Chapter 7: The Ally Who Betrayed Us
The car door opened slowly.
For a moment, I couldn’t see the person’s face.
Only the silhouette.
Only the sound of footsteps moving across the gravel.
Richard stood frozen beside us.
That alone told me everything.
This person wasn’t just someone he knew.
This was someone he feared.
Madison grabbed my sleeve.
“Emily…”
Her voice cracked.
She knew.
Before I did.
The figure stepped into the light.
And my heart dropped.
“Mom?””
Madison whispered the word like she couldn’t believe it.
Vanessa stopped a few feet away.
Her expression wasn’t angry.
It wasn’t cold.
It was exhausted.
Like she had been running out of places to hide.
I looked between her and Richard.
“You’re working together?””
Vanessa didn’t answer.
Richard did.
“She was.””
The way he said it made Vanessa turn sharply.
“Don’t.””
Richard smiled.
“You wanted the truth, didn’t you, Emily?””
I tightened my grip around the recording device.
“I want my father.””
Vanessa looked at me.
Something in her face changed.
Pain.
Real pain.
“I never wanted you involved.””
I laughed bitterly.
“That’s your excuse?””
“No.””
Her voice softened.
“That’s the truth.””
I stepped forward.
“You threw my things onto the floor.””
“I know.””
“You tried to take my room.””
“I know.””
“You lied about Dad leaving.””
Her eyes filled slightly.
“I know.””
Every answer made me angrier.
Because she wasn’t denying anything.
She was admitting it.
“Then why?””
Vanessa looked at Madison.
Then at me.
“Because I was trying to protect you.””
I almost couldn’t believe what I heard.
“Protect me?””
“Yes.””
“From what?””
She looked at Richard.
And for the first time, I saw fear in her eyes.
“From him.””
The air went silent.
Richard’s expression hardened.
“Careful, Vanessa.””
She ignored him.
“Emily, you need to understand something. Your father found out about Richard before I did.””
Madison stared.
“Mom…”
Vanessa looked at her.
“I’m sorry.””
The apology sounded heavy.
Like she had been carrying it for a long time.
Madison shook her head.
“No.””
“I should have told you.””
“You knew?””
Vanessa looked away.
That was enough.
Madison stepped back.
“You knew about him?””
“Yes.””
“And you still let him around?””
Vanessa closed her eyes.
“I thought I could control it.””
Richard laughed.
“You always thought you were smarter than everyone.””
Vanessa looked at him.
“I was trying to fix your mess.””
“My mess?””
His smile disappeared.
“You benefited from it.””
I looked at both of them.
“What are you talking about?””
Richard turned toward me.
“Your father never told you everything, did he?””
“Stop talking about him like you know him.””
“Oh, I knew him.””
He stepped closer.
“Daniel was my partner.””
Madison frowned.
“Partner?””
Richard nodded.
“Business partner.””
I stared.
“My dad never had a partner named Richard.””
Richard smiled.
“That’s because Daniel erased me.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“Don’t listen to him.””
Richard ignored her.
“Your father built a successful company. Everyone thinks he did it alone.””
He looked at the old workshop.
“But he didn’t.””
My stomach tightened.
“What does that have to do with the folder?””
Richard’s smile faded.
“The folder contains proof.””
“Proof of what?””
“That Daniel stole from me.””
I stared at him.
“No.””
The word came out immediately.
Because I knew my father.
Or at least I thought I did.
Richard laughed.
“You sound exactly like him.””
“Because he’s innocent.””
“You believe that because he’s your father.””
“And you believe he’s guilty because you’re trying to destroy him.””
For a second, Richard looked impressed.
Then angry.
“You have his attitude too.””
Vanessa stepped between us.
“Emily, you need to leave.””
I looked at her.
“What?””
“Take Madison and leave.””
Madison stared at her.
“You’re telling us to run?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Vanessa looked at Richard.
“Because I made a mistake.””
