Chapter 8: The Secret My Father Buried
I read the message again.
Then again.
Before you destroy Victor, you need to learn what your father did thirty years ago.
The words felt impossible.
My father?
The man who apologized when strangers stepped on his shoes?
The man who spent his life helping people?
What could he possibly have done?
I drove to my parents’ apartment before sunrise.
My father was already awake.
He was sitting beside the window, drinking tea.
He looked older than he had the day before.
Not because of age.
Because of everything he had lost.
“Daniel,” he said quietly.
I placed my laptop on the table.
“I need to ask you something.””
He looked at the screen.
The moment he saw Alexander Reed’s name, his face changed.
“You know him?””
Dad didn’t answer.
That was my answer.
“Dad.””
He closed his eyes.
“I hoped this day would never come.””
My mother came into the room.
“What happened?””
I looked at both of them.
“Who is Alexander Reed?””
Silence.
Finally, my father sat down.
“Thirty years ago, before the cart…”
He stopped.
“Before we lost everything.””
I waited.
“I worked for a company.””
“What company?””
“Reed Industries.””
My eyes widened.
The same company that became the foundation of Alexander Reed’s empire.
My father continued.
“I was an accountant.””
“You never told me.””
“Because it was a long time ago.””
“What happened?””
Dad looked at his hands.
“I found something.””
“What?””
“Financial records.””
My mother sat beside him.
“Samuel…”
He shook his head.
“No more hiding.””
Then he looked at me.
“I discovered Alexander was moving money through fake accounts.””
I felt my heartbeat increase.
“Fraud?””
Dad nodded.
“I reported it.””
The room went silent.
“And?””
“They blamed me.””
I stared at him.
“They said I had created the problem.””
Dad smiled sadly.
“I lost my job. My reputation. Everything.””
My mother held his hand.
“We started the cart because nobody would hire him after that.””
I looked at the laptop.
Alexander Reed.
The man who helped me build my company.
The man who had always acted like family.
“You knew?””
Dad nodded.
“I recognized him years ago.””
“And you never told me?””
“I didn’t want you carrying my anger.””
I stood up.
I was trying to process everything.
Victor.
Richard.
Alexander.
They were connected.
Not because of land.
Because of the past.
My phone rang.
Maya.
I answered.
“Daniel, we found something.””
“What?””
“The property transfer wasn’t the first fraud.””
I looked at my father.
“What do you mean?””
“There are records from thirty years ago.””
My stomach tightened.
“Related to Reed Industries?””
“Yes.””
She paused.
“Your father was telling the truth.””
Dad closed his eyes.
“But there’s something strange.””
“What?””
“The documents show someone else was involved.””
“Who?””
Maya hesitated.
Then she said:
“Someone with your last name.””
I looked at my father.
His face went pale.
“No.””
“Daniel,” Maya continued.
“The records indicate another Carter family member helped cover up the fraud.””
My eyes moved toward the old family photo on the wall.
My father.
My mother.
Richard.
A family that looked happy.
A family with secrets.
Then Maya sent one final file.
I opened it.
It was a scanned letter.
Written thirty years earlier.
Signed by my father.
But the signature was different.
And at the bottom was a handwritten note.
Three words.
HE KNOWS EVERYTHING.
I looked at Dad.
“Who wrote this?””
He didn’t answer.
Because he already knew.
May you like
And when he finally spoke, his voice was barely a whisper.
“Your grandfather.””
