Chapter 8: What Her Mother Knew
Aaliyah ran upstairs before anyone could stop her.
“Aaliyah!”” Marcus shouted.
She ignored him.
She reached the bedroom at the end of the hall.
The phone was sitting on the old nightstand.
A battered landline.
Its cord had been cut years ago.
Yet it was ringing.
Aaliyah picked it up.
“Hello?””
Static.
Then breathing.
Aaliyah's heart hammered.
“Mom?””
A long silence.
Then the voice returned.
“Aaliyah.””
She covered her mouth.
“Mom?””
“I don't have much time.””
Aaliyah's eyes flooded with tears.
“Where are you?””
“Don't ask.””
“Why?””
“Because they can trace the call.””
“Who?””
Her mother hesitated.
“Your father should never have come back.””
Aaliyah turned.
David stood in the doorway.
His eyes were closed.
“Mom, Dad is here.””
Silence.
Then a quiet sob.
“He shouldn't have come.””
“He told me you were alive.””
“I know.””
“Why did you let me believe you were dead?””
Her mother began crying.
“Because it was the only way to keep you alive.””
Aaliyah's voice broke.
“I spent five years mourning you.””
“I know.””
“I begged God to let me hear your voice again.””
“I know.””
“Do you know what that did to me?””
“I know, baby.””
Aaliyah slid down against the wall.
The word baby shattered something inside her.
She hadn't heard her mother say it since she was twenty-three.
Marcus entered the room.
Aaliyah looked at him through tears.
He stopped several feet away.
Her mother continued.
“Listen carefully. Your father will tell you he disappeared to protect us.””
Aaliyah looked at David.
“Isn't that true?””
“He did protect us,” her mother said.
“But he hasn't told you everything.””
David lowered his head.
Aaliyah whispered, “What hasn't he told me?””
Her mother breathed shakily.
“Your father didn't discover the fraud.””
Aaliyah frowned.
“Then what did he discover?””
“That the people stealing the money weren't outside the company.””
Aaliyah looked at Marcus.
Her mother continued.
“They were family.””
The room went silent.
Aaliyah slowly turned toward David.
“Who?””
David didn't answer.
Her mother did.
“Your aunt Denise.””
Aaliyah's eyes widened.
“No.””
“She helped move the money.””
“But Denise said—”
“Denise was trying to protect herself.””
Aaliyah shook her head.
“Why would she steal from us?””
“She wasn't stealing from us at first.””
“What does that mean?””
“She was paying someone.””
“Who?””
The call crackled.
Her mother's voice became faint.
“Aaliyah, the person controlling Denise is—”
The line went dead.
Aaliyah stared at the receiver.
“Mom?””
Nothing.
“Mom!””
She slammed the phone down.
Marcus rushed forward.
“Aaliyah—”
“Don't.””
He stopped.
She stood.
“You knew.””
Marcus didn't deny it.
“You knew Denise was involved.””
“Yes.””
“And you still let me believe she was innocent.””
“I was trying to find the person above her.””
“By investigating our money?””
“Yes.””
“By lying to me?””
“Yes.””
“By leaving me?””
Marcus's jaw tightened.
“Yes.””
Aaliyah stared at him.
“I hate that you keep saying yes.””
Marcus looked at her.
“Because you deserve the truth.””
David stepped forward.
“Aaliyah, your mother was right about one thing.””
She turned.
“What?””
“We're running out of time.””
A loud crash came from downstairs.
Everyone froze.
Nadia whispered, “They found us.””
David moved toward the stairs.
Marcus grabbed his arm.
“No.””
“Let go.””
“You'll get yourself killed.””
“They already know where she is.””
Another crash.
Then footsteps.
Multiple people.
Aaliyah backed away.
Marcus grabbed her hand.
“This way.””
They ran into the adjoining bedroom.
Marcus pushed aside an old wardrobe.
Behind it was a narrow doorway.
Aaliyah stared.
“What is that?””
“Your father built it.””
David nodded.
“It leads to the old garage.””
They squeezed through.
The passage was dark and smelled of damp earth.
Marcus closed the hidden door behind them.
They moved quickly.
Then Aaliyah stopped.
“What about Nadia?””
David turned.
“She knows the way.””
“But—”
“I'll stay with her,” David said.
Marcus grabbed Aaliyah's hand.
“Keep moving.””
They reached the garage.
Marcus lifted the side door.
Aaliyah stepped into the rain.
A black sedan waited at the end of the driveway.
Marcus opened the passenger door.
“Get in.””
She climbed inside.
Marcus moved around to the driver's side.
David and Nadia emerged moments later.
The sedan sped away.
For several minutes, nobody spoke.
Then David said quietly, “There is one thing you need to know about Marcus.””
Aaliyah looked at him.
“What?””
David stared at the road ahead.
“Your husband wasn't investigating the money because he suspected you.””
Marcus tightened his hands around the steering wheel.
Aaliyah waited.
David continued.
“He was investigating it because I asked him to.””
Aaliyah looked at Marcus.
“Why?””
Marcus swallowed.
“Because I needed to know whether you were safe before I told you who I really was.””
Aaliyah frowned.
“You're my husband.””
Marcus glanced at her.
“Yes.””
“Then who else are you?””
He didn't answer.
David did.
“Marcus isn't his real name.””
Aaliyah stared at her husband.
“What?””
Marcus closed his eyes for one second.
Then he said quietly—
“My name is Daniel.””
Aaliyah's face went pale.
David continued.
“Daniel was your mother's protection officer.””
Aaliyah's heart stopped.
She looked at Marcus.
“You were protecting my mother before you ever met me?””
“Yes.””
“And you married me because of her?””
Marcus didn't answer quickly enough.
Aaliyah's voice became a whisper.
“Did you ever actually love me?””
Marcus looked directly at her.
“Yes.””
“Then why does everything feel like a lie?””
He reached into the glove compartment.
Inside was a second photograph.
He handed it to her.
Aaliyah looked down.
It showed her mother, her father, and a much younger Marcus standing together.
But there was someone else in the photograph.
Aaliyah.
She was a little girl.
And standing beside her was Denise.
On the back of the photograph, in her mother's handwriting, were six words:
*“Trust no one except my daughter.””*
Aaliyah stared at it.
Then she noticed the date.
It had been taken *twenty-seven years ago*.
Marcus hadn't met her by accident.
He had known her since childhood.
And suddenly, Aaliyah understood why he had always watched her so carefully.
But before she could speak, Marcus's phone rang.
He answered.
“Hello?””
A man's voice came through.
Marcus's expression changed.
“Who is this?””
The caller laughed.
Then said:
“Ask Aaliyah what happened the night she killed her father.””
Marcus slammed on the brakes.
Aaliyah stared at him.
“What did he just say?””
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Marcus didn't answer.
Because David was staring at her with horror in his eyes.
