Chapter 7: The Dead Man at the Door
Marcus couldn't move.
His eyes remained fixed on the security monitor.
Robert Hayes was standing outside his house.
Older, thinner, with silver hair and a dark coat.
But unmistakably alive.
"That's impossible," Marcus whispered.
Daniel stepped closer to the monitor.
"Mr. Cole, should I call security?""
Marcus didn't answer.
Ethan stared at the screen.
"That's Robert Hayes?""
Marcus nodded slowly.
"He died twelve years ago.""
I laughed.
It was the wrong reaction.
Everyone turned toward me.
I immediately covered my mouth.
Marcus looked at me.
"You're not surprised.""
I shrugged.
"Why would I be?""
"Because you just told us he was dead.""
"I said he was supposed to be dead.""
Marcus's expression hardened.
"Open the door.""
Daniel hesitated.
"Perhaps we should wait for the police.""
"Open it.""
Ethan moved toward his father.
"Dad, please. We don't know what's happening.""
Marcus looked at him.
"I've spent twenty-three years not knowing what's happening.""
He walked to the entrance himself.
When he opened the door, Robert stood beneath the porch light.
For several seconds, the two men simply stared at each other.
Then Robert smiled faintly.
"Hello, Marcus.""
Marcus's voice was cold.
"You.""
Robert nodded.
"Me.""
"You're supposed to be dead.""
"That's what people were told.""
Marcus grabbed the doorframe.
"Why?""
Robert looked past him.
His eyes found me.
"Vanessa.""
I folded my arms.
"Hello, Father.""
Ethan's head snapped toward me.
"Father?""
Robert stepped inside.
"Twenty-three years is a long time, isn't it?""
Marcus shut the door.
"Start talking.""
Robert removed his coat and placed it over a chair.
"I suppose you deserve an explanation.""
"You deserve a police investigation.""
Robert gave a tired smile.
"Perhaps. But first, you need to hear what happened to Laura.""
Marcus's face tightened.
"Don't say her name.""
Robert looked at him.
"She loved you.""
Marcus laughed without humor.
"Then why did she hide an entire child from me?""
"Because she was afraid.""
"Of you?""
Robert lowered his eyes.
"Yes.""
The room went silent.
I watched Marcus carefully.
This was not how I had imagined the evening.
Robert was supposed to arrive after the documents had been transferred. He was supposed to take the money and disappear again.
Instead, he had walked into the house without asking my permission.
And he was about to ruin everything.
Marcus pointed toward the sofa.
"Sit down.""
Robert did.
Ethan remained standing.
"Why did you fake your death?""
Robert looked at him.
"Because I discovered something about your grandmother's medical records.""
Marcus frowned.
"My mother?""
Robert nodded.
"Your mother was involved in the arrangement that separated Laura from Olivia.""
Marcus shook his head.
"That makes no sense.""
"Your mother believed Laura was going to destroy the family reputation by revealing the affair.""
"She was already married to me.""
"She was pregnant before the wedding.""
Marcus closed his eyes.
Robert continued.
"Your mother offered Laura money to leave the country and give the baby up.""
"Why would Laura agree?""
"She didn't.""
Robert leaned forward.
"She planned to tell you everything. But before she could, someone altered the hospital records and arranged for Olivia to be transferred to another family.""
Marcus's hands tightened.
"Who?""
Robert looked at me.
I felt my stomach turn.
"Your daughter knows more than she's telling you," he said.
Marcus turned toward me.
"Vanessa?""
I shook my head.
"He's lying.""
Robert pulled a photograph from his pocket.
It showed my father standing outside the Cole Industries headquarters.
Beside him was Marcus's mother.
And between them stood a much younger version of me.
Marcus took the photograph.
"When was this taken?""
"Twenty years ago," Robert replied.
Marcus studied it.
"Vanessa was there?""
"She was working for me at the time.""
Ethan looked confused.
"Then she knew our family before she married Dad?""
Robert nodded.
"She knew everything.""
I stepped forward.
"Enough.""
Robert ignored me.
