# CHAPTER 2: THE SECRET BEHIND THE CRUELTY The video began with darkness. For several seconds, there was only silence. Then a voice appeared. Bethany’s voice. Everyone in the dining room recognized it instantly. “Are you sure this will work?” The screen showed a hallway. The recording was shaky, as if Daniel had hidden the phone somewhere. Ethan stood completely still. Rosie remained wrapped around him, her small fingers still holding onto his shirt. The room that had once been filled with birthday decorations and expensive food now felt like a courtroom. And everyone was waiting for the verdict. A second voice answered. A man’s voice. Nobody recognized it at first. Then Ethan’s expression changed. Because he did. His eyes moved toward his father. Richard. The same man who had thrown the glass moments earlier. The same man who had watched his granddaughter leave the room injured and said nothing. “What exactly are you planning?” Richard’s voice asked. Bethany laughed softly. The sound made Ethan’s stomach turn. “Relax. Everything is under control.” The video continued. Bethany appeared on screen. She was standing in the family office. The same room where Ethan’s father kept documents, contracts, and important financial records. “She trusts me,” Bethany said. Richard responded. “She’s four years old.” Bethany rolled her eyes. “I’m not talking about Rosie.” The room froze. Ethan’s grip around his daughter tightened. Daniel looked at him. “You didn’t know?” Ethan didn’t answer. He couldn’t. Because the video had already opened a door he never knew existed. Bethany walked across the office. “I’m talking about Ethan.” Richard lowered his voice. “You think making him angry will change anything?” “No,” Bethany replied. A pause. “Making him angry is the point.” Everyone stared at the screen. Bethany continued. “He has spent his whole life believing he is the hero. Always protecting people. Always sacrificing. Always thinking he can fix everything.” She smiled. “But heroes have weaknesses.” Richard said nothing. Bethany leaned against the desk. “And his weakness is Rosie.” Ethan felt something inside him break. Not loudly. Not dramatically. Something quieter. A realization. A father’s worst nightmare. His daughter had not simply been mistreated. She had been used. Bethany had looked at a four-year-old child and seen a weapon. A way to hurt him. Margaret covered her mouth. “No…” The video continued. Richard’s voice became clearer. “You said this was about the inheritance.” Everyone turned. Ethan slowly looked at his father. The old man’s face changed. For the first time, he looked exposed. “What inheritance?” Ethan asked. Nobody answered. The silence was enough. Ethan looked at Richard. “What inheritance?” Richard opened his mouth. Nothing came out. Bethany spoke from the video. “Once Ethan loses control, everyone will see he’s unstable.” Richard responded. “And then?” “And then the company board will question whether he should remain in charge.” Ethan felt cold. The pieces started connecting. His position. His company. His family. His daughter. All of it. A plan. A carefully designed plan. Bethany wasn’t trying to hurt Rosie because she hated children. She was trying to destroy Ethan. And Rosie had been the easiest way to reach him. Daniel stopped the video. Nobody spoke. The rain outside grew louder. Finally, Ethan turned toward his father. “How long?” Richard looked away. “I didn’t know she would go this far.” Ethan laughed once. There was no humor in it. “That’s your defense?” Richard stood. “I never approved of hurting Rosie.” Ethan stared at him. “But you knew something was happening.” Silence. Richard looked down. That was the answer. Ethan closed his eyes. A thousand memories rushed through his mind. Family dinners. Holiday gatherings. Rosie running into her grandparents’ arms. Her tiny voice saying: “Grandpa loves me.” And now he wondered. Had Richard loved her? Or had he simply loved the image of being a grandfather? “Dad,” Ethan said. His voice was quiet. “When did you know?” Richard didn’t respond. Ethan stepped forward. “When?” Richard finally whispered. “Two weeks ago.” Margaret gasped. “You knew?” Richard looked ashamed. “I thought it would stop.” Ethan stared at him. “You thought?” His voice shook. “You thought my daughter being afraid was something that would just disappear?” Richard looked broken. “I made a mistake.” Ethan nodded slowly. “Yes.” A pause. “You did.” Bethany suddenly moved toward the door. Nobody noticed at first. Daniel did. “Where are you going?” Everyone turned. Bethany stopped. “I’m leaving.” Ethan looked at her. “No.” She frowned. “No?” “No.” For the first time that night, Ethan stepped between her and the exit. Not aggressively. Not violently. Just enough. “You’re not walking away from this.” Bethany laughed nervously. “You think you can control me?” Ethan looked at Daniel. Then at the phone. Then back at his sister. “No.” His voice was steady. “But the evidence can.” Bethany’s confidence disappeared again. “You wouldn’t.” Ethan tilted his head. “Wouldn’t what?” “Destroy your own family?” The room went silent. Ethan looked down at Rosie. Then back at Bethany. “My family was destroyed the moment you hurt her.” Bethany’s face changed. A flicker of realization. Fear. Because she finally understood something. Ethan wasn’t the man she thought he was. He wasn’t going to scream. He wasn’t going to lose control. He was going to do something much worse. He was going to make sure the truth survived. Daniel’s phone suddenly vibrated. Everyone looked. A message appeared. Unknown number. Daniel opened it. His face immediately changed. “What?” Ethan looked at him. Daniel slowly turned the phone around. The message contained only one sentence. **STOP SHOWING THE VIDEO OR YOU WILL REGRET IT.** The room went silent. Because everyone knew one thing. Bethany was not the only person involved. Someone else was watching. Someone else knew. And whoever that person was… They were desperate to keep the truth buried. Ethan looked at the message. Then at Rosie. His daughter had already been hurt once. He would not allow anyone to hurt her again. “Daniel.” “Yes?” “Find out who sent that.” Daniel nodded. “And after that?” Ethan looked toward the dark window. His reflection stared back. A man who had spent years solving other people’s problems. A man who had ignored the warning signs in his own home. A man who had finally realized the enemy was sitting at his family table. “After that…” He looked at Bethany. “We end this.” But none of them knew yet… The person hiding behind the messages was closer than anyone imagined.

14 chapters