Chapter 9: The Secret They Buried Six Years Ago
I couldn’t move.
I couldn’t speak.
Because standing in my mother’s kitchen was the one person I never expected to see again.
Rachel Morgan.
My former business partner.
My mentor.
The person who had helped me build the career that took me overseas.
The person who told me six years ago that my opportunity in Dubai was a blessing.
The person who hugged me at the airport and said,
“Don’t look back, Natalie. This is the beginning of your new life.””
I believed her.
I trusted her.
And now she was standing inside my mother’s house with Julian.
The same man who had been stealing from my family.
The same man who had lied to my mother.
The same man who had been collecting information about me for years.
My stomach turned.
“What are you doing here?””
Rachel looked away.
That hurt more than I expected.
Because guilt looked strange on someone I once admired.
Julian stepped forward.
“Natalie, before you make assumptions—”
I laughed.
A quiet, bitter laugh.
“Before I make assumptions?””
I pointed at the screen.
“Your video literally showed you discussing me.””
His expression hardened.
“You don’t know the context.””
“Then explain it.””
He didn’t.
Again.
Nobody explained.
They only asked me to wait.
To calm down.
To understand.
But understanding was always what people asked for when they wanted more time to hide the truth.
Daniel stood beside me.
“Mr. Carter, I suggest you choose your next words carefully.””
Julian glanced at him.
“I didn’t realize this was a courtroom.””
“No.””
Daniel’s voice stayed calm.
“But evidence is still evidence.””
Rachel stepped forward.
“Natalie, please.””
I looked at her.
“Please what?””
She swallowed.
“Let me explain.””
I stared at her.
“You have about thirty seconds.””
Her face tightened.
Then she looked at my mother.
“I’m sorry.””
My mother looked confused.
“Do I know you?””
Rachel’s expression changed.
A mix of shame and sadness crossed her face.
“No.””
She looked at me.
“But I know your daughter.””
My mother looked at me.
And I hated that.
Because she looked hurt.
Not angry.
Hurt.
Like she was realizing there were parts of my life she never knew.
Rachel continued.
“Six years ago, Natalie was offered a position in Dubai.””
I nodded.
“I know.””
“She thinks that opportunity came from her hard work.””
I frowned.
“It didn’t?””
Rachel closed her eyes.
“It came from a deal.””
The room went silent.
“What deal?””
Nobody answered immediately.
Then Julian spoke.
“A business arrangement.””
I turned toward him.
“You don’t get to summarize this.””
Rachel looked at me.
“I was struggling.””
I stared.
“What?””
“Before you left.””
Her voice became quieter.
“The company was failing.””
I remembered.
Of course I remembered.
The late nights.
The stress.
The clients disappearing.
But I never knew how bad it was.
“You told me everything was fine.””
Rachel looked down.
“I lied.””
The word landed harder than any excuse.
“I needed investors.””
My eyes narrowed.
“And?””
She looked toward Julian.
“He offered help.””
A cold feeling moved through me.
“Julian?””
She nodded.
“He had connections.””
Julian smiled slightly.
“Business is about relationships.””
“No.””
I looked at him.
“Business is about trust.””
His smile disappeared.
Rachel continued.
“He offered to save the company.””
“And what did he want?””
Silence.
I already knew the answer would be something ugly.
“What did he want?””
Rachel whispered,
“Information.””
My heart sank.
“About me?””
She nodded.
My hands went cold.
“What kind of information?””
“Your finances.””
“My finances?””
“Your career plans. Your income. Your investments.””
I stared at her.
“Why?””
Rachel looked at Julian.
Then back at me.
“Because he believed you would become successful.””
The words sounded insane.
“So he watched me?””
“He wanted to know how much money you would make.””
I felt sick.
The house became quiet.
Even Khloe looked shocked.
“You knew?”” she asked Julian.
He didn’t answer.
Rachel looked at her.
“Khloe knew some of it.””
My sister’s face went pale.
“What?””
I looked at Khloe.
She shook her head.
“No.””
Rachel continued.
“She didn’t know everything.””
Khloe stepped back.
“What are you talking about?””
Julian’s expression changed.
“Rachel.””
But she kept going.
“He told me not to worry because you would eventually be convinced to invest in the family.””
I looked at Julian.
