Chapter 13 - The Man Behind The Missing Truth
Chapter 13 - The Man Behind The Missing Truth
The message remained on the screen.
“You were never supposed to hear this.”
Five words.
But they carried more fear than anything else we had discovered that day.
Because it meant one thing.
Someone knew.
Someone knew we had found the phone.
Someone knew we were listening to Sarah’s final recording.
And someone had been trying to keep the truth buried.
I looked at Rebecca.
For once, she did not look angry.
She did not look defensive.
She looked defeated.
“Who else knew about this phone?”
My voice was quiet.
But everyone heard it.
Rebecca looked away.
“I don’t know.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
She looked back at me.
“No?”
“You have spent this entire day saying you didn’t know.”
I stepped closer.
“But every time we discover something, it turns out you knew more than you admitted.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I was afraid.”
I nodded slowly.
“I believe that.”
The words surprised her.
Then I continued.
“But being afraid does not explain why you let me live a lie for five years.”
Rebecca lowered her head.
Because she had no answer.
Daniel was still studying the phone.
His expression was serious.
“There is something strange about this backup.”
I looked at him.
“What?”
“The account connected to this device.”
He turned the screen toward us.
“It was not registered under Rebecca’s father.”
I frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Daniel looked at Rebecca.
“It means someone transferred access after his death.”
The room became silent.
“Who?”
Daniel looked back at the phone.
“That is what I’m trying to find out.”
A few seconds passed.
Then he suddenly stopped.
His eyes narrowed.
“What?”
He did not answer.
He looked at me.
“Michael…”
The way he said my name made my stomach tighten.
“What?”
Daniel turned the phone around.
A name appeared on the screen.
A name I recognized.
A name I never expected to see.
Claire Parker.
I looked at Rebecca’s sister.
She immediately stepped backward.
“No.”
The word escaped from her mouth.
Not surprise.
Fear.
I looked at Claire.
“You knew?”
She shook her head quickly.
“I didn’t do anything.”
But her reaction had already answered.
I walked toward her.
“Then why is your name connected to Sarah’s phone?”
Claire’s eyes filled with tears.
“I can explain.”
Those words again.
Everyone who had hidden something used the same words.
I was beginning to hate them.
“Explain.”
Claire looked at Rebecca.
Rebecca whispered:
“Claire…”
But Claire finally broke.
“I was trying to help.”
The sentence made my chest tighten.
“Help who?”
Claire looked at Emily.
Then at me.
“Everyone.”
I almost laughed.
Everyone.
Another person who believed they knew what was best.
Another person who made decisions without asking.
“What did you do?”
Claire wiped her tears.
“After the accident, Rebecca was falling apart.”
I looked at Rebecca.
She looked away.
“She couldn’t handle losing Sarah.”
I frowned.
“Losing Sarah?”
Claire nodded.
“She blamed herself.”
That surprised me.
Rebecca had spent years acting like she was protecting herself.
Not like she was carrying guilt.
“Why?”
Claire hesitated.
Then whispered:
“Because Sarah called her back.”
The room went quiet.
“What?”
Claire looked down.
“After Sarah drove away, she called Rebecca again.”
Daniel immediately looked at her.
“The police records do not show that.”
Claire nodded.
“Because Rebecca deleted the call.”
My heart stopped.
I looked at Rebecca.
“Did you?”
Rebecca closed her eyes.
“Yes.”
The honesty shocked me.
“Why?”
Her voice cracked.
“Because I was scared.”
“Of what?”
She looked at me.
“Of what Sarah would say.”
I stared at her.
“You already knew she was going to tell me.”
Rebecca nodded.
“Yes.”
“And you still let me believe it was an accident.”
Her tears fell.
“I was selfish.”
For the first time…
She said the words.
Not an excuse.
Not a reason.
Selfish.
I looked at Emily.
Then back at Rebecca.
“That doesn’t explain the man in the recording.”
Everyone became silent again.
Claire looked terrified.
Rebecca looked at her.
And that was when I noticed something.
They were both afraid of the same person.
I looked at Claire.
“Who was he?”
Claire shook her head.
“I don’t know.”
But Rebecca interrupted.
“I do.”
Everyone turned.
Rebecca looked like she had finally reached the point where she could no longer hide.
Her voice was barely audible.
“It was my father’s business partner.”
Daniel frowned.
“Your father had a business partner?”
Rebecca nodded.
“His name was Victor Hale.”
The name meant nothing to me.
But the fear in Rebecca’s voice did.
“Why would he be involved?”
Rebecca looked at the floor.
“Because Sarah discovered what they were doing.”
“What were they doing?”
Rebecca hesitated.
Then she said:
“Moving money.”
Daniel’s expression changed.
“How much?”
Rebecca swallowed.
“Millions.”
The room went silent.
I stared at her.
“You are telling me Sarah discovered financial fraud?”
Rebecca nodded.
“And she was going to report it.”
My mind raced.
The accident.
The missing phone.
The recording.
The threats.
Everything started connecting.
Sarah was not only fighting for Emily.
She had found something dangerous.
Something powerful people wanted hidden.
I looked at Rebecca.
“Did you know?”
She looked broken.
“Yes.”
The answer was almost a whisper.
“How much?”
“I knew my father was involved.”
“And you said nothing?”
Rebecca closed her eyes.
“I was scared.”
I shook my head.
“You keep saying that.”
She looked at me.
“Because it’s true.”
“No.”
My voice became colder.
“You were scared, and you chose silence.”
The truth hurt.
But it was true.
Then Daniel’s phone rang.
Everyone looked at him.
He answered.
A few seconds later, his face changed.
“What happened?”
He slowly lowered the phone.
“We have a problem.”
I looked at him.
“What now?”
He looked directly at me.
“The person who accessed the backup account…”
He paused.
“Just sent a location.”
My stomach tightened.
“Where?”
Daniel looked at the screen.
Then at Rebecca.
Then at me.
“The old Hale family estate.”
Rebecca’s face turned completely white.
“No.”
I stepped closer.
“Why?”
She whispered:
“Because nobody is supposed to be there.”
Daniel looked at the message again.
There was one final line.
A warning.
“Come alone if you want the truth about Sarah.”
I stared at the words.
Then at Emily.
I knew one thing.
I was done running from secrets.
Because whoever had been hiding the truth for five years…
May you like
Was finally inviting me to find it.
TO BE CONTINUED...
