Chapter 4: The Enemy Inside the Family
For five seconds, nobody spoke.
Not Nolan.
Not me.
Not even Clara.
The only sound filling the kitchen was the faint crackle of the phone speaker.
Then Nolan’s voice cut through the silence.
“Explain.””
His tone was ice.
Not the protective brother who held my shoulder at the airport.
Not the businessman who negotiated billion-dollar deals.
Something colder.
Something that warned people they had one chance to tell the truth.
Clara inhaled shakily.
“I know how this looks.””
I almost laughed.
The sound came out bitter.
“How it looks?””
My voice rose before I could stop it.
“You kissed my fiancé in an airport and ran away with him.””
Silence.
Then Clara whispered:
“I know.””
I stepped closer to the phone.
“No, you don’t know.””
My hands trembled.
“You don’t know what it felt like watching you do that.””
“Emily—”
“You stood next to me when I tried on my wedding dress.””
My voice cracked.
“You helped me choose flowers. You listened to me talk about my future children. You knew every detail of my life.””
A pause.
Then:
“I’m sorry.””
Those two words almost made me angrier.
Sorry.
A small word.
A useless word.
“Don’t.””
My throat tightened.
“Don’t say sorry like that fixes anything.””
“I’m not asking you to forgive me.””
“Good.””
I wiped my eyes.
“Because I don’t.””
The silence that followed was painful.
Then Clara spoke again.
“Emily, I never wanted you to find out like this.””
I stared at the phone.
“What does that mean?””
“It means everything became bigger than I thought.””
Nolan stepped forward.
“Stop talking in riddles.””
Clara went quiet.
Then she said:
“Derek was never supposed to marry Emily.””
My stomach dropped.
Nolan’s eyes narrowed.
“Continue.””
“He was supposed to get close to her.””
My fingers curled into fists.
“Get close?””
Clara’s voice shook.
“Yes.””
“Why?””
A long pause.
Then:
“Because of her father’s company.””
The room became painfully quiet.
I looked at Nolan.
He didn’t look surprised.
That scared me.
“You knew.””
Nolan’s eyes moved to mine.
“I suspected.””
“No.””
My voice lowered.
“You knew.””
He looked away.
That hurt more than I expected.
Clara continued.
“Emily, listen to me. Derek’s entire relationship with you started because someone told him to approach you.””
My heart felt like it was being crushed.
“Who?””
Another pause.
Longer this time.
Then Clara whispered:
“Your aunt.””
I froze.
The word didn’t make sense.
“My aunt?””
Nolan’s expression changed.
“Which aunt?””
Clara swallowed.
“Victoria.””
The name landed like a stone.
Victoria.
My father’s younger sister.
The woman who had attended every family holiday.
The woman who hugged me at my engagement party.
The woman who cried when I announced my wedding date.
“No.””
I shook my head.
“No, that’s impossible.””
Clara’s voice softened.
“I wish it was.””
I turned away.
Memories flooded my mind.
Aunt Victoria bringing me birthday gifts.
Aunt Victoria telling me I reminded her of my mother.
Aunt Victoria sitting in the front row during my engagement dinner.
How could someone who smiled at me for years want to destroy me?
Nolan spoke quietly.
“When did you find out?””
“Two months ago.””
My brother’s face hardened.
“And you waited until now?””
“I was scared.””
“You were scared?””
His voice sharpened.
“You helped Derek deceive my sister.””
“I know.””
“You traveled with him.””
“I know.””
“You let her believe you were her friend.””
“I KNOW!””
Clara’s voice cracked.
The sudden emotion silenced everyone.
Then she whispered:
“I know what I did.””
A few seconds passed.
“I hate myself for it.””
I closed my eyes.
Part of me wanted to feel nothing.
Anger was easier.
But hearing her break down made everything more complicated.
“Then why?”” I asked.
The question came out quietly.
“Why did you do it?””
Clara didn’t answer immediately.
When she finally spoke, her voice was barely audible.
“Because Victoria threatened me.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“She had something on me.””
“What?””
Clara took a shaky breath.
“Something from my past.””
I looked at Nolan.
He immediately understood.
“Blackmail.””
“Yes.””
Clara sounded exhausted.
“She told me if I didn’t help Derek, she would destroy my family.””