“You planned this from the beginning.””
He didn’t respond.
That was answer enough.
Rachel pulled a folder from her bag.
“I brought this because I knew it was going too far.””
She handed it to Daniel.
He opened it.
Inside were printed emails.
Messages.
Contracts.
Daniel’s eyes moved quickly across the pages.
Then he looked up.
“This is significant.””
“What is it?””
He looked at me.
“Evidence that Mr. Carter had been collecting financial information about you before the house purchase.””
My chest tightened.
“Before?””
“Yes.””
Rachel nodded.
“He knew you were planning to buy property.””
I looked at her.
“How?””
She swallowed.
“Because I told him.””
The room went silent.
That confession hurt.
More than I expected.
Because Rachel wasn’t some stranger.
She was someone I celebrated with.
Someone I trusted.
“You sold me out.””
Tears filled her eyes.
“Yes.””
I shook my head.
“Why?””
She looked broken.
“Because I was scared.””
I almost laughed.
“Everyone was scared.””
I looked around the room.
“My mother was scared.””
“Khloe was scared.””
“I was working across the world because I was scared I would never be able to give Mom enough.””
I looked at Rachel.
“But somehow everyone’s fear became my problem.””
Nobody spoke.
Then Daniel interrupted.
“There’s something else.””
He held up one of the papers.
“This agreement.””
I looked at him.
“What about it?””
“It appears Mr. Carter paid Ms. Morgan.””
My eyes moved to Rachel.
“Paid you?””
She closed her eyes.
“I paid him back.””
“When?””
She didn’t answer.
“Rachel.””
“Not yet.””
The words felt like a punch.
“You still owe him?””
She nodded.
“I thought I could fix it.””
Julian laughed.
“You couldn’t.””
Everyone looked at him.
He wasn’t scared anymore.
Not completely.
Something had changed.
He looked angry.
“You’re all acting like I’m the problem.””
I stared.
“You are.””
“No.””
He shook his head.
“I’m the only one who saw reality.””
He walked closer.
“Your mother was never going to manage that house.””
“She didn’t need to manage it.””
“She needed someone.””
“No.””
I pointed at my mother.
“She needed family.””
Julian scoffed.
“She had family.””
He looked at Khloe.
“She had a daughter who needed help.””
Khloe looked disgusted.
“Don’t use me.””
He ignored her.
“You think I wanted this?””
I stared.
“Yes.””
He laughed.
“You don’t understand.””
He pointed at me.
“You left.””
The words echoed.
Again.
“You left, Natalie.””
His voice became louder.
“You built a life somewhere else and sent money home like that fixed everything.””
My mother looked hurt.
I turned toward her.
But Julian continued.
“You weren’t here when things got difficult.””
“No.””
I looked back at him.
“I wasn’t.””
I stepped closer.
“But I trusted the people who were.””
His face tightened.
“And that was your mistake.””
The sentence was quiet.
Almost proud.
Daniel immediately looked at me.
“Natalie.””
I understood.
He had just admitted it.
Not everything.
But enough.
The manipulation.
The control.
The intent.
Rachel suddenly looked toward the window.
Her face changed.
“What?””
She whispered,
“He’s here.””
Everyone froze.
Daniel looked outside.
“Who?””
Rachel looked terrified.
“The person Julian was working with.””
My heart started pounding.
“Who?””
She didn’t answer.
Then the front door opened.
Slowly.
Nobody had touched it.
A man stepped inside.
Older.
Well-dressed.
Calm.
Like he owned the place.
Julian smiled.
Not with fear.
With relief.
I looked at him.
Then at the man.
And I recognized him.
Because I had seen him before.
Six years ago.
At the airport.
The night I left for Dubai.
The night he shook my hand and told me I was making the best decision of my life.
My former company’s biggest investor.
The man who disappeared right after I left.
He looked at me now and said,
“Hello, Natalie.””
My blood went cold.
“Do you know why you were sent overseas?””
I couldn’t answer.
He smiled.
“Because your family wasn’t the only thing we wanted to control.””
He placed a folder on the table.
Inside was a document with my name.
And this time, I recognized the signature.
Because it wasn’t forged.
It was mine.
And I remembered signing it.
May you like
Six years ago.
Without knowing what it really meant.