"Vanessa was the person who helped me locate Laura's medical records. She was also the person who told me Olivia had been adopted.""
Marcus turned toward me.
"How?""
I stared at the floor.
Robert continued.
"She was supposed to help me bring Olivia back. Instead, she discovered that you were wealthy, Marcus, and decided to use the situation for herself.""
I laughed sharply.
"You're making yourself sound innocent.""
Robert's expression changed.
"I'm not innocent.""
For the first time, he sounded genuinely angry.
"I made mistakes. Terrible ones. But I never planned to steal my daughter's inheritance.""
I stepped closer.
"You abandoned me.""
Robert looked at me.
"I know.""
"You disappeared.""
"I was trying to protect you.""
"You let me grow up believing my father was a criminal who had lost everything.""
Robert lowered his head.
"I thought you would be safer without me.""
I laughed.
"Safer? You left me with nothing.""
Marcus interrupted.
"Why did you come back now?""
Robert reached inside his coat.
He removed a folded document.
"Because Vanessa sent me a message three days ago.""
I stared at him.
"What?""
He placed the document on the table.
"It contained instructions to meet her here tonight. She promised me three hundred thousand dollars.""
Marcus looked at the cash in the dining room.
"That money.""
Robert nodded.
"She told me the estate transfer would be completed tonight. She wanted me to take the money and leave the country.""
Ethan stared at me.
"You were paying him to disappear?""
I didn't answer.
Marcus looked at Robert.
"Why didn't you just take it?""
Robert shook his head.
"Because I received another message.""
He pulled out his phone.
A photograph appeared.
It showed the original hospital report.
Beneath it was a message from an unknown number.
If you accept Vanessa's money, Olivia will never know what really happened to her mother.
Marcus leaned forward.
"Who sent that?""
Robert looked at me.
"She did.""
I felt the room tilt.
Marcus stared at me.
"You threatened him?""
I laughed nervously.
"This is ridiculous.""
Robert continued.
"Vanessa wanted me to take responsibility for Laura's disappearance and the altered medical records. She planned to make it look like I had arranged everything.""
Marcus turned pale.
"Did you?""
Robert shook his head.
"No. But I know who did.""
He opened his briefcase.
Inside was a thick collection of old documents.
"I spent twelve years gathering evidence. I found the people who altered the hospital records. I found the account used to pay them. And I found the person who signed the authorization.""
Marcus reached for the folder.
His hands trembled.
He opened the first page.
Then he stopped.
The signature was unmistakable.
It belonged to his mother.
Marcus sank into the sofa.
"My mother?""
Robert nodded.
"She paid for Olivia's transfer. She also arranged for Laura to receive medication that wasn't prescribed to her.""
Ethan covered his mouth.
"Are you saying Grandma killed Mom?""
Robert looked at him.
"I'm saying the evidence suggests she deliberately endangered Laura.""
Marcus stared at the documents.
His mother had died five years earlier.
He had buried her beside Laura.
He had spent years believing both women had left him.
And now he was discovering that one of them had helped destroy the other.
I watched him carefully.
Then I made my move.
"Marcus, you don't have to believe any of this.""
He looked up.
"Why?""
"Because none of them can prove what happened. Your mother is dead. Robert disappeared. Olivia has no idea what she's talking about.""
Robert stood.
"You're right about one thing.""
He reached into his pocket and removed a small USB drive.
"Your mother-in-law may be dead. But she wasn't the only person who signed those documents.""
Marcus looked at him.
"Who else?""
Robert turned toward the hallway.
"Your former family attorney.""
Daniel's face went white.
"That's impossible.""
Robert looked directly at him.
"Isn't it, Daniel?""
Marcus slowly stood.
"What do you know about this?""
Daniel opened his mouth.
But before he could answer, Ethan's phone vibrated.
A message appeared.
It was from Olivia.
Dad, please don't trust Vanessa. There's something I haven't told you.
A second message arrived.
She isn't the only one who knows what happened to Mom.
Then a photograph appeared.
It showed a hospital bracelet.
May you like
The name printed on it wasn't Olivia's.
It was Ethan's.
