Chapter 5: The Man Behind the Door
Nobody moved.
The screen reflected against my father’s face.
His name.
His access attempt.
His secret.
For years, I had wondered why he always avoided conversations about my mother.
Why he changed the subject when I asked about her final days.
Why every memory of her seemed to have a locked door attached to it.
Now I was standing in front of that door.
And my father was holding the key.
“Maya,” he whispered.
I stepped back.
“No.””
His expression collapsed.
“Please listen.””
“How long?””
“What?””
“How long have you known?””
He looked away.
That was enough.
My hands curled into fists.
“You knew about the files.””
“No.””
“You knew about the password.””
“Yes.””
“You accessed them.””
He closed his eyes.
“Yes.””
The confession landed harder than I expected.
Not because I didn’t suspect it.
Because some part of me still hoped I was wrong.
The part of me that was still a little girl waiting for her father to choose her.
Adrian moved between us.
“Robert, you need to explain.””
My father looked at him.
“This isn’t your family matter.””
Adrian’s expression turned cold.
“Maya is my business partner. Her mother’s legacy is my business too.””
My father looked around the room.
Everyone was watching him.
The security team.
My assistant.
The artist my label had spent two years supporting.
His daughter.
Finally, he sat down.
“I wasn’t trying to sell the songs.””
“Then what were you doing?””
He rubbed his hands together.
“I was trying to stop someone else from selling them.””
I stared at him.
“That makes no sense.””
“I know.””
“Then explain.””
He took a deep breath.
“After your mother died, I found documents she had hidden.””
I frowned.
“What documents?””
“Contracts.””
My heart raced.
“What kind of contracts?””
He looked at me.
“The kind that could destroy everything.””
Nobody spoke.
My father continued.
“Your mother wasn’t just building a record label. She was investigating people inside the industry.””
Adrian’s face changed.
“Investigating?””
My father nodded.
“She discovered someone was stealing royalties from young artists. She was preparing to expose them.””
I folded my arms.
“And you knew?””
“I found out afterward.””
“After she died?””
He nodded.
The room felt smaller.
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
His eyes filled with regret.
“Because you were sixteen.””
“That’s not an answer.””
“Because I was scared.””
I almost laughed.
“You were scared?””
“Yes.””
His voice cracked.
“You were already devastated. I thought protecting you meant keeping you away from it.””
I looked at him.
“No.””
The word came out softly.
“But you weren’t protecting me.””
He lowered his head.
“I know.””
The honesty surprised me.
My father had spent years making excuses.
Now, for the first time, he admitted he was wrong.
But it didn’t fix anything.
“You still used Mom’s money for Olivia.””
His face tightened.
“That was wrong.””
“You still told me I didn’t belong.””
“I was wrong.””
“You still let her take my ticket.””
He closed his eyes.
“I know.””
The silence afterward was painful.
Then Olivia spoke.
“Dad.””
Everyone looked at her.
She was standing near the window.
Her expression had changed.
The confidence was gone.
“You said nobody would find out.””
My father froze.
The entire room froze.
I slowly turned toward her.
“What did you just say?””
Olivia realized her mistake too late.
“I didn’t mean—”
“Who is ‘nobody’?””
She looked at my father.
Then at me.
“I…”
I walked closer.
“Olivia.””
She stepped backward.
“Maya, I swear—”
“Why did you say that?””
Her silence answered before her words did.
My father stood.
“Olivia, what did you do?””
For the first time tonight, she looked afraid of him.
“I was only helping.””
“Helping who?””
She didn’t respond.
Claire checked her tablet again.
Then she gasped.
“Maya.””
I turned.
“What?””
She looked at me.
“The file access wasn’t just from your father.””
My heart sank.
“What do you mean?””
“There were two devices.””
She tapped the screen.
“One belonged to Robert Carter.””
May you like
She swallowed.
“The other one belonged to Olivia Carter.””
