Chapter 13: The Protector Who Disappeared
The question stayed in my mind long after the call ended.
Why did Daniel disappear?
The man who claimed to have protected my father.
The man who had access to secrets nobody else knew.
The man who somehow appeared the moment I started uncovering the truth.
I stared at my phone.
Nobody spoke.
Even Victoria looked uncertain.
That scared me.
Because until now, Victoria always seemed to know exactly what was happening.
But Daniel’s name had changed everything.
“Marcus,” my mother whispered.
I looked at her.
“What?””
“Be careful.””
The words sounded familiar.
Everyone kept telling me to be careful.
But nobody ever told me what I was supposed to be careful of.
I turned toward Victoria.
“Did you know Daniel?””
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
“Yes.””
“How?””
“He worked with your father.””
“Did he disappear after he died?””
Victoria didn’t answer.
That was enough.
I looked at my mother.
“And you?””
She looked away.
“Mom.””
Her shoulders dropped.
“Yes.””
My chest tightened.
“You knew him too?””
“Yes.””
“How many people knew about my father’s investigation?””
My mother closed her eyes.
“More than you realize.””
I laughed quietly.
“My whole life is a conspiracy.””
“No,” she said.
Her voice was soft.
“Your whole life is a battle you were kept away from.””
That answer only made me angrier.
I grabbed my jacket.
“I’m finding Daniel.””
My mother stood.
“Marcus, wait.””
“No.””
I looked at her.
“I spent my entire life believing people were honest with me.””
My voice cracked.
“And everyone I trusted had a secret.””
She stepped closer.
“You can hate me.””
I looked at her.
“You deserve that.””
She nodded.
“But don’t let that make you careless.””
I walked out.
I found Daniel at the archive building.
He was standing outside, staring at the locked door.
Like he expected me.
“You got my message,” he said.
I stopped several feet away.
“You disappeared after my father died.””
Daniel didn’t deny it.
“Yes.””
“Why?””
He looked down.
“Because I failed him.””
The answer surprised me.
“What does that mean?””
Daniel leaned against the building.
“Your father asked me to protect you.””
“And?””
“And I did.””
I shook my head.
“No, you didn’t.””
His eyes met mine.
“You think protection means standing beside someone.””
He paused.
“Sometimes it means staying away.””
I hated how calm he was.
“Explain.””
Daniel took a deep breath.
“The night your father died, I found evidence that someone close to him was involved.””
“Who?””
“I didn’t know.””
“But you suspected.””
“Yes.””
“Was it my mother?””
“No.””
The answer came immediately.
Too immediately.
“How can you be sure?””
“Because your father trusted her.””
I looked away.
“Then why leave?””
Daniel’s face changed.
Pain.
Real pain.
“Because someone tried to kill me three days after your father died.””
I froze.
“What?””
“I was attacked.””
“By who?””
“I never saw their face.””
That sounded impossible.
But somehow, in my life now, impossible had become normal.
Daniel continued.
“I realized whoever was behind it had resources. Connections. Information.””
“So you ran.””
“I went underground.””
“For fifteen years?””
“Yes.””
I shook my head.
“You could have contacted me.””
“I wanted to.””
“But you didn’t.””
“No.””
“Why?””
Daniel looked at me.
“Because they were watching you.””
A cold feeling moved through my body.
“Who?””
“I don’t know.””
I looked back toward the archive.
“Then why come back now?””
“Because they made a mistake.””
“What mistake?””
“They assumed you would never find your father’s files.””
I stared at him.
“And now?””
“Now they know you did.””
My phone buzzed.
Another message.
This time from Nia.
*Please answer. I know who changed the DNA report.*
I showed Daniel.
His expression changed.
“Where is she?””
“I don’t know.””
“Call her.””
I hesitated.
After everything Nia had done, trusting her felt impossible.
But she was still connected to this.
I called.
She answered immediately.
“Marcus?””
“Where are you?””
“Somewhere your father used to go.””
My stomach tightened.
“Where?””
“The old company office.””
Daniel looked at me.
He heard.
“Nia,” I said, “what did you find?””
Her voice shook.
“The person who changed the DNA report didn’t want you to know who your father was.””
A pause.
“They wanted you to believe you had no reason to inherit anything.””
I frowned.
“Why?””
Nia whispered:
“Because the inheritance wasn’t money.””
The line went quiet.
“What was it?””
Her answer came softly.
“Control.””
The call ended.
Daniel looked at me.
“We need to go.””
I nodded.
But as we got into the car, one thought stayed in my head.
Someone had spent fifteen years hiding my father’s truth.
May you like
And now that I was finally finding it…
they were running out of time.
