed him the photograph."
His jaw tightened.
“Relax. I'm here. Where did you get this?”
“It was on my desk.”
“Did anyone come into your office?”
“I don't know.”
“Did you see anyone suspicious?”
“No.”
Sebastian turned to his security team.
“Lock down this floor.”
Sierra frowned.
“Sebastian, that's unnecessary.”
“You received a threatening call and someone left a photograph of me on your desk.”
“I can handle myself.”
“I know.”
His eyes met hers.
“But you shouldn't have to handle this alone.”
The words silenced her. She looked away.
“Let's go.”
----------
The drive to the Vale residence was quiet.
Sierra stared out the window while Sebastian reviewed messages from his security team.
After several minutes, she finally spoke.
“Why did Victor disappear?”
Sebastian looked at her.
“I don't know.”
“You've been investigating him.”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“I found gaps in the company records. Payments. Transfers. Security logs.”
“From when?”
“The year you left.”
Sierra's stomach tightened.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“I wanted proof first.”
She looked at him.
“And now?”
“Now someone is threatening you again.”
Sierra lowered her gaze.
“Maybe they never stopped.”
Sebastian frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“The threats stopped after I left.”
He stared at her.
“For three years?”
She nodded.
“And now they've started again because I'm back with you.”
Neither of them spoke.
Finally, Sebastian said, “That's not a coincidence.”
“No.”
Sierra looked down at the photograph.
“It's a warning.”
---
When they reached the house, Sebastian took her straight to the study.
He locked the door.
Sierra looked at him.
“What are we doing here?”
“I need to show you something.”
He opened a drawer and removed an old file.
There was no company logo.
No name.
Only a date.
**2013–2023.**
Sierra frowned.
“What is this?”
“My father kept it separate from the company records.”
Sebastian opened it.
Photographs.
Financial records.
Handwritten notes.
Sierra slowly turned the pages.
Then she stopped.
Her name was written across one of the documents.
**Sierra Santillan.**
Her face went pale.
“What is this?”
Sebastian took the page.
“I don't know.”
She continued reading.
There were details about her education, her family, and even her career.
Information collected years before she had met Sebastian.
“Your father was investigating me.”
“I don't know why.”
She turned another page.
A handwritten note caught her attention.
**Keep her away from Sebastian.**
Her breath caught.
Sebastian read it.
His expression hardened.
“That was written years before we met.”
Sierra looked at him.
“So this wasn't about our relationship.”
“No.”
Another note appeared beneath it.
**Santillan knows too much.**
Sierra stared at the words.
“My father.”
Sebastian nodded.
“What did he know?”
“I don't know.”
She suddenly remembered her father's warnings.
The way he had reacted whenever Sebastian's family was mentioned.
The night he had told her to stay away from the Vales.
She had believed he was simply trying to protect her.
“What if he knew something about your family?”
“Then we need to ask him.”
Sierra reached for her phone.
She hadn't spoken to her father about Sebastian in years.
Her fingers trembled as she dialed.
The phone rang several times.
Then—
“Sierra?”
Her father's voice.
“Dad.”
A pause.
“Why are you calling me?”
“I need to ask you something.”
“What?”
“It involves Sebastian Vale.”
Silence.
Sierra immediately knew something was wrong.
“Dad?”
“Where are you?”
“At the Vale residence.”
His voice changed.
“Leave.”
Her heart stopped.
“Why?”
“Leave that house immediately.”
“Dad, what happened?”
“You don't understand what you're dealing with.”
“Then tell me.”
“I can't.”
“You can.”
“Sierra—”
“Three years ago, someone forced me to leave Sebastian.”
Her father's breathing became uneven.
“Who told you that?”
“You did.”
Silence.
Then he whispered:
“You were never supposed to know.”
Sierra's eyes widened.
“Know what?”
Her father's voice dropped.
“Your mother didn't die in an accident.”
Sierra froze.
Sebastian's expression changed.
“What did you say?”
But the line went dead.
Sierra stared at her phone.
“My mother…”
Her voice broke.
Sebastian stepped closer.
“What did he mean?”
“I don't know.”
Before he could answer, an alarm suddenly sounded throughout the house.
Sierra jumped.
Sebastian immediately moved in front of her.
“Stay behind me.”
“What happened?”
He looked toward the security monitor.
His expression hardened.
Someone was standing outside the main gate.
A man.
Sebastian stepped closer to the screen.
The security camera zoomed in.
Sierra's blood ran cold.
She knew that face.
“Victor.”
Sebastian stared at the screen.
Victor Hale stood calmly outside the gates.
In his hand was a photograph.
The camera zoomed closer.
Sierra couldn't breathe.
It was a photograph of her mother.
“Why does he have that?”
Sebastian didn't answer.
Victor slowly lifted the photograph toward the camera.
Then he smiled.
Sierra instinctively reached for Sebastian's hand.
He closed his fingers around hers.
Neither of them looked away from the screen.
Three years ago, Sierra had believed leaving Sebastian would protect him.
Now she understood the truth.
Someone hadn't simply wanted them apart.
Someone had been hiding something about their families for years.
And Victor Hale had just returned to reveal it.
Whatever happened next, Sierra knew one thing.
She wasn't running anymore.
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