Chapter 7: The Man Who Was Supposed To Be Gone
David kept the note on his desk all night.
He didn’t sleep.
He didn’t eat.
He just stared at the handwriting, trying to understand how someone could still control his family’s life after all these years.
Jasmine found him there the next morning.
“You’re still looking at it.””
David didn’t look up.
“I keep thinking I missed something.””
She walked closer.
“You didn’t know because people lied to you.””
David finally looked at her.
“And I let them.””
Jasmine sat across from him.
“Dad, you protected me.””
“I was supposed to protect everyone.””
The guilt in his voice hurt her more than anything else.
For years, Jasmine had seen her father as someone who could fix anything. A broken door, a financial problem, a bad day at school.
But now she saw something different.
He was just a man who had trusted the wrong people.
A knock came at the office door.
David immediately stood.
“Who is it?””
A familiar voice answered.
“Someone who thinks you deserve the truth.””
The door opened.
Jessica walked in.
Jasmine immediately became tense.
“What are you doing here?””
Jessica looked exhausted.
“I need to talk to David.””
David didn’t move.
“You already talked enough.””
Jessica swallowed.
“I know you hate me right now.””
“Hate isn’t the problem.””
“Then what is?””
David looked at her.
“I don’t know who you are anymore.””
The words hit harder than anger.
Jessica lowered her eyes.
“I found something.””
She placed a folder on the desk.
David didn’t touch it.
“What is that?””
“Information about Michael.””
Jasmine looked surprised.
“You found him?””
Jessica nodded.
“Not exactly.””
She opened the folder.
Inside were recent photographs.
A man standing outside a restaurant.
A man entering a private office.
A man signing documents.
Jasmine recognized him immediately from old family pictures.
“Michael.””
David stared.
His younger brother looked older, but there was no doubt.
“He’s alive.””
Jessica nodded.
“He never left the country like everyone thought.””
David’s jaw tightened.
“He let us believe he disappeared.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Jessica looked at him.
“Because he wanted everyone to stop looking.””
David picked up one photograph.
“When did you find this?””
Jessica hesitated.
“Six months ago.””
David looked at her sharply.
“You knew for six months?””
“I was trying to confirm everything.””
“You were trying to handle it yourself.””
Jessica looked away.
“Yes.””
Jasmine stood.
“That’s your excuse for everything, isn’t it?””
Jessica looked hurt.
“I know I made mistakes.””
“Mistakes that hurt me.””
“I know.””
The honesty surprised Jasmine.
Jessica continued.
“But Michael was dangerous.””
David looked at her.
“You knew he was involved with the property?””
Jessica nodded.
“He contacted me before I transferred the ownership.””
The room went silent.
Jasmine whispered:
“He contacted you?””
“Yes.””
David’s expression darkened.
“What did he say?””
Jessica took a breath.
“He told me Jasmine would eventually lose the property anyway.””
“Why?””
“Because he claimed he had documents proving he had rights to it.””
David stepped back.
“My brother said that?””
Jessica nodded.
“He convinced me I was protecting Ethan by making the transfer first.””
Jasmine stared at her.
“So he used you.””
Jessica looked down.
“Yes.””
For the first time, Jasmine saw something besides arrogance in Jessica.
She saw regret.
David opened the folder again.
“Where is Michael now?””
Jessica shook her head.
“I don’t know.””
Then her phone rang.
Everyone looked at it.
Jessica checked the screen.
Her face changed.
“What is it?”” David asked.
She slowly turned the phone around.
A message appeared.
*“You should have stayed quiet.””*
Then another message arrived.
*“You have 24 hours to return what you took.””*
David frowned.
“What did you take?””
Jessica looked terrified.
“I don’t know.””
But Jasmine noticed something.
Jessica wasn’t looking at the message.
She was looking at the folder.
At one specific photograph.
A photograph of Michael standing outside a building.
Jasmine picked it up.
“Why are you afraid of this picture?””
Jessica didn’t answer.
David looked closer.
In the background of the photo was a sign.
A law firm.
And beneath the name was another name.
May you like
A name that made David’s blood run cold.
Because it belonged to someone he trusted.
