Chapter 4: The Person Who Knew Everything
I spent the entire night staring at the envelope.
Not opening it.
Not because I wasn’t curious.
Because I knew curiosity could become a weakness.
My father taught me that too.
Never chase information blindly.
Make sure information is ready to be found.
At seven in the morning, I called Daniel.
“I found something.””
Two hours later, he was sitting across from me in my office.
The envelope rested between us.
“Where did you get this?””
“Isabella left it behind.””
Daniel frowned.
“Who is Isabella?””
I smiled slightly.
“The only person at the gala who treated me like a person.””
He opened the envelope carefully.
Inside were photographs.
Documents.
A flash drive.
Daniel’s expression changed as he reviewed the first page.
“Ethan.””
“What?””
“This is everything.””
I looked at him.
“Everything?””
He nodded.
“Your accident wasn’t random.””
The words hit harder than I expected.
Even though I already suspected.
Even though I was prepared.
Hearing it made it real.
“Who gave her this?””
Daniel turned over one photograph.
On the back was a handwritten note.
Your father knew the truth before he died.
I stopped breathing for a second.
“My father?””
Daniel looked at me.
“Apparently.””
That afternoon, I found Isabella.
She was working in the same hotel where the gala had been held.
When she saw me, she immediately looked worried.
“You opened it.””
“Yes.””
She lowered her eyes.
“I’m sorry.””
“Why do you have evidence connected to my accident?””
She was silent.
Then she whispered:
“Because my father was the mechanic who inspected your car.””
I stared at her.
“He told me something was wrong.””
“What happened?””
“He tried to report it.””
“And?””
Her eyes filled with anger.
“They threatened him.””
The room became quiet.
“Who?””
She looked directly at me.
“Chad Reynolds.””
My jaw tightened.
“But why would your father trust you with this?””
“Because he knew he might not get another chance.””
She reached into her bag.
She pulled out another document.
“This is the last thing he gave me.””
I opened it.
A name was written at the bottom.
My father’s signature was underneath.
Daniel was right.
My father knew.
He knew before the crash.
He knew someone was coming after me.
And he had prepared.
A noise came from behind us.
A familiar voice.
“Ethan.””
I turned.
Brooke stood there.
Her expression was completely different from the woman at the gala.
No confidence.
No smile.
Only fear.
“How much did you find?”” she asked.
I slowly folded the document.
“Enough.””
Her face went pale.
“Then you know I didn’t do everything.””
The sentence shocked me.
Because it wasn’t a denial.
It was an admission.
“You’re saying you were involved?””
She looked away.
“I’m saying you have no idea how deep this goes.””
Daniel stepped forward.
“Brooke, you should leave.””
But she ignored him.
She looked at me.
“The accident wasn’t supposed to happen that way.””
My heart stopped.
“What does that mean?””
She took a shaky breath.
“It was supposed to scare you.””
The hallway suddenly felt silent.
“Who planned it, Brooke?””
She looked at me.
And whispered a name.
A name I never expected.
“My father.””
May you like
And before I could ask why…
The lights in the building went out.
