Chapter 5: The Letter My Father Left Behind
I stared at the envelope sitting on the desk.
Four words.
That was all it took to make the entire room feel different.
Your father knew everything.
For years, I had believed my father’s death was the moment my family lost its foundation.
Now I wondered if he had left behind one final warning.
Adrian watched me carefully.
For the first time since entering the room, he didn’t look confident.
He looked afraid.
“What is this?”” I asked.
Daniel Cross remained silent.
That bothered me more than anything.
Daniel was the kind of man who always had an explanation ready. During board meetings, he could turn disasters into opportunities with a few carefully chosen words.
But now?
He couldn’t even look me in the eye.
Adrian leaned against the desk.
“Open it.””
I looked at him.
“Why would you want me to?””
His jaw tightened.
“Because you deserve to know the truth.””
I almost laughed.
The same man who planned to steal my company was suddenly concerned about the truth.
But something told me this envelope mattered.
I picked it up.
The paper was old.
Not recently printed.
Not something Adrian created overnight.
My father’s handwriting was on the front.
My chest tightened.
I knew that handwriting.
Every birthday card.
Every note he left on my desk.
Every message reminding me that leadership wasn’t about power.
It was about responsibility.
I opened the envelope.
Inside was a single letter.
My father’s words stared back at me.
Ethan,
If you are reading this, something has gone wrong.
I stopped breathing.
Martha covered her mouth.
Adrian looked away.
I continued.
I always believed the greatest threat to this company would come from outside. Competitors. Investors. Rivals.
I was wrong.
The greatest danger often comes from people who know exactly where you keep your trust.
My fingers tightened around the paper.
My father had known.
Not everything.
But enough.
I kept reading.
Adrian has always been intelligent. But intelligence without loyalty becomes dangerous. He believes inheritance is something he deserves, not something he must earn.
I looked up.
Adrian’s face had changed.
“You knew?”” I asked.
He didn’t answer.
My father’s letter continued.
I found evidence that someone inside Blackwood International has been moving money without authorization. I don’t know how deep it goes. I don’t know who else is involved.
But I know this:
Never let anyone convince you that family loyalty matters more than character.
The room was silent.
Daniel finally spoke.
“This proves nothing.””
I turned toward him.
“Actually, it proves my father suspected someone inside the company.””
Daniel forced a smile.
“Suspected. Not confirmed.””
I folded the letter.
“Then let’s confirm it.””
His expression changed.
I walked toward the desk.
“My father built this company before either of you had power. He knew how people operated.””
Adrian suddenly laughed.
A quiet, bitter laugh.
“You still don’t understand.””
I looked at him.
“What?””
He stepped closer.
“You think Dad was protecting you.””
I said nothing.
“He wasn’t.””
My eyes narrowed.
“What are you talking about?””
Adrian pointed at the letter.
“He knew I was smarter than you.””
Martha looked shocked.
Adrian continued.
“He always praised you because you were the responsible one. The perfect son. The future CEO.””
His voice became sharper.
“But he never saw what I could do.””
I stared at him.
“That’s what this is about?””
His expression hardened.
“You got everything.””
A pause.
“Dad’s approval. The company. The respect.””
He shook his head.
“And I got nothing.””
For a moment, I saw something beneath his anger.
Not regret.
Not pain.
Envy.
The kind that had grown for years.
Then Daniel interrupted.
“We need to leave.””
Adrian looked at him.
“No.””
Daniel lowered his voice.
“Adrian.””
Something about the way he said his name caught my attention.
It wasn’t the voice of an employee.
It was the voice of someone who knew Adrian had gone too far.
I stepped toward them.
“Daniel.””
He froze.
“How long have you been working with him?””
Silence.
That was my answer.
I nodded slowly.
“Years?””
Daniel looked away.
Adrian smiled.
“You’re finally seeing it.””
I turned back to him.
“You manipulated Victoria.””
He shrugged.
“She was easy.””
My stomach turned.
“You used my wife.””
“She wanted money.””
“And you wanted my company.””
He smiled.
“Everyone wants something, Ethan.””
The arrogance in his voice was almost unbelievable.
Then my phone vibrated.
I looked down.
A message from my security director.
One sentence.
My blood ran cold.
*Mr. Blackwood, someone accessed the private medical records from your accident.*
I looked at Adrian.
“What did you do?””
For the first time, his smile disappeared.
Because he knew exactly what I had just discovered.
The accident.
The one thing he thought was buried forever.
I looked at the message again.
Then another notification appeared.
A video file.
Uploaded from an unknown account.
May you like
The title was simple.
*The Night Ethan Blackwood Almost Died.*
