Chapter 5: The Truth Buried Twelve Years Ago
Claire cried before she answered.
Not because she was afraid.
Because she knew there was no way back now.
“The night you crashed… you weren’t alone.””
Daniel waited.
“Ethan was driving.””
The room went silent.
Daniel shook his head.
“No.””
Claire nodded.
“Yes.””
His memories fought against each other.
The bridge.
The rain.
The headlights.
A voice.
Ethan.
“He was angry,” Claire whispered.
“Why?””
“Because you found out what he was doing.””
Daniel stared.
“What was he doing?””
Claire looked at Sabrina.
“She knew.””
Sabrina said nothing.
Claire continued.
“Ethan was stealing from the company.””
Daniel felt sick.
“My brother?””
“He blamed you for everything.””
The detective stepped forward.
“Do you have proof?””
Claire nodded.
“The recorder.””
They played the old recording again.
But this time they listened carefully.
Near the end, there was another voice.
A man.
Ethan.
“You promised he wouldn’t remember.””
Sabrina answered.
“He won’t.””
Daniel closed his eyes.
The truth finally broke through.
Sabrina had not rescued him.
She had helped erase him.
The detective moved toward Sabrina.
But Sabrina did not run.
Instead, she looked at Daniel.
“You want to hate me?””
Daniel stared.
“Yes.””
She smiled sadly.
“Good.””
Everyone froze.
Because Sabrina’s expression changed.
For the first time, she looked human.
“I hated myself too.””
Nobody expected that.
She looked at Ivy.
“I never wanted to hurt her.””
Claire stepped forward.
“But you chased her with a bat.””
Sabrina’s face hardened again.
“I wanted the recorder.””
Daniel stared.
“You were willing to terrify a child for evidence?””
Sabrina looked away.
“I was desperate.””
The detective took her away.
But before she reached the door, she stopped.
“Daniel.””
He did not answer.
“Ethan is still alive.””
Everyone froze.
The detective turned.
“What?””
Sabrina smiled faintly.
“You think I was working with him?””
She looked at Daniel.
“I was running from him.””
Then she left.
The final mystery was not solved.
Not yet.
Three days later, Daniel stood outside Ivy’s bedroom.
The painting had been removed.
Behind it was a hidden compartment.
Inside were years of secrets.
Documents.
Photographs.
Letters Claire had written.
And one final envelope.
Daniel opened it.
Inside was a note.
Written in Ethan’s handwriting.
Daniel,
If you found this, it means Sabrina failed.
But she was never the real enemy.
I was.
Daniel stopped reading.
Claire stepped beside him.
“What does it say?””
He handed her the letter.
At the bottom was one sentence.
A sentence that made both of them understand the nightmare was not over.
“I didn’t crash the car because I wanted you dead.””
Claire looked at Daniel.
“What did he mean?””
Daniel turned the page.
There was only one more line.
“I crashed it because I knew you discovered the child wasn’t the only secret in our family.””
Daniel stared.
The hallway became silent.
From upstairs, Ivy called:
“Daddy?””
Daniel looked toward his daughter.
Then back at the letter.
Because beneath Ethan’s confession was a photograph.
A photograph of a little girl.
A little girl who looked exactly like Ivy.
May you like
And on the back, one name was written.
“Emma Mercer.””
