Chapter 13: The Accident That Was Supposed to Happen
I read Claire’s message three times.
*“Because if I hadn’t changed the location, you would have died that night.””*
The words didn’t make me feel relieved.
They made me feel sick.
Because every answer created a new question.
Every truth opened another door.
I looked at Rachel.
Then Ethan.
Then back at the message.
“She changed the location,” I whispered.
Ethan nodded slowly.
“That’s what she said.””
Rachel looked terrified.
“No.””
I turned toward her.
“No?””
She shook her head.
“You don’t understand.””
“Then explain.””
Rachel looked at the floor.
“The original meeting location wasn’t safe.””
My chest tightened.
“What was there?””
She swallowed.
“An empty warehouse.””
I froze.
The warehouse.
A place Marcus used for company storage.
A place almost nobody knew about.
“How did you know?””
Rachel looked at Ethan.
“Because he told me.””
My eyes moved to my brother.
“You knew?””
Ethan looked away.
“I suspected.””
I stepped closer.
“No more half-truths.””
My voice echoed through the room.
“I’m done collecting pieces of my own life from other people.””
Ethan closed his eyes.
“You’re right.””
He sat down.
“The night before your accident, I followed Marcus.””
I stared.
“Why?””
“Because I knew he was hiding something.””
Ethan opened his phone and showed me a picture.
Marcus.
Standing outside the warehouse.
With another man.
“Who is that?””
Ethan hesitated.
“I don’t know.””
I looked closer.
The man’s face was partially hidden.
But something about him felt familiar.
“Where did you get this?””
“I was following Marcus when I saw them.””
“And then?””
“I heard them talking.””
“What did they say?””
Ethan’s face became serious.
“They said you were going to the warehouse.””
My stomach dropped.
“I wasn’t.””
“Exactly.””
Silence.
“They knew your schedule was fake.””
Rachel spoke quietly.
“Because someone gave them the real one.””
I looked at her.
“And that someone was?””
She shook her head.
“I don’t know.””
I hated that answer.
Everyone seemed to know something except the one thing I needed.
The whole truth.
My phone rang.
Claire.
I almost didn’t answer.
But I did.
“Daniel.””
Her voice sounded exhausted.
“Where are you?””
“Safe.””
A pause.
“Are you with Ethan?””
“Yes.””
Another pause.
“Then you know.””
“Know what?””
“That I changed the location.””
I looked around the room.
“Why?””
Her voice became quiet.
“Because Ethan found evidence that Marcus planned to trap you.””
“Trap me?””
“He wanted you at the warehouse.””
“Why?””
“Because he needed you to sign something.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“Your resignation.””
The room went silent.
Claire continued.
“He wanted you to believe you had lost control. That you had no choice but to give him power.””
I laughed bitterly.
“So he caused an accident to make me quit?””
“Yes.””
“That doesn’t make sense.””
“It does if he thought you would never recover.””
The words hurt.
Because they were true.
Marcus didn’t need me dead.
He needed me broken.
“I moved the meeting because I found out.””
I closed my eyes.
“And the truck?””
Claire went silent.
That silence was terrifying.
“Claire.””
“I don’t know.””
“You don’t know?””
“I know Marcus was involved.””
“But?””
“But he wasn’t the one who ordered it.””
The room became cold.
“Then who did?””
Claire whispered:
“The person who knew you would ignore everyone else.””
I frowned.
“What does that mean?””
“It means they knew you trusted them.””
I felt a chill.
“Claire.””
Her voice shook.
“Daniel, I think the person behind the accident is…”
The call suddenly cut off.
I looked at my phone.
No signal.
Then Ethan’s phone buzzed.
A message.
His face changed when he read it.
“What?””
He slowly turned the screen toward me.
A single sentence.
*“Stop looking for answers, Daniel. You already know the person who did it.””*
Underneath was a photo.
A photo from the hospital.
Me lying unconscious.
My family around me.
My father.
Ethan.
Claire.
May you like
And standing behind them…
Rachel.
