Chapter 10: The Person Who Wanted Us Broken
The attic door had been locked for six years.
Nobody had opened it since Isabella died.
But when the detective unlocked it, the door opened immediately.
No resistance.
No dust falling.
No sign that it had been forgotten.
Someone had been inside recently.
The attic was not abandoned.
It was a hiding place.
Boxes covered the floor.
Old photographs.
Financial records.
Letters.
Everything Isabella had collected.
Everything someone had tried to erase.
The detective searched carefully.
Then he found a hidden camera.
Not an old one.
A recent one.
My stomach dropped.
“Someone has been watching the house.””
The detective checked the device.
“Looks like it was active for months.””
I looked around the attic.
Months.
Someone had been watching Noah.
Watching me.
Watching every conversation.
Then Noah pointed toward a wooden box.
“Dad.””
I walked over.
Inside was a notebook.
The cover had Isabella’s handwriting.
*For Victor and Noah.*
I opened it.
The first page was dated one week before Isabella died.
I know who is behind this.
My heart raced.
The next line made me stop.
But I cannot confront them yet.
I turned the page.
They have convinced everyone that Victor is the danger. They have made him doubt himself. They have isolated him from the people who love him.
My eyes burned.
Because she was right.
I had spent years believing I was protecting my family.
But someone had slowly convinced my family to fear me.
I continued reading.
The person behind this is not interested in money alone. They want Victor to lose everything because they believe he never deserved it.
A noise came from behind us.
Everyone turned.
Margaret stood near the doorway.
Her face was pale.
“You found it.””
I looked at her.
“You knew about this room.””
She nodded.
“Yes.””
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Because Isabella made me promise.””
I froze.
“She trusted you?””
“Yes.””
“Then why did you help Daniel and Evelyn?””
Margaret looked down.
“I didn’t.””
The room became silent.
“What?””
“I helped Isabella.””
I stared at her.
“Then why were you hiding?””
“Because the person we were trying to expose had eyes everywhere.””
The detective stepped closer.
“Who?””
Margaret looked at the notebook.
Then at me.
“Your brother.””
I stopped breathing.
My brother.
The one person who had supported me after Isabella died.
The one person who had always told me:
“Family comes first.””
I whispered his name.
“Adrian.””
Margaret nodded.
“He was the one who created the fake documents.””
The detective searched the files.
Then he found it.
A hidden account.
A chain of transfers.
Everything led back to Adrian.
My phone rang.
Everyone froze.
The screen showed his name.
I answered.
“Adrian.””
His voice was calm.
Almost peaceful.
“I was wondering when you would find out.””
I looked around the attic.
“You knew.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
A long silence.
Then he said:
“Because Isabella chose you.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“She chose you for everything. The company. The family. The future.””
His voice became colder.
“She never saw what I could have built.””
I felt anger rising.
“So you destroyed my life?””
“No.””
He laughed quietly.
“I exposed what was already broken.””
I looked at Noah.
“Where are you?””
Another pause.
Then:
“Somewhere you should have looked years ago.””
The call ended.
The detective immediately tracked the signal.
But before he spoke, Noah picked up something from the floor.
A small envelope.
His name was written on it.
Inside was a final note from Isabella.
I watched him read it.
Then his expression changed.
“What does it say?”” I asked.
Noah looked at me.
His eyes filled with tears.
“She said…”
He swallowed.
“She said the person who betrayed us would come back.””
I took the note.
At the bottom was Isabella’s final sentence.
*“Victor, when the truth comes out, protect Noah from the person who says they love him most.””*
I looked at the people around me.
The secrets.
The lies.
The years we had lost.
Then my phone received one final message.
A photo.
Adrian standing outside the mansion.
And beside him was someone I thought was gone forever.
Someone who had supposedly died years ago.
Someone Isabella had warned me about.
May you like
The message contained only three words.
*“The game begins.””*