I crossed my arms.
“And you thought helping her destroy mine was okay?””
“No.””
Her answer was immediate.
“No, Emily. It wasn’t.””
For the first time, I heard genuine shame in her voice.
“I told myself I could control it. I told myself I would find a way to stop it before it hurt you.””
I laughed softly.
“But you still kissed him.””
“Yes.””
The honesty surprised me.
“I did.””
No excuses.
No pretending.
Just guilt.
“I hated myself every time I looked at you.””
I looked down.
Because that was the worst part.
I believed her.
Not completely.
Not enough to forgive her.
But enough to know this wasn’t the simple betrayal I thought it was.
Nolan remained focused.
“What was Derek’s actual plan?””
Clara hesitated.
“He was supposed to marry Emily.””
My stomach tightened.
“Why?””
“Because after the wedding, he would have access to the trust.””
Nolan nodded.
“Keep going.””
“Once he controlled enough assets, he and Victoria planned to move the company shares.””
My hands went cold.
“They wanted my father’s company.””
“Yes.””
The words hurt because they were so simple.
Not love.
Not loyalty.
Money.
That was all.
But then Clara said something that made me look up.
“There’s more.””
Nolan stared at the phone.
“What?””
“Derek wasn’t supposed to leave with me.””
A silence followed.
“What do you mean?””
Clara’s breathing became uneven.
“He was supposed to make Emily look unstable.””
My eyebrows pulled together.
“What?””
“After the wedding, Victoria planned to use the relationship with Clara as proof that Emily was mentally unstable and unable to manage the company.””
My blood ran cold.
“That’s insane.””
“Yes.””
Clara sounded terrified.
“She planned everything.””
Nolan walked toward the window.
“When?””
“I don’t know.””
“Who else knows?””
Another pause.
Then Clara whispered:
“Someone who can destroy Victoria.””
Nolan turned around.
“Who?””
Clara lowered her voice.
“Your father.””
I froze.
“My father?””
Nolan stared at the phone.
“That’s impossible.””
“Is it?””
Clara sounded desperate.
“Emily, your father didn’t leave everything behind the way you think.””
I couldn’t breathe.
My father had been gone for seven years.
His death had been ruled an accident.
At least, that was what everyone told me.
“What are you saying?””
Clara answered:
“I’m saying your father knew someone would try to take the company from you.””
Nolan’s face changed.
“What evidence do you have?””
“I have a file.””
“What file?””
“One Victoria has been searching for.””
My heartbeat accelerated.
“Where is it?””
Clara went silent.
Too silent.
Then:
“I have it.””
Nolan immediately asked:
“Where are you?””
Another pause.
“Not where Derek thinks I am.””
“What does that mean?””
“I escaped before he boarded the flight.””
I stared at the phone.
“What?””
Clara’s voice trembled.
“He thinks I’m with him.””
Nolan looked at me.
Then back at the phone.
“Clara, if you have this file, you need to understand something.””
“What?””
“Victoria knows.””
The line went silent.
Then Clara whispered:
“No.””
Nolan’s expression hardened.
“Yes.””
“How?””
“Because someone sent us a warning tonight.””
A pause.
Then Clara said:
“That wasn’t a warning.””
My heart stopped.
“What?””
“That was a message.””
Nolan frowned.
“From who?””
Clara’s voice dropped.
“Emily…”
The way she said my name made every hair on my arms stand up.
“What?””
“I think someone wants you to find the truth.””
I swallowed.
“Who?””
Clara answered with a sentence that changed everything.
“The person who sent those messages…”
Her voice shook.
“…is your father.””
The call ended.
Just like that.
No goodbye.
No explanation.
Only silence.
I stared at the dark screen.
My father.
Impossible.
A dead man sending messages.
A hidden file.
A family betrayal that went deeper than I could understand.
Nolan slowly picked up his phone.
His face had lost all color.
“Nolan?””
He didn’t answer.
“Nolan, what is it?””
He looked at me.
And for the first time in my life, my brother looked afraid.
“Emily.””
“Yes?””
“I need to tell you something about the night your father died.””
My heart stopped.
“What?””
He swallowed.
“Because I never told you the truth.””
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And then my brother said the one sentence that made the entire world shift beneath my feet.
“Your father didn’t die alone.””
