Chapter 10
1468 Words
Chapter 10 — The Truth Behind the Silence
Daniel stood at the bottom of the stairs, staring at Alexander.
For seven years, he had imagined countless explanations for his mother's death.
Illness.
An accident.
Fate.
Never once had he imagined this.
“My father killed my mother?”
Alexander shook his head.
“Not exactly.”
Daniel's voice hardened.
“Then explain.”
Alexander descended the remaining steps slowly.
“Your father didn't want Margaret dead.”
“Then what happened?”
“He was given a choice.”
Daniel froze.
The same words.
A choice.
Emma had once told him she had no choice.
Now Alexander was telling him his father had faced one too.
Daniel looked at Emma.
She seemed to understand something.
“You're lying,” she said.
Alexander smiled.
“You still haven't changed, Emma.”
Daniel turned toward her.
“You know him?”
“I know what he does.”
Alexander chuckled.
“Then you know I don't make empty threats.”
Daniel stepped between them.
“Seven years ago, you forced Emma to leave me.”
“I gave her an opportunity.”
“You threatened her.”
“I warned her.”
“You destroyed our lives.”
Alexander's expression became cold.
“No, Daniel. Your family did that long before I ever met Emma.”
Daniel clenched his fists.
“Tell me what happened to my mother.”
Alexander looked toward the dark window.
“Margaret discovered the financial transfers.”
Daniel said nothing.
“She found accounts that didn't belong to Hartwell Development. Millions were being moved without your father's knowledge.”
“So my father wasn't responsible?”
“At first, no.”
Daniel's eyes narrowed.
“At first?”
Alexander looked at him.
“Your father discovered the truth too late.”
“What truth?”
“That the people moving the money weren't stealing from Hartwell Development.”
Daniel frowned.
“Then what were they doing?”
“They were buying something.”
“What?”
Alexander smiled faintly.
“Control.”
The room became silent.
“Control of the company?”
“No.”
Alexander looked directly at Daniel.
“Control of you.”
Daniel felt a chill run through him.
“Why me?”
“Because you were the heir.”
Alexander walked toward the desk.
“Your father had already planned to hand the company over to you eventually. But there were people who wanted Hartwell Development without having to fight you for it.”
Daniel's mind raced.
“Who?”
Alexander didn't answer.
Instead, he picked up the old photograph of Margaret.
“She found out who they were.”
“Who?”
“She was going to expose them.”
Daniel's voice rose.
“And you stopped her.”
Alexander's face remained emotionless.
“I tried to convince her to remain silent.”
“But she refused.”
“Yes.”
“What did you do?”
Alexander looked at him.
“I gave your father the same choice I gave Emma.”
Daniel's blood ran cold.
“What choice?”
“Protect your family… or lose everything.”
Emma stepped forward.
“You threatened his mother.”
Alexander looked at her.
“I threatened what mattered to her.”
Daniel stared at him.
“And what did my father choose?”
Alexander's eyes moved toward him.
“He chose you.”
Daniel couldn't speak.
For the first time, he wondered if the man he had spent seven years resenting had actually been trying to protect him.
But then another thought came.
“If my father chose me, why did he let Emma disappear?”
Alexander smiled.
“Because that was the price.”
Emma closed her eyes.
Daniel turned toward her.
“You knew.”
She nodded slowly.
“Your father came to me after your mother died.”
“What did he say?”
“He told me that if I stayed with you, they would come after you next.”
Daniel's face hardened.
“You should have told me.”
“I wanted to.”
“Then why didn't you?”
“Because your father showed me something.”
“What?”
“A file.”
Daniel stared at her.
“What was in it?”
Emma's voice trembled.
“Your name.”
Silence.
“Your bank accounts. Your business records. Your movements. Even photographs of you.”
Daniel felt sick.
“They were watching me?”
“Yes.”
“For how long?”
“Months.”
He looked at Alexander.
“You were watching me.”
Alexander didn't deny it.
“We needed to know whether you were a threat.”
“To whom?”
Alexander's expression changed.
“That's the question your mother died trying to answer.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“Who are they?”
Alexander looked at him for a long moment.
Then—
“The Hartwell Board.”
Daniel's eyes widened.
“That doesn't make sense.”
“It will.”
Alexander walked to the desk and opened a hidden compartment.
He removed a thin black folder.
He placed it on the table.
“This is everything Margaret collected.”
Daniel approached.
“Why are you giving this to me?”
Alexander smiled.
“I'm not.”
Before Daniel could react, the lights suddenly came on.
The security officer shouted.
“Sir!”
A loud crash came from the front entrance.
Someone had broken through the door.
Alexander immediately stepped back.
Emma grabbed Daniel's arm.
“Daniel!”
Men in dark clothing rushed into the house.
The security officer moved toward them, but one of the men knocked him to the ground.
Daniel pulled Emma behind him.
“Stay close.”
Alexander grabbed the black folder.
“Where is my father?” Daniel demanded.
Alexander smiled.
“You're asking the wrong question again.”
He turned toward a side door.
Daniel chased him.
“Alexander!”
Alexander stopped.
Then he looked over his shoulder.
“Ask your father why Margaret trusted Emma more than she trusted him.”
Daniel froze.
Alexander disappeared through the door.
Daniel ran after him.
But outside, there was no one.
Only an empty driveway.
And a black car disappearing into the night.
---
Inside the estate, Emma found Daniel standing alone in the study.
The folder was gone.
So was Alexander.
Daniel looked exhausted.
“Why did my mother trust you?”
Emma's eyes filled with tears.
“Because she knew I loved you.”
Daniel looked away.
“She knew you would never hurt me.”
“I tried to protect you.”
“I know.”
Those two words made Emma look at him.
Daniel's voice softened.
“But I still don't understand why you carried this alone.”
Emma wiped her tears.
“Because I thought loving you meant keeping you alive.”
Daniel walked toward her.
“And I thought loving you meant never letting you face anything alone.”
They stood silently.
Then Emma whispered,
“I'm sorry.”
Daniel shook his head.
“Don't.”
“But—”
“Not tonight.”
He reached for her hand.
“We've already lost seven years.”
Emma looked at their joined hands.
“I don't want to lose another day.”
Daniel pulled her gently into his arms.
For the first time in seven years, Emma allowed herself to cry against his chest.
Daniel held her tightly.
Neither of them knew what tomorrow would bring.
But for tonight, they were together.
Until Daniel's phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
UNKNOWN NUMBER.
He answered.
No one spoke.
Then a recording began.
Margaret's voice.
Daniel immediately straightened.
“Mom?”
Her voice was faint.
Almost frightened.
“Daniel, if you are hearing this, then Alexander has failed.”
Emma pulled away.
Daniel listened.
“There is one thing you must understand.”
A pause.
Then Margaret continued.
“Your father did not order Emma to leave you.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“I did.”
Emma covered her mouth.
Daniel stared at her.
His mother continued.
“I asked Emma to leave you because I believed I was saving my son.”
Daniel's eyes filled with tears.
Then came the final words.
“But I was wrong.”
The recording ended.
Daniel slowly lowered the phone.
Emma whispered,
“What does that mean?”
Daniel didn't answer.
His phone vibrated again.
A message appeared.
YOUR MOTHER'S BIGGEST MISTAKE WAS TRUSTING THE WRONG PERSON.
Then another message.
AND NOW YOU'VE MADE THE SAME MISTAKE.
Daniel looked at Emma.
His heart dropped.
Because the final message contained only one sentence:
DON'T TRUST EMMA.
And beneath it was a photograph.
A photograph of Emma meeting Alexander—
taken three days ago.
To be continued.....
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