Chapter 8: The Last Recording
Nobody spoke.
The words echoed in my mind.
Your son’s room.
The place where I had tucked Ethan into bed every night.
The place where he laughed.
The place where he drew pictures.
The place where Victoria told me he had disappeared.
My entire body felt numb.
“What was hidden there?””
Robert looked at Ethan.
“Something your father wanted protected.””
Ethan looked confused.
“I don’t know anything about it.””
I knelt beside him.
“Are you sure?””
He nodded.
“I only knew about the recorder.””
Margaret stepped closer.
“Ethan was the key.””
I looked at her.
“What does that mean?””
She sighed.
“Victoria and Michael thought they were hiding him.””
She looked at Ethan.
“But your son was the only person who could eventually reveal the truth.””
Michael suddenly laughed.
Everyone looked at him.
“You’re all making him into some kind of hero.””
His voice was bitter.
“He was just a child.””
I stared at him.
“Yes.””
I stepped forward.
“And that’s why you failed.””
Michael’s expression changed.
“You think love protected him?””
“No.””
I looked at Ethan.
“His courage did.””
For the first time, Michael looked away.
Robert opened the folder.
Inside were financial records.
Photos.
And one final audio device.
“This was found behind the wall in Ethan’s room.””
Ethan looked at it.
“That’s not mine.””
I picked it up.
“Then whose is it?””
Nobody answered.
I pressed the button.
Static filled the room.
Then my father’s voice appeared.
My breath stopped.
“If you are hearing this, then my fears were correct.””
I closed my eyes.
My father.
Still guiding me from beyond the grave.
“I discovered that my son’s family was being manipulated by people who wanted control over everything I built.””
The recording continued.
“But there is one person I cannot accuse without proof.””
Everyone stood still.
Then my father said the name.
“Thomas.””
My heart dropped.
I looked at my brother.
Thomas’s face turned pale.
“No.””
The recording continued.
“Thomas was involved, but I believe he was not the person leading this plan.””
Everyone looked at him.
Thomas whispered:
“I can explain.””
I stopped the recording.
“What were you involved in?””
Thomas looked devastated.
“I made one mistake.””
“What mistake?””
He looked at Ethan.
“I believed Victoria when she said she needed help protecting him.””
My anger returned.
“You helped hide my son?””
“I helped move him.””
The words cut deeper.
Thomas closed his eyes.
“I thought it was temporary.””
Ethan stepped back.
“You knew?””
Thomas looked at him.
“I was trying to get you out.””
“But you didn’t.””
The pain in Ethan’s voice was worse than anger.
Thomas had no answer.
The room became silent.
Then the recording suddenly continued.
The device had not stopped.
My father’s voice returned.
“But Thomas eventually discovered the truth. He tried to fix his mistake.””
Thomas looked down.
The recording continued.
“The person who planned everything is not Victoria.””
Everyone froze.
Victoria looked shocked.
Michael stopped breathing.
My father’s final words came through the speaker.
“The person who destroyed this family is the one who has been pretending to save it.””
The recording ended.
Nobody moved.
I looked around the room.
At Victoria.
At Michael.
At Thomas.
At Robert.
Someone here was still lying.
Then Ethan suddenly pointed toward the folder.
“Dad.””
I looked at him.
“There’s something written on the back.””
I turned the paper over.
A single sentence was written in my father’s handwriting.
My blood ran cold.
Because the name underneath…
Was the last person I expected.
It wasn’t Victoria.
It wasn’t Michael.
May you like
It wasn’t Thomas.
It was mine.
