Chapter 7: The Friend Who Knew Too Much
For a moment, I couldn't speak.
Nadia's voice came through the phone.
The same voice that had comforted me after my father's funeral.
The same voice that had sat beside me during my first night with Grant after our wedding.
The same voice that had whispered, "I'm here," when I cried because I felt like I was losing myself inside the Hale family.
Now that same voice was telling me not to believe my father.
My father.
The man who had been dead for fifteen years.
The man who had apparently been alive all this time.
The man who left me a warning with her name written on it.
I gripped the phone tighter.
"How do you know about the letter?""
Nobody in the room moved.
Grant watched me carefully.
Daniel looked furious.
Marcus stood silently near the doorway.
Nadia didn't answer immediately.
That hesitation hurt.
Because hesitation meant there was something to hide.
"Emma, where are you?""
I almost laughed.
"That's your question?""
"I need to know you're safe.""
"Safe?""
My voice rose.
"You knew about my father.""
Silence.
"Nadia.""
I said her name slowly.
"Did you know he was alive?""
Her breathing changed.
That was the answer.
My eyes closed.
A painful pressure filled my chest.
"How long?""
"Emma...""
"How long did you know?""
Another silence.
Then:
"Since before your wedding.""
The room seemed to tilt.
Grant looked away.
Daniel closed his eyes.
Marcus lowered his head.
Everyone knew something.
Everyone except me.
"Before my wedding?""
My voice barely came out.
"You knew my father was alive before I married Grant?""
"Yes.""
I couldn't breathe.
Five years.
Five years of my life.
Five years of waking up next to a man who had entered my world because of my father's secrets.
And my closest friend knew.
"You let me marry him.""
Nadia's voice cracked.
"I thought I was protecting you.""
I laughed.
A quiet, broken laugh.
"Everyone says that.""
"Emma, listen to me.""
"No.""
I walked away from the others.
"I don't want another person explaining why they lied to me.""
"Your father made me promise.""
There it was again.
A promise.
Everyone had a promise.
Everyone had a reason.
Nobody had thought about what it would do to me.
"You were my best friend.""
"I know.""
"No, you don't.""
My eyes filled.
"You don't know what it felt like to think my father abandoned me.""
Nadia became quiet.
"You don't know what it felt like to wonder why I wasn't enough for him to stay.""
Her voice broke.
"Emma...""
"Do you know how many times I sat in that garage after he died?""
I looked around the room.
At the house.
At the life built on lies.
"How many times I wished I had asked him one more question?""
"How many times I wanted to hear his voice?""
The silence on the phone became unbearable.
Then Nadia whispered:
"I know.""
Those two words stopped me.
"What?""
"I know because I was there.""
My heart stopped.
"What do you mean?""
"I was there the night he disappeared.""
The room went silent again.
Even Grant looked surprised.
I turned toward Daniel.
He looked away.
"You all were there.""
My voice shook.
"Everyone was there except me.""
"Emma...""
"No.""
I wiped my tears.
"I need the truth.""
Nadia took a deep breath.
"Your father found out something about Grant.""
I looked at him.
Grant's face hardened.
"What?""
Nadia continued.
"He discovered Grant wasn't only working for Douglas.""
My stomach tightened.
"What does that mean?""
"It means Grant had another reason for getting close to you.""
I looked at Grant.
"You said you fell in love with me.""
He didn't answer.
Nadia continued.
"Your father believed Grant was trapped.""
I frowned.
"Trapped?""
"Yes.""
"By who?""
The answer came quietly.
"By Douglas.""
I looked at Daniel.
Then back at Grant.
Nothing made sense anymore.
"Then why did my father blame you?""
Nadia became silent.
Too silent.
"Nadia.""
"I don't know everything.""
My grip tightened.
"You expect me to believe that?""
"I know what the letter says.""
"How?""
"Because I saw it.""
The room froze.
"You saw the letter?""
"Yes.""
"Before me?""
"Yes.""
"Why?""
Nadia's voice became softer.
"Because your father gave it to me.""
My heartbeat changed.
"What?""
"Emma...""
"No.""
I shook my head.
"This doesn't make sense.""
"It will.""
"Why would my father give you a letter warning me about you?""
A long pause.
Then Nadia said:
"Because he wasn't warning you about me.""
I looked down at the paper in my hand.
The handwriting.
The name.
Nadia.
"Then what was he doing?""
"He was testing me.""
I frowned.
"What?""
"Your father knew someone was trying to destroy the trust. He knew someone close to you had been compromised.""
"Compromised by who?""
Nadia didn't answer.
"Nadia.""
"By Douglas.""
The room went still.
I looked at Grant.
His face changed.
Not surprise.
Recognition.
"You knew," I said.
Grant looked at me.
"Emma...""
"You knew.""
He didn't deny it.
And somehow, that hurt more.
"Everyone knew.""
My voice became a whisper.
"Everyone except me.""
Nadia continued:
"Your father suspected Douglas had someone near you. Someone who could influence your choices.""
"Someone like you?""
"No.""
Her voice became firm.
"Someone like Grant.""
Grant stepped forward.
"What are you doing?""
I ignored him.
"Nadia, why did my father write your name?""
"Because he wanted to know if I would protect you.""
"What does that mean?""
"It means he gave me the letter but changed one detail.""
I frowned.
"What detail?""
"He knew if the letter fell into the wrong hands, someone would use it against me.""
I looked at Marcus.
"Did you know this?""
Marcus looked uncomfortable.
"No.""
Daniel spoke quietly.
"Neither did I.""
Nadia continued.
"Your father wrote my name because he knew Douglas was watching me.""
I closed my eyes.
Everything was twisting.
The villain kept changing.
The truth kept moving.
"Then why didn't you tell me?""
"Because your father told me if I told you too early, Grant would know we knew.""
I looked at Grant.
"And then what?""
Nadia's voice became barely audible.
"Then he would disappear.""
My stomach dropped.
"Grant?""
"No.""
A pause.
"Your father.""
The room went silent.
I looked at Daniel.
"What is she talking about?""
Daniel didn't answer.
That was when I realized.
He knew.
Again.
"Daniel.""
His face changed.
"Emma...""
"What happened the night my father disappeared?""
Nobody spoke.
Then Grant quietly said:
"I can tell you.""
Everyone turned toward him.
He looked exhausted.
Broken.
Not like the powerful man from the ballroom.
Not like the man who controlled everything.
Like someone who had been carrying a secret too heavy for too long.
"The night your father disappeared...""
He swallowed.
"I was there.""
My chest tightened.
"You?""
He nodded.
"I was supposed to take the evidence.""
The room went silent.
"From your father?""
"Yes.""
"Why?""
"Because Douglas ordered me to.""
I stared at him.
"And did you?""
Grant looked at the floor.
"No.""
"Then what happened?""
His voice became quiet.
"Your father found out I changed sides.""
I didn't know what to say.
Because the man who destroyed me tonight was suddenly telling me he had once tried to protect my father.
It didn't make sense.
"I helped him escape.""
My heart raced.
"Escape where?""
Grant looked at me.
And for the first time...
I saw genuine fear.
"Emma...""
"Where?""
He took a breath.
"Somewhere Douglas would never think to look.""
"Where?""
Grant looked toward the front door.
Then back at me.
"Your father's been hiding for fifteen years...""
A pause.
"And he has been hiding in the one place nobody would ever suspect.""
I waited.
May you like
Grant whispered:
"Inside Douglas Hale's own family.""
