Chapter 13: The Person I Trusted Most
I kept the phone against my ear long after Mark stopped speaking.
“The person you trust the most.””
Those words stayed with me.
Not because they were shocking.
Because they could mean anyone.
My mind went through every person I loved.
Emma.
My mother.
Rachel.
Mark.
And then I hated myself for realizing something.
I no longer knew who belonged on that list.
“Lily?”” Mark said.
I finally answered.
“Who?””
A long silence.
“Not over the phone.””
My grip tightened.
“You don’t get to do that anymore.””
“Please.””
“No.””
My voice became sharper.
“You don’t get to hide behind half-truths and tell me to wait.””
“I’m trying to keep you alive.””
“You should have tried that three years ago.””
Silence.
I knew I had hurt him.
I didn’t care.
“Meet me,” he said.
“Where?””
“Your father’s old office.””
I froze.
“My father’s office was destroyed.””
“No.””
His voice dropped.
“Everyone thinks it was.””
That sentence should have surprised me.
But somehow, nothing surprised me anymore.
After I hung up, I called Detective Harris.
He answered immediately.
“Mrs. Carter?””
“Mark wants to meet.””
“That’s a bad idea.””
“I need answers.””
“We can arrange a controlled meeting.””
“No.””
“Why?””
“Because if Mark is telling the truth, someone is watching him.””
A pause.
“You think he’s protecting you?””
“I think I don’t know anything anymore.””
That was the truth.
An hour later, I stood outside an abandoned building downtown.
My father’s old office.
The windows were covered with dust.
The sign had been removed years ago.
But when Mark opened the door, I realized he had been here before.
“You knew this place was still open.””
He nodded.
“My father found it.””
I stared.
“Your father?””
Mark looked uncomfortable.
“Three years ago, your father contacted me.””
I stopped walking.
“What?””
“He knew I was involved.””
“Involved with what?””
“The network.””
The word sounded disgusting.
Like something that didn’t belong in my life.
“What did he want?””
Mark looked around the empty office.
“He wanted my help.””
I laughed.
“My husband helping my father?””
“Yes.””
“After you betrayed him?””
“I hadn’t betrayed him yet.””
I stared at him.
“Yet?””
Mark closed his eyes.
“I thought I could control things.””
Everyone said that.
Everyone thought they were smarter than the people they were dealing with.
Everyone was wrong.
“What happened here?””
Mark walked to an old desk.
“This is where your father showed me the evidence.””
“What evidence?””
“That Daniel Whitmore wasn’t dead.””
I froze.
“What?””
Mark looked at me.
“He disappeared.””
“But Detective Harris said he died.””
“Because that’s what everyone was told.””
My heart pounded.
“Who is Daniel Whitmore?””
Mark looked at me.
“The man who built the operation your father was investigating.””
I stepped back.
“And you knew?””
“Yes.””
“Rachel knew?””
“Yes.””
I shook my head.
“How many people knew?””
Mark didn’t answer.
Because the answer was too many.
“Then why Emma?””
His face changed.
“Emma wasn’t supposed to be involved.””
“Then why was she drugged?””
“Because someone changed the plan.””
“Who?””
Mark looked terrified.
“Rachel.””
I stared.
“No.””
“She changed after she found out what your father left behind.””
“You said she wasn’t the enemy.””
“I said she wasn’t the only one.””
That sentence stopped me.
“What does that mean?””
Mark looked toward the hallway.
“She was trying to expose me.””
I frowned.
“Expose you?””
“She knew I had been hiding things.””
“So she planned Emma’s collapse?””
“No.””
“Then explain it.””
Mark’s voice became quiet.
“She planned for you to find out.””
I couldn’t breathe.
“What?””
“She wanted the police involved.””
“By hurting Emma?””
“No.””
He stepped closer.
“She thought Emma would only appear sick.””
“Appear?””
Mark nodded.
“Rachel got a harmless substance.””
I stared at him.
“Then what was in the cup?””
“I don’t know.””
For once, I believed him.
Because he looked genuinely afraid.
“Someone replaced it.””
“Yes.””
“Who?””
Mark looked at me.
Then said:
“The person who knew Rachel’s plan.””
My phone buzzed.
A message.
From Detective Harris.
*We found another recording from your father’s office. You need to hear it.*
I looked at Mark.
“Stay here.””
He nodded.
I opened the file.
My father’s voice filled the room.
“If Mark is watching this, it means things went wrong.””
Mark froze.
The recording continued.
“Mark, you need to understand something.””
A pause.
“I never trusted you.””
Mark looked down.
“But I trusted your guilt.””
The recording ended.
I looked at my husband.
“What does that mean?””
Mark didn’t answer.
Because he knew.
And I could see it in his face.
My father had known.
He had known Mark would fail.
He had known Mark would betray us.
May you like
And somehow…
He had planned for it.
