Chapter 3: Caught
512 Words
My heart nearly stopped.
Nathan stood in the doorway with one hand in his pocket.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
The locked wooden box sat in my hands.
I had been caught.
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
Nathan raised an eyebrow.
"I could ask you the same thing."
I quickly shoved the box behind my back.
His eyes narrowed.
"That's my father's room now."
I swallowed hard.
"Not yet."
A faint smile touched his lips.
"Touche."
For some reason, he didn't seem angry.
If anything, he seemed curious.
Nathan stepped inside and quietly closed the door behind him.
The click of the lock made my stomach twist.
"What exactly are you looking for, Mirabelle?"
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
I searched his face for clues.
Was he involved?
Did he know about the letter?
Did he know about my father?
"I couldn't sleep," I lied.
Nathan laughed.
"That's the worst excuse I've ever heard."
Heat rushed to my cheeks.
"I don't owe you an explanation."
"No."
He folded his arms.
"You don't."
Silence filled the room.
Then his gaze drifted toward the wooden box.
His expression changed.
Only for a second.
But I noticed.
And so did he.
"You know what's inside?" I asked.
His jaw tightened.
"No."
He answered too quickly.
A lie.
My pulse quickened.
Nathan was hiding something.
---
The next morning, I woke up exhausted.
The conversation with Nathan replayed in my mind.
He had eventually left without telling me anything.
But before leaving, he had said something strange.
"Some secrets are buried for a reason."
The words haunted me.
At breakfast, Mom looked happier than ever.
David sat beside her drinking coffee.
Nathan scrolled through his phone.
Everything appeared normal.
Yet I couldn't stop looking at David.
At one point, he noticed.
Our eyes met.
For a brief moment, neither of us looked away.
Then he smiled.
"Sleep well?"
I nearly dropped my spoon.
How did he know I hadn't slept?
---
That afternoon, I visited Elsa.
Unlike everyone else, Elsa never sugar-coated things.
If she thought something was wrong, she'd say it.
The moment she opened the door, she frowned.
"You look terrible."
"Thanks."
"I'm serious."
I stepped inside.
"I need your help."
An hour later, I told her everything.
The letter.
The photograph.
The message.
David.
Elsa listened without interrupting.
When I finished, she remained silent for a long time.
Finally, she spoke.
"Show me the photograph."
I handed it over.
The color drained from her face.
My stomach dropped.
"What?"
Elsa looked up slowly.
"Mirabelle..."
"What?"
She pointed at the second man standing beside Dad and David.
"The third man."
My pulse quickened.
"What about him?"
Elsa's voice barely rose above a whisper.
"I've seen him before."
The room spun.
"Where?"
Elsa stared at the photograph.
Then she said the last thing I expected.
"He was at Dad's funeral."
My blood turned cold.
Because according to everyone...
Neither David nor the man in the photograph had ever known my father.
Yet somehow...
One of them had attended his funeral.
- Writer
