Chapter 7: The Secret My Father Buried
I arrived at Emma’s apartment just after sunrise.
The building looked nothing like the elegant homes Stephanie’s family displayed in magazines. It was old, quiet, and slightly worn around the edges.
A place where people lived real lives.
Not carefully designed ones.
Emma opened the door before I knocked.
She looked exhausted.
“You shouldn’t have come here,” she whispered.
“Neither should someone who broke into your apartment.””
Her eyes dropped.
“They were looking for the files.””
“Did they hurt you?””
“No.””
“But they scared you.””
She didn’t answer.
That was enough.
I stepped inside.
The apartment was small, but everything was organized. Books lined the walls. A few plants sat near the window. It felt like the opposite of Stephanie’s world.
Emma locked the door behind me.
“I found the document in my father’s office.””
She walked to a drawer and pulled out a sealed envelope.
My name was written across the front.
*Charles Hartwell.*
I stared at it.
“Where did you get this?””
“My father’s private safe.””
“You stole it?””
She looked uncomfortable.
“I borrowed it.””
Despite everything happening, I almost smiled.
“You’re not exactly the family rebel type.””
“No,” she said quietly.
“But I’m tired of watching people get hurt.””
She handed me the envelope.
My fingers shook as I opened it.
Inside was a letter.
Not from my father.
From someone else.
A woman named Eleanor Whitmore.
Stephanie’s grandmother.
I read the first line.
*If Charles Hartwell is reading this, then my family has failed to stop the truth from coming out.*
I looked at Emma.
“What is this?””
“I don’t know.””
I continued reading.
*Years ago, my husband and Richard Vale created a plan to acquire Willowbrook Farm. But your father discovered the truth before they could complete it.*
My heart raced.
The same names.
The same people.
Decades of planning.
*Your father was not only protecting the farm. He was protecting something hidden beneath it.*
I stopped.
Hidden beneath it.
The barn.
The documents.
There was more.
*The Hartwell family owns something far more valuable than the land itself. Something Richard Vale has wanted for years.*
I turned the page.
But the rest was missing.
The bottom half had been torn away.
“Someone removed the ending.””
Emma nodded.
“I found the pieces missing from the envelope.””
“Where?””
“In my father’s office.””
She hesitated.
“They weren’t destroyed.””
“What does that mean?””
“It means someone wanted us to find the letter.””
A chill ran through me.
Because she was right.
If they wanted to hide everything, they would have burned it.
Instead, someone left a trail.
Someone who wanted the truth discovered.
“Who knew about this?”” I asked.
Emma looked toward the window.
“My grandmother.””
“Eleanor?””
“Yes.””
“Is she alive?””
Emma nodded.
“She lives outside the city.””
I folded the letter.
“We need to talk to her.””
Emma looked nervous.
“You don’t understand.””
“What?””
“My grandmother knows exactly what my family is capable of.””
“That’s why we need her.””
Emma was quiet.
Then she said something unexpected.
“She warned Stephanie.””
“About what?””
“About you.””
I frowned.
“What do you mean?””
“Before Stephanie met you, my grandmother told her not to get involved with Willowbrook.””
“Why?””
Emma looked at the letter.
“Because she knew someone would eventually expose everything.””
A sudden sound interrupted us.
A car door closing outside.
Emma froze.
Then she walked to the window.
Her face changed.
“What?””
She stepped away.
“Your mother’s attorney.””
My stomach tightened.
“Daniel?””
“No.””
She pointed.
“Richard Vale.””
I moved toward the window.
A black sedan was parked outside.
Richard stood beside it, looking up at the building.
Like he knew exactly where we were.
Then my phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
I answered.
“Hello?””
Richard’s voice came through.
“Charles.””
I looked at Emma.
“How did you get my number?””
A pause.
Then:
“Your father was a careful man.””
My hand tightened around the phone.
“What do you want?””
“I want to offer you a chance to walk away.””
I laughed.
“You mean a chance to let you steal my family’s farm?””
“No.””
His voice became colder.
“A chance to avoid discovering something that could destroy your entire understanding of your father.””
The words hit harder than I expected.
“What did you say?””
“Meet me alone tonight.””
“Why would I?””
“Because your father left you a secret.””
Silence.
Richard continued.
“And Stephanie isn’t the person you should be afraid of.””
The call ended.
I stared at the phone.
Emma whispered:
“What did he say?””
I looked at the black sedan outside.
May you like
“He knows about my father’s secret.””
And somehow, that frightened me more than anything else.
