Chapter 13: The Person I Never Suspected
The figure stepped into the warehouse slowly.
The light above the entrance flickered, making it difficult to see their face at first.
But then they moved forward.
And my heart dropped.
"Uncle Mark?"
The man stopped.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Mark Collins had been part of my life for as long as I could remember.
He was my father’s cousin.
The man who attended every birthday party.
The man who helped my mother after my father died.
The man who stood beside me at my high school graduation and told me he was proud of the man I had become.
He was family.
Or at least...
I thought he was.
Thomas looked at me.
"You know him?"
I couldn’t answer immediately.
Because my mind was fighting against what my eyes were seeing.
"What are you doing here, Mark?"
He sighed.
"I was hoping we could talk before things went too far."
My anger rose.
"Too far?"
I held up the documents.
"You mean before I found out the truth?"
Mark looked at the papers.
Then at Thomas.
"You shouldn't have shown him."
Those words made my stomach tighten.
Not:
"What truth?"
Not:
"What are you talking about?"
He already knew.
"You knew," I whispered.
Mark looked away.
That was all the confirmation I needed.
"You knew everything."
He took a deep breath.
"Jake, there are things you don't understand."
I almost laughed.
"That's everyone's favorite sentence."
I stepped closer.
"First my mother. Then Richard. Now you."
My voice became louder.
"Everyone keeps telling me I don't understand because the truth would expose them."
Mark looked hurt.
"I was trying to protect you."
"Protect me?"
I shook my head.
"Everyone who hurts someone says they're protecting them."
Thomas stepped forward.
"Mark, this needs to end."
Mark looked at him.
"You have no idea what you've started."
Thomas's face hardened.
"No. Your family started this years ago."
I looked between them.
"Tell me what happened."
Neither man spoke.
"Now."
Finally, Mark lowered his eyes.
"I helped your mother."
The words felt like a physical удар.
I stared at him.
"Helped her do what?"
He swallowed.
"Hide the financial records."
My chest tightened.
"You helped her steal from my father?"
"No."
His answer came quickly.
"I didn't know at first."
"Then when you found out?"
Silence.
That was the answer.
"When you found out, you stayed quiet."
Mark looked ashamed.
"Yes."
I felt betrayed.
Not just by my mother.
By everyone.
"My whole life was built on lies."
Mark looked at me.
"Your father wanted to expose everything."
I looked at him.
"What happened the night before he got sick?"
Mark hesitated.
Thomas immediately noticed.
"Tell him."
Mark closed his eyes.
"I was there."
The warehouse went silent.
My heart started pounding.
"You were there?"
"Yes."
"With my father?"
He nodded.
"And my mother?"
Another pause.
"Yes."
I felt sick.
"What happened?"
Mark looked at the ground.
"Your father confronted your mother about the missing money."
"And?"
"They argued."
"What did they say?"
"I don't remember everything."
"You're lying."
Mark looked up.
The fear in his eyes surprised me.
"I remember."
He took a breath.
"Your father told her he was going to file a report."
My hands tightened.
"And my mother?"
Mark's voice became quiet.
"She begged him not to."
"Why?"
"Because she said she would lose everything."
I waited.
Then asked:
"What happened after that?"
Mark looked at me.
"Your father suddenly became sick."
A cold silence followed.
"You saw him collapse?"
"Yes."
"Did you call an ambulance?"
Mark looked away.
"No."
My blood ran cold.
"Why?"
His face filled with regret.
"Because your mother told me to wait."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"Wait?"
He nodded.
"She said it was probably stress. She said calling attention would destroy the family."
My hands shook.
"And you listened?"
Tears appeared in his eyes.
"I was afraid."
That answer didn't make it better.
Fear had allowed lies to survive for ten years.
My father lost his life.
My wife suffered.
And everyone stayed silent.
Suddenly, my phone buzzed.
A new message.
Unknown number.
I opened it.
One sentence.
"Ask Mark why he really stayed silent."
I looked at Mark.
His face changed when he saw my expression.
"You got another message?"
I nodded.
"From who?"
Before I could answer, Thomas looked at Mark.
"Because the person sending those messages knows the whole story."
Mark became pale.
"What?"
Thomas stepped closer.
"The person who has been controlling this from the beginning."
The warehouse went quiet.
I looked at both men.
"Who?"
Thomas slowly turned toward me.
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"Jake..."
"The person behind everything isn't your mother."
My heart stopped.
"Then who is it?"
Thomas looked at Mark.
And Mark closed his eyes.
Because he already knew the answer.
"It was your father’s closest friend."
I stared.
"What?"
Thomas looked at me.
"The person who benefited the most after your father died."
A terrible realization began forming.
May you like
And then Thomas said the name.
"Richard Hale."
