Chapter 10: The Choice Daniel Made
I ran upstairs.
I didn’t care what Victoria said.
I didn’t care what Robert hid.
I needed to see Daniel.
I needed to hear it from him.
The bedroom door was open.
Daniel sat on the floor beside the bed.
His shirt was torn.
A bruise covered his cheek.
“Daniel.””
He looked up.
Relief crossed his face.
Then shame.
“You came.””
I stared at him.
“Did you make a deal with your father?””
He froze.
That was enough.
I closed my eyes.
“Tell me the truth.””
Daniel slowly stood.
“I didn’t know how to tell you.””
“Try.””
He looked exhausted.
“When my mother threatened to expose everything, I panicked.””
“You made a deal.””
“Yes.””
The word barely left his mouth.
I felt numb.
“What did you give her?””
Daniel looked away.
“My signature.””
“For what?””
“Access.””
I shook my head.
“No.””
“I didn’t know she would hurt you.””
“But you knew she wanted my inheritance.””
“Yes.””
“And you married me anyway.””
His eyes filled with tears.
“I loved you.””
I stepped back.
“Stop saying that.””
He flinched.
“Because love doesn’t look like this.””
Silence.
Daniel sat down.
“I was supposed to convince you to transfer control.””
“And if I refused?””
He didn’t answer.
I whispered:
“What would happen?””
His voice was barely audible.
“My mother said she would destroy everything.””
I stared.
“You were afraid of her.””
“Yes.””
“You were more afraid of her than losing me.””
Daniel looked at me.
“I was wrong.””
The anger inside me burned.
But beneath it was something worse.
Grief.
The death of a marriage that had already happened.
I turned away.
Then I saw something on the dresser.
A small envelope.
My name was written on it.
“What is that?””
Daniel followed my eyes.
His expression changed.
“I found it after my mother left.””
I picked it up.
“Why didn’t you give it to me?””
He swallowed.
“Because I was afraid.””
I opened it.
Inside was a letter.
From my grandmother.
But this one was different.
The first sentence made my blood freeze.
Emily,
If you are reading this, then the people who betrayed you have already revealed themselves.
I kept reading.
Your husband was never the person you needed to fear most.
I looked at Daniel.
He looked confused.
The letter continued.
The person who destroyed your mother’s life was not the person who wanted your money.
It was the person who wanted you to believe you were powerless.
My heart raced.
I turned the page.
And there was one final line.
The person who knows the entire truth about your mother’s death is still alive.
I stopped breathing.
Then I saw the name written underneath.
A name I never expected.
A name that changed everything.
My mother’s killer…
May you like
was not Victoria.
It was someone who had been protecting me all along.
