Chapter 16: The Night My Father Disappeared
I watched the video again.
Then again.
Each time, I searched for something different.
A mistake.
A glitch.
A reason why it couldn’t be real.
But the timestamp remained.
The date.
The hour.
The impossible truth sitting in front of me.
My father had been alive after everyone said he was gone.
I looked at my mother.
“What did I just watch?””
She looked terrified.
“I don’t know.””
That answer wasn’t enough anymore.
I turned to Thomas.
“You know.””
He looked away.
“Thomas.””
He sighed.
“Your father wasn’t killed the night everyone thinks he was.””
The room went silent.
My heart pounded.
“What does that mean?””
“It means your father disappeared.””
I stared at him.
“No.””
Thomas nodded slowly.
“Yes.””
Ryan stepped forward.
“You knew?””
Thomas looked at him.
“I knew he was planning something.””
“You let everyone believe he was dead?””
“I didn’t have a choice.””
I laughed.
A cold, empty laugh.
“Everyone always has a choice.””
Thomas looked at the notebook.
“Your father discovered someone close to him was manipulating everything. The money. The documents. The accident.””
My eyes moved to my mother.
She looked down.
“He realized the danger wasn’t just financial.””
Thomas continued.
“He believed someone wanted control of everything he built.””
“The trust.””
“The company.””
“Me.””
Thomas nodded.
“Yes.””
I felt sick.
“My father faked his death?””
“He disappeared.””
“That’s insane.””
“He wanted the person behind everything to believe they had won.””
Ryan shook his head.
“But why didn’t he tell Jessica?””
Thomas looked at him.
“Because he didn’t know who he could trust.””
Those words hurt.
Because they explained everything.
My father wasn’t hiding things because he didn’t love me.
He was hiding things because he was afraid.
But there was still one question.
“If he was alive…”
I looked at the video.
“Where is he?””
Nobody answered.
The silence was unbearable.
Then my mother whispered:
“I know.””
Everyone turned toward her.
“What?””
She covered her mouth.
“I know where he went.””
My chest tightened.
“You knew?””
She started crying.
“He came to me.””
The room froze.
“When?””
“After the accident.””
I felt dizzy.
“After?””
She nodded.
“He came to me in the middle of the night.””
“Why?””
“Because he needed to know if I was involved.””
I looked at her.
“And?””
She closed her eyes.
“I lied.””
The confession was quiet.
But it destroyed the room.
“What did you tell him?””
“That I knew nothing.””
“Was that true?””
She didn’t answer.
My anger returned.
“Mom.””
“I didn’t know everything.””
“But you knew something.””
She nodded.
“I knew Susan was involved.””
The name hit the room like a weapon.
David stepped forward.
“Susan?””
My mother looked at him.
“Yes.””
“You never told me.””
“I was afraid.””
Thomas shook his head.
“She was afraid because Susan threatened her.””
I turned.
“What?””
My mother looked at him.
“You knew?””
Thomas nodded.
“Susan wasn’t just helping your mother.””
A chill moved through me.
“Then what was she doing?””
Thomas looked at me.
“She was controlling her.””
I thought about my aunt.
Her gentle voice.
Her warm hugs.
Her kindness.
All fake?
“How?””
Thomas opened the notebook.
“Your father found evidence that Susan had been moving money through accounts connected to your mother.””
My mother nodded.
“She convinced me I was already trapped.””
I stared.
“So you were both being used.””
“Yes.””
Ryan looked at Thomas.
“And your father knew?””
“He suspected.””
“Then why disappear?””
Thomas looked at me.
“Because he needed proof.””
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
Everyone froze.
I answered.
Nobody spoke.
Then a voice.
Older.
Familiar.
“Jessica.””
My knees nearly gave out.
I knew that voice.
I had spent my childhood hearing it.
“Dad?””
Everyone stopped breathing.
The voice on the other end was quiet.
“Don’t trust anyone in that house.””
Tears filled my eyes.
“Where are you?””
A pause.
Then:
“I’m sorry.””
“Dad, please.””
“I wanted to come back sooner.””
My hand shook.
“Why didn’t you?””
The answer broke me.
“Because every time I tried…”
A long silence.
“…someone I loved ended up in danger.””
The call suddenly cut.
I stared at the phone.
Then a message appeared.
May you like
One final sentence.
*Meet me where everything started. Come alone.*
