Chapter 9: The Enemy We Invited Inside
The person who knew how to destroy our family wasn't a stranger.
That was the worst part.
They were someone we trusted.
Someone who sat at our table.
Someone who knew where we kept the keys.
My father spent the next hour making phone calls.
Quiet calls.
The kind where someone is trying not to panic.
I sat on the couch beside Mia.
Neither of us spoke.
For once, we didn't need to.
We both understood.
Everything we believed about our family had changed.
Finally, my father ended a call.
“It was Thomas.””
I looked up.
“The lawyer?””
He nodded.
“But why?””
Rachel looked confused.
“Thomas helped me.””
My father looked at her.
“Did he?””
She froze.
“What do you mean?””
“He wasn't protecting you.””
My father placed his phone on the table.
“He was investigating us.””
Mia frowned.
“Why?””
My father looked at me.
“Because your grandfather didn't trust everyone around him.””
A cold feeling moved through me.
“What does that mean?””
My father sat down.
“Before he died, your grandfather discovered someone was trying to access the trust.””
My eyes widened.
“Who?””
My father didn't answer.
Because he didn't need to.
Rachel whispered:
“Thomas.””
He nodded.
The room went silent.
“He used my fear,” Rachel said.
“Yes.””
“He made me think he was helping.””
“Yes.””
Mia shook her head.
“So all of this…”
My father looked at her.
“The messages.””
“The documents.””
“The bank situation.””
“Yes.””
“He wanted us to turn against each other.””
Nobody spoke.
Because he had almost succeeded.
I looked at my family.
A mother who hid.
A father who controlled.
A sister who destroyed.
And someone outside who used every weakness against us.
My phone buzzed.
Everyone looked.
Another message.
This time, there was no number.
Only a photo.
It showed Thomas standing with someone.
Someone I recognized.
My breath stopped.
“Dad.””
He looked.
His face changed.
“That's impossible.””
“Who is it?”” Mia asked.
My father didn't answer.
I looked at the picture.
The person beside Thomas was smiling.
Like they had already won.
Rachel covered her mouth.
“No.””
I looked at her.
“You know them?””
She nodded slowly.
“I thought they were gone.””
My heart raced.
“Who?””
Rachel whispered:
“Your grandfather’s former business partner.””
My father stood immediately.
“That man died ten years ago.””
Rachel shook her head.
“No.””
Her voice trembled.
“He didn't.””
The room froze.
“What?””
She looked at the picture.
“He disappeared.””
My father grabbed the phone.
“Claire, where did you get this?””
“Thomas sent it.””
He stared at the image.
Then his expression changed.
Because he noticed something.
A detail I missed.
The photo wasn't recent.
It was old.
Very old.
Taken years ago.
My father zoomed in.
And there it was.
A date.
The photo had been taken two weeks before my grandfather died.
My father went silent.
“What?””
He looked at me.
Then at Mia.
Then Rachel.
“He wasn't trying to take the trust.””
I frowned.
“Then what was he trying to do?””
My father’s voice became barely a whisper.
“He was trying to stop my father from changing his will.””
The room went cold.
“Changing it to what?””
My father looked at the papers.
At my name.
At Mia's name.
And finally at me.
“To remove someone from the inheritance.””
My heart pounded.
“Who?””
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Then my father said the name.
May you like
And everything changed.
“Me.””
