Chapter 7: The Truth About The Accident
Nate didn’t open the letter immediately.
That surprised everyone.
Including himself.
For three years, he had imagined a final message from Emily.
Something romantic.
Something heartbreaking.
Something that would make him feel close to her again.
But standing there, holding the envelope, he felt something else.
Fear.
Because if Emily had written this, then she knew something was coming.
And she had prepared for it.
Madeline watched him carefully.
“You don’t have to read it alone.””
Nate looked at her.
The irony almost made him laugh.
Three days ago, he trusted her more than anyone.
Then he found her hurting Sophie.
Now she was standing beside him while Grace revealed secrets about Emily.
Life had become impossible to understand.
“I need everyone to stop deciding what I can handle.””
Nobody spoke.
Nate opened the envelope.
Inside was one page.
Emily’s handwriting.
The first line made his hands shake.
*Nate, if you are reading this, then I failed to keep you safe.*
He swallowed.
He continued.
*I need you to know something first. I never doubted your love for me. I doubted your ability to survive losing me.*
His vision blurred.
Emily knew him.
Of course she did.
*You always search for the good in people. That is one of the reasons I love you. But sometimes good people are used by those who know they will be forgiven.*
Nate stopped.
Madeline looked away.
Grace closed her eyes.
He kept reading.
*The problem is not the money. The problem is the person who thinks they deserve it.*
His heartbeat increased.
*I found evidence that someone inside our family has been manipulating accounts for years. Not stealing loudly. Not enough to notice. Just enough to build something bigger.*
Nate looked up.
“Years?””
Grace nodded.
He looked back down.
*I wanted to tell you. But if I was wrong, I would destroy people’s lives. If I was right, telling you would put you in danger.*
A cold feeling moved through him.
Then the final paragraph.
*The person who can answer everything is someone you trust completely. That is why I cannot name them here.*
Nate stopped.
“What?””
Grace looked at him.
“Keep reading.””
He did.
*If you find the box, look beneath the false bottom. The truth is not inside the box. It is underneath.*
Nate lowered the letter.
“The box was empty.””
Grace nodded.
“Because someone removed what was underneath.””
“Who?””
Nobody answered.
Then the lights went out.
The entire house fell dark.
Madeline immediately grabbed Nate’s arm.
A second later, glass shattered somewhere downstairs.
Grace whispered:
“Someone is here.””
Nate moved toward the door.
“No.””
Madeline tightened her grip.
“Don’t.””
He looked at her.
For once, she wasn’t angry.
She was terrified.
A sound came from the hallway.
Footsteps.
Slow.
Controlled.
Someone walking through the house like they belonged there.
Nate’s phone flashlight turned on.
The footsteps stopped.
Then a voice spoke from the darkness.
“You really should have left the past buried.””
Nate froze.
Because he knew that voice.
Not Grace.
Not Madeline.
Someone else.
Someone who had been in his house many times.
Someone who had held Sophie.
Someone who had cried beside him after Emily’s funeral.
The flashlight moved.
May you like
And Nate saw the person standing at the end of the hallway.
His mother.
