Chapter 6: The Betrayer Inside The House
Marcus stared at Hannah.
The words refused to make sense.
"The person who betrayed him is still inside this house?""
Hannah nodded slowly.
Her face was drained of color.
"I didn't want to believe it.""
Marcus placed the letter on the desk.
"Who?""
She looked toward the door.
Not at him.
At the hallway outside.
That small movement made his chest tighten.
"Hannah.""
She whispered:
"I found something in your mother's room.""
Marcus froze.
"My mother's room?""
"Yes.""
"What did you find?""
Hannah walked closer and pulled something from her pocket.
A small silver key.
Marcus recognized it immediately.
It belonged to an old wooden cabinet in the study.
His father's cabinet.
The one Evelyn had always told him was empty.
"What is this?""
"Your mother had it.""
Marcus stared.
"Why would she have the key to my father's cabinet?""
Hannah swallowed.
"Because she wasn't looking for clothes or memories when she came here.""
Marcus felt anger rise.
"She was searching.""
Hannah nodded.
"Yes.""
He picked up the key.
His father's cabinet had been locked since his death.
Marcus had tried opening it once as a teenager.
His mother had stopped him.
He still remembered her words.
"Some things belong in the past, Marcus.""
At the time, he thought she was protecting his grief.
Now he wondered if she was protecting herself.
"Where is she?""
Hannah looked toward the door.
"Downstairs.""
Marcus walked past her.
"Marcus.""
He stopped.
"What?""
"Be careful.""
He turned.
The fear in her eyes was real.
Not fear of Evelyn.
Fear of what they were about to discover.
"I've been careful my whole life," he said quietly.
Hannah looked at him.
"Maybe that's why everyone thought they could keep things from you.""
The words stayed with him.
Marcus walked back into the study.
The old cabinet sat against the wall.
Dark wood.
Brass handle.
A piece of his father's life untouched for ten years.
He inserted the key.
It turned easily.
Too easily.
Like someone had opened it recently.
Marcus pulled the door open.
Inside were folders.
Photographs.
A small recorder.
And one envelope.
His name was written on it.
Again.
*Marcus.*
His hands went cold.
Another letter.
How many things had his father hidden?
How many truths had been buried around him?
Hannah stood beside him.
"Should we open it?""
Marcus nodded.
Together, they unfolded the paper.
This one was shorter.
Only a few lines.
*Marcus,*
*If you found this, then Evelyn failed to destroy everything.*
Marcus looked at Hannah.
Destroy everything?
He continued.
*The betrayal did not come from a stranger. It came from someone who knew exactly how to hurt me.*
A photograph slipped from the envelope.
Marcus picked it up.
His heart stopped.
It was a picture of his father.
Standing outside a courthouse.
Beside him was Evelyn.
But that wasn't what shocked him.
It was the date.
The date was two years before his father's death.
And underneath the photograph was a handwritten note.
*She knew.*
Marcus frowned.
"She knew what?""
Hannah leaned closer.
Before she could answer, a sound came from the hallway.
A door closing.
They both looked up.
Someone was outside.
Marcus quietly stepped toward the door.
He opened it.
The hallway was empty.
But on the floor was something that hadn't been there before.
A folded piece of paper.
Marcus picked it up.
Only one sentence was written on it.
*Stop digging, or you will lose the only person who still loves you.*
Hannah's face went pale.
"She knows.""
Marcus looked at her.
"Who?""
She didn't answer.
He already knew.
"Evelyn.""
Hannah shook her head.
"No.""
Marcus frowned.
"Then who?""
Hannah looked toward the stairs.
"Someone else.""
Before he could ask, the sound of glass breaking came from downstairs.
They ran.
The living room was chaos.
A vase had fallen.
The front door was open.
And Evelyn was standing near the table.
Holding something.
Marcus stopped.
"What happened?""
Evelyn looked at him.
For once, she didn't look angry.
She looked afraid.
Someone had finally scared her.
"Where is Daniel?""
Marcus frowned.
"What?""
"He was here.""
"He's gone.""
Evelyn looked around.
"Then he took it.""
"Took what?""
She didn't answer.
Marcus stepped closer.
"What did he take?""
Evelyn looked at the folder on the table.
Then at him.
"The original documents.""
Marcus stared.
"Why would that matter?""
Her face changed.
Because she knew she had revealed too much.
Marcus noticed.
"What documents?""
Evelyn looked away.
"Hannah, leave us.""
Marcus immediately stepped forward.
"No.""
Evelyn looked at him.
"This is between mother and son.""
"No.""
His voice was firm.
"That excuse is over.""
The room became silent.
Marcus had spent his whole life trying to make Evelyn proud.
Trying to be the son she wanted.
But tonight something had changed.
He no longer wanted approval.
He wanted answers.
"What documents?""
Evelyn sat down.
She looked suddenly older.
"Your father was not killed by the business scandal.""
Marcus froze.
"What?""
Hannah whispered:
"What are you saying?""
Evelyn looked at Marcus.
"Your father's death was not an accident.""
The words hit harder than anything else.
Marcus felt the room tilt.
"No.""
Evelyn's eyes filled slightly.
"I wish it was.""
Marcus stepped back.
"What do you mean?""
"Richard knew someone was trying to expose everything.""
"Who?""
She looked toward the window.
"I don't know.""
"You're lying.""
"No.""
Her voice cracked.
"I don't know.""
Marcus stared.
For the first time, Evelyn looked genuinely broken.
"I thought I knew.""
Hannah looked confused.
"What does that mean?""
Evelyn looked at her.
"It means Daniel was never the biggest threat.""
Marcus felt a chill.
"Then who was?""
Nobody answered.
The lights suddenly went out.
The mansion fell into darkness.
Hannah gasped.
Marcus immediately reached for her hand.
"Stay close.""
A few seconds passed.
Then the emergency lights flickered on.
The room was dim.
Empty.
Except for one thing.
The folder that had been sitting on the table was gone.
Marcus turned.
The front door was still open.
Someone had entered.
Someone had taken the documents.
Someone who knew exactly where they were.
Hannah whispered:
"Marcus...""
He looked at her.
"What?""
She pointed toward the staircase.
A shadow moved upstairs.
Someone was inside the house.
Marcus grabbed the nearest object for protection and started walking upward.
Hannah followed.
"Marcus, wait.""
"No.""
He climbed slowly.
Every step creaked beneath his feet.
At the top of the stairs, the hallway was silent.
Then a bedroom door moved.
Slowly.
Marcus stopped.
The door opened.
And someone stepped out.
A woman.
Older.
Familiar.
Someone Marcus hadn't seen in years.
His breath disappeared.
Because she was carrying the missing folder.
And she said:
"I was hoping you would never find out the truth about your father.""
Marcus stared.
"Who are you?""
The woman looked at him with tears in her eyes.
Then she answered:
"I'm the person your father trusted before he died.""
May you like
A pause.
"And the person who knows why he really left this world.""
