Chapter 14: The Person Who Wanted Her Silent
I didn’t speak for several seconds.
The world around me kept moving.
People laughed.
Cars drove past the window.
Someone dropped a cup near the counter.
Everything looked normal.
But nothing felt normal anymore.
“My grandmother was killed?””
My father looked down.
“I don’t know.””
“You just told me someone turned off her heart monitor.””
“Yes.””
“Then someone killed her.””
He closed his eyes.
“I don’t know if it was intentional.””
I stared at him.
“Dad.””
His shoulders dropped.
“I know how it sounds.””
“It sounds like you’ve spent sixteen years finding ways to avoid saying the truth.””
He didn’t fight back.
Because he knew I was right.
“Who turned it off?””
He looked at me.
“I don’t know.””
“You were there.””
“I left the room.””
“When?””
“When the doctors came in.””
I studied his face.
“Why didn’t you tell anyone?””
“Because Michael was already gone.””
“That doesn’t answer my question.””
My father looked away.
“Because your grandmother had one final request.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“She made me promise to protect you.””
My anger softened slightly.
“Protect me by lying?””
He looked devastated.
“I thought I was protecting you from losing your family.””
I laughed quietly.
“My family was already lost.””
The words hurt him.
But they were true.
He reached into his jacket pocket.
“I have something.””
He placed an old envelope on the table.
My name was written on it.
Again.
My grandmother’s handwriting.
I stared.
“Another letter?””
He nodded.
“She gave it to me before everything happened.””
“Why didn’t you give it to me?””
His eyes filled with shame.
“Because I was afraid.””
I picked it up.
The envelope felt heavier than paper should feel.
“What does it say?””
“I never opened it.””
I looked at him.
“You expect me to believe that?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Because it wasn’t meant for me.””
I opened the envelope.
Inside was a single page.
Dear Paige,
If you are reading this, something has gone wrong.
I stopped.
My hands trembled.
Your father is not the person you should blame. He made mistakes, but he was trying to fix them.
I looked up.
My father looked surprised.
“She defended you.””
He nodded slowly.
“She always did.””
I continued.
The danger in this family is not the person who takes. It is the person who convinces others they deserve to take.
My breathing slowed.
The sentence felt important.
I kept reading.
Michael believes love means ownership. He believes family means control. Do not let him convince you that your kindness is weakness.
I looked at the photograph.
Michael.
The man everyone had forgotten.
The man who wanted everything.
The letter continued.
But there is one more person you must be careful of.
My heart stopped.
One more person.
Someone besides Michael.
Someone besides my parents.
Someone else.
The final sentence was written darker.
Someone close to you helped him.
I looked at my father.
“Who?””
He looked confused.
“I don’t know.””
I read the letter again.
Someone close to you helped him.
Not someone in the past.
Someone close to me.
My phone buzzed.
A message.
From Riley.
I smiled for half a second.
Then I saw the text.
“Paige, I need you to answer me honestly.””
I frowned.
“What?””
Another message appeared.
“Did you tell anyone about the hidden box?””
I stared at the screen.
I hadn’t.
Except…
Robert knew.
Trevor knew.
My father knew.
My mother knew.
And Riley.
No.
Riley didn’t know.
I typed:
“No. Why?””
The reply came immediately.
“Because someone just sent me a copy of your grandmother’s documents.””
My stomach tightened.
“What?””
Then:
“They came from your email account.””
I froze.
My email.
Someone had accessed my email.
Someone who knew my password.
Someone close enough to me.
May you like
Then Riley sent one final message.
“Paige… why did you send them to Michael Carter?””
