Chapter 7: The Person Who Betrayed Him
For twenty-four hours, I couldn’t sleep.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw my father’s face.
Not the memories.
The questions.
Who took him?
Why did everyone lie?
And why did my mother spend years making me believe I wasn’t important?
The next morning, Alexander found me sitting on the beach.
“You haven’t slept.””
I looked at the ocean.
“Neither have you.””
He sat beside me.
For a while, we said nothing.
It was strange.
With everyone else, silence felt like punishment.
With Alexander, it felt peaceful.
Finally, he spoke.
“My father was not a good man.””
I looked at him.
“You believe he was involved?””
Alexander looked down.
“I spent my whole life believing he was a hero.””
A painful smile crossed his face.
“Sometimes children inherit their parents’ stories before they inherit the truth.””
I understood that feeling.
Because I had inherited a lie.
“What are you going to do?””
“Find out what happened.””
“And if it was your father?””
He was quiet.
“Then I face it.””
That answer told me everything about him.
He wasn’t protecting his family name.
He was protecting the truth.
Later that afternoon, Alexander’s investigator arrived.
His name was Marcus.
He placed a file on the table.
“We found the original documents.””
I opened them.
The report was different.
Thomas Carter had not died.
He had been taken to a private medical facility after an attack.
“What facility?””
Marcus looked uncomfortable.
“Saint Claire Rehabilitation Center.””
My heart stopped.
“That place is closed.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Marcus looked at Alexander.
“Because every record from that year was destroyed.””
My fingers tightened.
“Except one.””
He handed me a photograph.
A patient record.
The name was covered.
But the date matched.
The day my father disappeared.
I looked at Alexander.
“Can we go there?””
He nodded.
Immediately.
The abandoned facility sat outside the city.
The building looked forgotten.
Broken windows.
Overgrown plants.
A place where secrets went to disappear.
Inside, the air smelled like dust and old paper.
Marcus searched the records room.
Alexander stayed beside me.
Then we found something.
A hidden storage box.
Inside were old patient files.
Most were meaningless.
Until one caught my attention.
Thomas Carter.
I grabbed it.
The file was thin.
Too thin.
Someone had removed pages.
But there was one note.
Written by a doctor.
“Patient refuses to reveal location of documents. Claims daughter must receive them.””
My hands trembled.
My daughter.
Me.
“He knew,” I whispered.
Alexander looked at the page.
“He knew someone would come after you.””
A sound echoed from the hallway.
Footsteps.
We turned.
A man stood at the entrance.
Older.
Gray hair.
But familiar.
My mother appeared behind us in my memory.
The same fear.
The same expression.
The man smiled.
“Emma Carter.””
I froze.
“How do you know my name?””
He stepped closer.
“Because I knew your father.””
Alexander moved in front of me.
“Who are you?””
The man looked at him.
“Someone who tried to save Thomas.””
“Daniel?””
The man nodded.
“I was hoping you’d find the file.””
My heart raced.
“You called me.””
“Yes.””
“Why now?””
His expression became serious.
“Because Richard Hayes knows you found the truth.””
Alexander’s face changed.
“How?””
Daniel looked toward the broken windows.
“Because someone in this building has been reporting everything.””
A cold feeling moved through me.
“Someone here?””
Daniel nodded.
“Someone close.””
I looked at Alexander.
Then Marcus.
Then back at Daniel.
“Who?””
Daniel slowly reached into his coat.
He pulled out a photograph.
A photograph of my family.
My mother.
My sisters.
Me.
Taken yesterday.
My blood went cold.
“They’ve been watching you.””
The lights suddenly went out.
Everyone froze.
Then a voice came from the darkness.
“Emma.””
I knew that voice.
My mother.
But she wasn’t supposed to be here.
The emergency lights flickered on.
Victoria Carter stood at the doorway.
And behind her was someone I never expected to see.
My father.
Older.
May you like
Weaker.
Alive.
