Chapter 7: The Man Who Watched Him Die
I held the phone tighter against my ear.
The stranger’s voice echoed in my head.
“The person who watched him die.””
Every instinct told me to hang up.
Every question I had spent years ignoring told me not to.
“Who are you?”” I asked again.
The man didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, I heard a quiet breath on the other end.
A tired breath.
The kind someone makes when they have carried a secret for too long.
“My name is Daniel Hart.””
The name meant nothing.
But then I looked down at my father’s letter.
The handwriting.
The warning.
The sentence I had just read.
The person who betrayed me was not trying to steal my money.
I swallowed.
“Did you know my father?””
“Yes.””
“How?””
Another pause.
“I worked for him.””
I looked around the old office.
The dust-covered shelves.
The photographs.
The memories I thought belonged only to my family.
“What did you do for him?””
“I was his security advisor.””
I froze.
My father had never mentioned having security.
Not once.
“You expect me to believe that?””
“No,” Daniel said calmly.
“I expect you to believe the evidence.””
A notification appeared on my phone.
A message.
From Daniel.
Attached was a photograph.
I opened it.
It showed my father standing beside a younger man.
The younger man was Daniel.
My father’s hand rested on his shoulder.
Behind them was the same office I was standing in.
“Where did you get this?””
“Your father gave it to me.””
“That’s impossible.””
“No, Marcus. What’s impossible is that your father died believing you would never discover the truth.””
My chest tightened.
“What truth?””
Daniel’s voice lowered.
“Your father wasn’t killed because of a financial dispute.””
I waited.
“He was killed because he found out someone inside his own family was helping his enemies.””
The room suddenly felt colder.
“My family?””
“Yes.””
I stared at the letter.
My mother.
Victoria.
Nia.
Everyone seemed connected to a story I was never allowed to read.
“Who?””
Daniel didn’t answer.
Instead, he asked:
“Is your mother with you?””
“No.””
“Good.””
The way he said it made my stomach turn.
“Why?””
“Because there are things you need to see before anyone convinces you to stop looking.””
I looked at the letter again.
“Did my father trust you?””
“Yes.””
“Then why didn’t he tell me about you?””
“Because he was afraid I was already being watched.””
A floorboard creaked behind me.
I turned sharply.
The hallway was empty.
But the feeling remained.
Someone was there.
Someone had been there.
“Marcus,” Daniel said quickly, “listen to me.””
I returned the phone to my ear.
“What?””
“Do not go home.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“Do not go back to your mother’s house. Do not contact Nia. Do not tell Victoria what you found.””
My heart raced.
“How do you know about Victoria?””
Silence.
Then:
“Because Victoria is the reason your father started investigating.””
The call ended.
I stood there, staring at the screen.
Before I could process anything, another sound came from the hallway.
A soft click.
Like a door closing.
I walked out of the office.
“Hello?””
Nothing.
I moved through the house slowly.
The old wooden floors groaned beneath my feet.
Then I saw it.
The front door.
It was open.
I was certain I had locked it.
Outside, a figure disappeared around the side of the house.
I ran after them.
By the time I reached the driveway, they were gone.
But something had been left behind.
A small envelope.
My name was written on it.
Not Marcus.
Not Mr. Carter.
Just one word.
Son.
My hands shook as I opened it.
Inside was a single photograph.
A photograph of my father.
Standing beside Nia’s mother.
May you like
And on the back, written in black ink, were six words.
*She knows where the money went.*
