CHAPTER 8 — THE ENEMY INSIDE THE FAMILY
CHAPTER 8 — THE ENEMY INSIDE THE FAMILY
The message from Claire echoed through Elena’s mind.
"The person who trapped Lily is not Victor."
"It’s someone you trust."
The hidden device inside Lily’s necklace went silent.
But the damage was already done.
Everyone inside the library was looking at each other differently.
Suspicion filled the room.
The kind of suspicion that destroyed families.
The kind that made every memory feel like a lie.
Elena slowly placed the necklace on the table.
Nobody spoke.
Nobody wanted to be the first person to ask the question everyone was thinking.
Who was the enemy?
Victor Hawthorne looked at Daniel.
Marcus looked at Victor.
And Elena looked at all of them.
For the first time in years, she realized something terrifying.
She had spent the entire night searching for a stranger.
But the person responsible had been standing beside her.
Someone close.
Someone trusted.
Someone who knew exactly how to manipulate her.
Elena turned toward Daniel.
“You knew about the necklace.”
Daniel looked surprised.
“No.”
“Don’t lie to me.”
“I didn’t.”
“You knew Claire was alive.”
“Yes.”
“You knew about Lily.”
“Yes.”
“You knew about my sister.”
Daniel looked down.
“Yes.”
Every answer felt like another knife.
Elena’s voice became quieter.
“Then what exactly didn’t you know?”
Daniel had no answer.
That hurt more than anything.
Marcus stepped forward.
“Elena, you need to understand something.”
She looked at him.
“What?”
“Daniel is not the only person who lied.”
Victor turned sharply.
“Marcus.”
But Marcus continued.
“Everyone in this house has blood on their hands.”
The billionaire’s face darkened.
“You have no right.”
“No right?”
Marcus laughed bitterly.
“You spent eight years pretending Claire was dead.”
Victor looked away.
Because that accusation landed.
Elena noticed.
“Victor.”
The billionaire remained silent.
“Tell me the truth.”
He looked at her.
“About what?”
“About Claire.”
His expression changed.
“She was my wife.”
“That’s not an answer.”
Victor took a slow breath.
“Claire discovered something she was never supposed to discover.”
“What?”
Victor looked toward the hidden staircase.
“She found out someone inside my family was using the Hawthorne name.”
Elena waited.
“For what?”
Victor hesitated.
Then he said:
“To control people.”
A cold silence filled the room.
“Who?”
Victor looked at her.
“I don’t know.”
Elena almost laughed.
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I’m telling the truth.”
“You’re a billionaire who owns one of the most powerful companies in the country.”
“And you’re saying someone was doing all of this without you knowing?”
Victor’s eyes showed pain.
“Yes.”
That answer surprised her.
Because for the first time, Victor didn’t sound like a powerful businessman.
He sounded like a man who had lost everything.
Suddenly, Marcus’s phone rang.
Everyone turned.
Marcus looked at the screen.
His face changed.
“What is it?”
Elena asked.
He didn’t answer.
She walked closer.
The caller ID showed one word.
CLAIRE
Nobody moved.
The phone continued ringing.
Victor whispered:
“She’s alive.”
Daniel looked terrified.
Marcus answered.
“Claire?”
For several seconds, there was only static.
Then a woman’s weak voice spoke.
“Marcus.”
Everyone froze.
Elena moved closer.
“Claire?”
The voice became clearer.
“Yes.”
Elena grabbed the phone.
“Where is Lily?”
A pause.
Then Claire answered.
“Safe.”
Elena closed her eyes in relief.
“Where are you?”
Another pause.
Then Claire whispered:
“I can’t tell you.”
“Why?”
“Because he is listening.”
Everyone looked around.
The room suddenly felt smaller.
“He?”
Claire continued.
“The person who took Lily.”
Elena’s grip tightened.
“Tell me who it is.”
Silence.
Then Claire said:
“I tried to warn you.”
“I tried to stop this.”
“But I was too late.”
Elena’s voice trembled.
“Who is it?”
Claire took a shaky breath.
Then she said:
“The person closest to you.”
The call suddenly cut.
Everyone stared at Daniel.
Because everyone had the same thought.
Daniel.
But Elena didn’t move.
Something felt wrong.
Too obvious.
Too easy.
Someone wanted them to blame Daniel.
Someone wanted them divided.
Then Elena noticed something.
Marcus was sweating.
Not from fear.
From guilt.
“Marcus.”
He looked at her.
“What?”
“You knew Claire was going to call.”
His face changed.
“No.”
“Yes.”
Elena stepped closer.
“You weren’t surprised.”
Marcus looked away.
That tiny movement confirmed her suspicion.
Victor noticed too.
“Marcus.”
His voice became dangerous.
“What did you do?”
Marcus remained silent.
Then he slowly reached into his jacket.
Everyone tensed.
But he didn’t pull out a weapon.
He pulled out an old envelope.
He placed it on the table.
“It’s time you know the truth.”
Elena looked at the envelope.
“What is it?”
Marcus stared at Victor.
“It’s the letter Claire wrote before she disappeared.”
Victor went pale.
“Where did you get that?”
Marcus answered:
“She gave it to me.”
A silence followed.
Then Marcus said the words that changed everything.
“She knew she might not survive.”
Elena opened the envelope.
Inside was a single page.
The handwriting was Claire’s.
The first sentence made Elena’s heart stop.
"If Elena finds this letter, it means my plan worked."
She continued reading.
"But there is one thing she must know."
"The person who betrayed me was not a Hawthorne."
Elena froze.
Not a Hawthorne.
Then who?
The final sentence was written in darker ink.
Almost like Claire had written it in fear.
"The person who destroyed our family is the person Elena loves most."
Everyone looked at Daniel.
But Elena noticed something else.
Daniel wasn’t shocked.
He looked devastated.
Like he already knew.
And that terrified her more.
Because maybe Daniel wasn’t the person behind everything.
Maybe he was the person who had been trying to stop it.
Or maybe…
May you like
He was the best actor in the room.
TO BE CONTINUED — CHAPTER 9: THE LETTER THAT REVEALED EVERYTHING
