Chapter 9: The Truth Buried Beneath the Lies
The voice echoed through the old house.
"You weren't supposed to find that.""
Every instinct in my body told me to run.
But I couldn't move.
I stood frozen in my childhood bedroom, holding the recorder in one hand and the memory box in the other.
The floor beneath my feet creaked.
Someone was walking closer.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Like they knew I had nowhere to go.
My heart pounded against my ribs.
Then the person appeared in the doorway.
Vanessa.
For a second, I was almost relieved.
Almost.
Then I remembered everything.
The lies.
The secrets.
The way she had known about my mother’s letter.
The way she had hidden the truth.
"What are you doing here?""
My voice came out colder than I expected.
Vanessa looked exhausted.
Not angry.
Not cruel.
Just tired.
"I could ask you the same thing.""
I stepped backward.
"You followed me.""
"No.""
"Then how did you know I was here?""
She didn't answer.
I laughed quietly.
"Right.""
Another secret.
Another silence.
Vanessa looked at the recorder in my hand.
Her face changed.
Just slightly.
But I saw it.
Fear.
"What did you hear?""
I tightened my grip.
"Enough.""
Her eyes lowered.
"Nia.""
"No.""
I shook my head.
"You don't get to use my name like you care about me.""
The words hurt her.
I saw it.
But I didn't take them back.
Not anymore.
"I spent years thinking you hated me.""
Vanessa looked at the floor.
"I know.""
"And maybe you did.""
She slowly shook her head.
"No.""
The answer surprised me.
"Then why?""
Her eyes met mine.
"Because I was angry.""
"At me?""
"No.""
A pause.
"At your mother.""
I froze.
My mother's name had become something everyone carried differently.
Marcus carried guilt.
Daniel carried pain.
Vanessa carried anger.
"Why?""
Vanessa walked into the room but stopped several feet away.
"Because your mother trusted everyone except me.""
I frowned.
"What does that mean?""
She took a deep breath.
"Before she died, your mother came to me.""
I stared at her.
"You?""
"Yes.""
"When?""
"The night before the accident.""
The room went quiet.
"What did she want?""
Vanessa looked at the recorder.
"Help.""
My heart started racing.
"Help with what?""
"She knew someone was trying to destroy Daniel.""
"Marcus?""
Vanessa didn't answer immediately.
Then she whispered,
"She thought it was.""
I looked away.
The recording.
The missing pieces.
Everything was becoming more complicated.
"Then why did you marry Marcus?""
Vanessa looked ashamed.
"Because I thought I could control the situation.""
I almost laughed.
"You thought you could control Marcus?""
She gave a small, sad smile.
"I thought I understood him.""
"And?""
"I was wrong.""
The honesty caught me off guard.
Vanessa had spent years pretending to be perfect.
Now she looked broken.
"Tell me the truth.""
She nodded.
"I will.""
I waited.
"Your mother did not trust Marcus.""
My chest tightened.
"Why?""
"Because she discovered something.""
"The company?""
Vanessa nodded.
"But not just money.""
"What else?""
She looked at me.
"Identity.""
I frowned.
"What?""
"Daniel wasn't the only person hiding something.""
A cold feeling moved through me.
"Explain.""
Vanessa sat down slowly.
"When your mother discovered the financial records, she also discovered something about Daniel.""
I waited.
"Daniel had been trying to prove that someone had stolen his identity.""
I stared at her.
"Someone used his name?""
"Yes.""
"Who?""
Vanessa looked toward the recorder.
"Your mother never found out.""
"Then why did she think Marcus was involved?""
"Because the evidence pointed toward him.""
My mind went back to the recording.
"You weren't trying to protect Nia. You were trying to take her from him.""
I looked at Vanessa.
"What did Marcus mean when he said Daniel isn't my father?""
Her face became serious.
"That's the question your mother was trying to answer.""
"What?""
Vanessa leaned forward.