Richard’s face darkened.
“A mistake?””
“Yes.””
She took a breath.
“I thought you wanted revenge.””
Richard smiled.
“And now?””
“Now I know you wanted control.””
The silence that followed was terrifying.
Because for the first time, Richard looked less confident.
More dangerous.
I backed away slowly.
“Where is my father?””
Nobody answered.
Then Vanessa said:
“He’s at the storage facility.””
Richard turned sharply.
“Vanessa.””
She ignored him.
“Your father hid the original documents there.””
My heart raced.
“The B-17 room?””
She nodded.
Madison looked at me.
“You knew?””
“Not until tonight.””
Richard stepped forward.
“You’re making a mistake.””
Vanessa looked at him.
“No.””
Her voice was quiet.
“I made one two years ago.””
A sudden sound interrupted us.
A phone ringing.
Everyone froze.
Richard reached into his pocket.
But it wasn’t his.
It was mine.
I pulled my phone out.
Unknown number.
Again.
Everyone stared.
I answered.
“Hello?””
For several seconds, there was only silence.
Then a voice.
A voice I knew better than anyone.
“Emily?””
My knees nearly gave out.
“Dad?””
Madison covered her mouth.
Vanessa closed her eyes.
Richard’s face changed completely.
“Where are you?”” I whispered.
“Listen to me carefully.””
His voice sounded tired.
Weak.
But alive.
“You cannot trust Richard.””
I looked at him.
He was standing ten feet away.
Dad continued.
“Do not let him get the documents.””
Richard stepped forward.
“Give me the phone.””
I moved away.
“Dad, where are you?””
“I don’t have much time.””
His breathing was uneven.
“Emily, I need you to understand something.””
“What?””
“The person who helped me hide everything…”
A pause.
I looked at Vanessa.
Then Madison.
Dad’s voice became quieter.
“…was not Vanessa.””
My heart stopped.
“What?””
The world seemed to freeze.
Vanessa looked confused.
Richard looked angry.
Madison whispered:
“What does that mean?””
Dad continued.
“I trusted the wrong person.””
The call crackled.
“Emily, the person who betrayed me is someone you would never suspect.””
My grip tightened around the phone.
“Who?””
Silence.
Then Dad said:
“It was…”
The call suddenly cut out.
“Dad?””
I stared at the screen.
No signal.
No call.
Nothing.
Richard moved first.
“Give me the phone.””
“No.””
His expression hardened.
“Emily.””
“No.””
For the first time, I saw something in his eyes.
Not anger.
Panic.
Because whoever Dad was about to name…
Richard was afraid of them too.
Vanessa stepped closer.
“Emily.””
I looked at her.
“Who betrayed Dad?””
She didn’t answer.
But her eyes moved.
Not toward Richard.
Not toward Madison.
Toward the recording device in my hand.
Then I understood.
The answer wasn’t in this place.
It was in the evidence Dad left behind.
I looked down at the old device.
There was a small blinking light I hadn’t noticed before.
A second recording.
Richard saw it too.
His face changed.
“Give me that.””
I stepped back.
“No.””
He moved toward me.
Madison grabbed a metal tool from the ground.
“Don’t.””
Richard stopped.
He looked at her.
“Really?””
Madison’s hand shook.
But she didn’t lower it.
“She said don’t.””
Vanessa looked at her daughter.
Pride and sadness crossed her face.
Then the recording device clicked.
Dad’s voice filled the night.
“Emily, if you’re hearing this, then you’ve already met Richard.””
Everyone froze.
The recording continued.
“But there is something you need to know before you trust anyone.””
A pause.
Then Dad said:
“The person who betrayed me wasn’t someone who hated me.””
The words echoed.
“It was someone who loved me.””
I looked at Vanessa.
Her face went pale.
Then Dad’s final sentence played.
“The person who gave Richard access to everything…”
May you like
The recording crackled.
“…was the person who slept beside me every night.””