"Your mother discovered that the paternity test you found was real.""
I froze.
"But Daniel is my father.""
"Yes.""
"Then why did Marcus say he wasn't?""
Vanessa looked at me.
"Because there were two paternity tests.""
The room stopped.
"What?""
"The first one said Daniel was your biological father.""
My breath caught.
"And the second?""
Vanessa hesitated.
"The second one said he wasn't.""
I felt dizzy.
"Which one is real?""
"That's what your mother was investigating.""
I looked at the recorder.
"She knew.""
Vanessa nodded.
"She believed someone changed the results.""
My mind raced.
Someone changed my identity.
Someone erased Daniel.
Someone killed my mother.
But why?
"Who had access?""
Vanessa looked away.
"Only a few people.""
"Who?""
She counted quietly.
"Marcus.""
A pause.
"Me.""
Another pause.
"And Daniel.""
I looked at her.
"You.""
She nodded.
"I helped your mother investigate.""
My anger softened slightly.
"Then why didn't you tell me?""
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Because after your mother died, Marcus found out I knew.""
"What did he do?""
Vanessa swallowed.
"He made me choose.""
My stomach tightened.
"Choose what?""
"Leave.""
The word hung there.
"He told me if I walked away, he would make sure you were taken care of.""
I stared.
"And you believed him?""
"No.""
Her voice broke.
"But I was scared.""
I looked at her.
For the first time, I saw something I never expected.
Not a villain.
A person who had made terrible choices.
"Then why stay?""
She looked at me.
"Because I realized leaving would mean leaving you alone with him.""
I didn't know what to say.
Because that was the first time Vanessa had ever admitted she stayed because of me.
Not Caleb.
Not Ava.
Me.
Then a sound came from outside.
A car door.
Vanessa immediately stood.
Her expression changed.
"What?""
She looked toward the window.
"We need to leave.""
"Why?""
She didn't answer.
She walked to the window.
Then froze.
I moved beside her.
Outside, parked near the house, was a black SUV.
Someone was inside.
Watching.
"Who is that?""
Vanessa's voice was barely a whisper.
"I don't know.""
Then my phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
Again.
I opened it.
One message.
*You found the recording. Good. Now listen to the second one.*
A file appeared.
An audio recording.
My hands shook.
I pressed play.
Static.
Then a man's voice.
Older.
Weak.
My mother.
"Marcus, please.""
My breath caught.
It was her.
Another recording.
Another moment from the past.
Marcus’s voice followed.
"I don't have a choice.""
"You always have a choice.""
"You don't understand what I'm trying to do.""
"You're trying to take my daughter.""
Silence.
Then Marcus said,
"If Daniel gets her, she'll never be safe.""
My blood ran cold.
My mother's voice became softer.
"She is not yours to take.""
A pause.
Then Marcus whispered,
"I'm sorry.""
The recording ended.
I stared at Vanessa.
"That was real.""
She nodded.
My phone buzzed again.
Another message.
This time, a photo.
I opened it.
It was a picture taken moments ago.
Me.
Standing in the window.
Someone had photographed me inside the house.
Below the image was a sentence.
*You have one hour to bring me the recorder, or you will learn what happened to your mother the hard way.*
My hands went numb.
Vanessa looked at the message.
Then at me.
"Who sent that?""
I didn't answer.
Because I already knew something.
The person watching us wasn't trying to hide anymore.
They wanted me to know they were close.
Then the lights inside the old house suddenly went out.
Darkness swallowed the room.
Vanessa grabbed my hand.
And for the first time ever...
She didn't feel like my enemy.
She felt afraid.
A voice came from downstairs.
Calm.
Familiar.
"Come out, Nia.""
I stopped breathing.
Because I knew that voice.
It was the voice of the person who had spent years telling me they loved me.
The voice of the man who raised me.
Marcus.
May you like
And then he said the words that made my blood run cold.
"I think it's time you finally learned what your mother did.""
