Chapter 9: The Man Who Held the Missing Piece
Chapter 9: The Man Who Held the Missing Piece
The old house was silent.
Too silent.
Lucas stood near the window, staring into the darkness outside.
Six years ago, he thought his life had been destroyed by an accident.
He thought he had lost Emily because of a tragic moment that nobody could control.
He thought the pain he carried was simply the price of loving someone deeply.
But now…
Everything had changed.
Emily had known something.
She had been afraid.
She had left warnings.
And the woman Lucas almost married had been connected to it all from the beginning.
Lucas looked down at the photograph again.
Vanessa.
Her father.
Emily.
The three people connected by a secret that had survived for six years.
“Who is he?”
Lucas asked again.
Daniel remained silent.
Sarah answered.
“His name is Richard Vale.”
Lucas looked at her.
“Why does that name sound familiar?”
Daniel’s expression changed.
“Because you’ve heard it before.”
Lucas frowned.
“When?”
Daniel looked at him.
“Your company.”
The answer made Lucas freeze.
“My company?”
Daniel nodded.
“Richard Vale was one of the investors who tried to buy your company five years ago.”
Lucas remembered.
A wealthy businessman.
A man known for aggressive deals.
Someone who disappeared from the business world after a major scandal.
“But what does he have to do with Vanessa?”
Sarah looked at him.
“She is his daughter.”
Lucas stared.
“Vanessa told me she had no family.”
Daniel gave a bitter smile.
“That was another lie.”
Lucas walked back to the table.
The pieces were slowly connecting.
Vanessa had not entered his life randomly.
She had researched him.
She knew about Lily.
She knew about Emily.
And now…
She was connected to a powerful businessman.
A terrifying thought appeared.
“What was Richard trying to gain from me?”
Daniel looked serious.
“That is what we need to find out.”
Lucas shook his head.
“No.”
Everyone looked at him.
“I don’t need to find out.”
His voice became firm.
“I need to ask him myself.”
The next morning, Lucas found Richard Vale.
It wasn’t difficult.
A man like Richard could disappear from public attention, but not completely.
His name still carried power.
His private mansion stood outside the city.
A massive property surrounded by iron gates and tall trees.
Lucas arrived with Daniel and Sarah.
The security guards immediately blocked the entrance.
“You need an appointment.”
Lucas stepped forward.
“Tell Richard Vale that Lucas Carter is here.”
The guards exchanged looks.
A few minutes later, the gates opened.
Richard was waiting inside.
He looked older than the photographs.
But his eyes were sharp.
The kind of eyes that noticed everything.
When he saw Lucas, he smiled.
“So.”
His voice was calm.
“The husband of Emily Carter finally came to see me.”
Lucas hated the way he said Emily’s name.
Like it was a memory.
Not a person.
“You know why I’m here.”
Richard poured himself a drink.
“I can guess.”
Lucas placed the photograph on the table.
Richard looked at it.
For the first time, his expression changed.
Only slightly.
But Lucas saw it.
“You remember this?”
Richard didn’t answer.
Lucas stepped closer.
“You were with my wife after her funeral.”
Richard looked at him.
“Yes.”
The simple answer shocked Lucas.
“You admit it?”
“Why would I deny something that happened?”
Lucas clenched his fists.
“What were you discussing?”
Richard smiled.
“You want the truth.”
“Yes.”
Richard sat down.
“Truth is expensive, Lucas.”
Lucas stared.
“I’m not here to negotiate.”
Richard looked amused.
“Everyone negotiates.”
He leaned back.
“Even you.”
Lucas’s expression hardened.
“What do you mean?”
Richard looked toward the window.
“Six years ago, you were a broken man.”
Lucas said nothing.
“You had lost your wife.”
His eyes narrowed.
“You had a young daughter.”
“You were vulnerable.”
Lucas felt anger rising.
“What are you saying?”
Richard looked directly at him.
“I’m saying Vanessa saw an opportunity.”
The room became cold.
“You knew?”
“Yes.”
Lucas stared.
“You knew your daughter was using me?”
Richard’s face remained calm.
“My daughter was trying to survive.”
Lucas almost laughed.
“Survive?”
He stepped forward.
“She destroyed my family.”
Richard looked at him.
“Did she?”
Lucas froze.
“What?”
Richard continued.
“You believe everything happened because Vanessa wanted your life.”
A pause.
“But what if she was trying to protect herself?”
Lucas stared.
“You expect me to believe that?”
Richard didn’t answer.
Instead, he pulled out an old file.
“This belonged to Emily.”
Lucas immediately grabbed it.
“What is this?”
Richard looked at him.
“The investigation Emily started.”
Lucas opened it.
Inside were documents.
Financial records.
Names.
Transactions.
Then he saw something that made his blood run cold.
A company name.
His own company.
But beside it was another name.
A hidden partner.
Lucas looked up.
“What is this?”
Richard said:
“The reason Emily was investigating me.”
Lucas looked confused.
“You?”
Richard nodded.
“Emily discovered I was involved in illegal business activities.”
Lucas looked through the papers.
“She found out about you.”
“Yes.”
“Then why did she meet you?”
Richard’s expression became darker.
“Because she wanted me to stop.”
Lucas stared.
“And did you?”
Richard looked away.
“No.”
The answer shocked him.
“Why?”
Richard was silent.
Then he said:
“Because Vanessa was already involved.”
Lucas felt a chill.
“What?”
Richard continued.
“My daughter knew what I was doing.”
Lucas shook his head.
“No.”
“She helped me.”
The room became silent.
Lucas looked at Daniel.
Then Sarah.
Everyone understood.
The truth was worse than they imagined.
Vanessa wasn’t just a woman trying to replace Emily.
She had been part of something much bigger.
Richard continued.
“Emily threatened to expose us.”
Lucas’s voice became low.
“And then she died.”
Richard looked at him.
“Yes.”
A terrible silence followed.
Lucas stepped closer.
“Are you admitting you killed her?”
Richard looked at him.
“No.”
The answer came immediately.
“I didn’t.”
“Then who did?”
Richard stared at him.
And for the first time…
The powerful businessman looked afraid.
“Someone who wanted Emily silent.”
Lucas waited.
Richard whispered:
“Someone closer to you than you think.”
Lucas’s heart sank.
“Who?”
Richard looked toward the door.
Then said:
“The person who arranged your meeting with Vanessa.”
Lucas froze.
Because there was only one person who had introduced them.
One person who had encouraged their relationship.
One person who always said Vanessa was perfect for him.
His own best friend.
Mark.
Lucas returned home that evening with a storm inside his mind.
Mark.
His closest friend for more than ten years.
The man who stood beside him after Emily died.
The man who helped him raise Lily.
The man who told him:
“You deserve to be happy again.”
Lucas remembered those words.
Now they sounded different.
Like a hidden message.
His phone suddenly rang.
Mark’s name appeared.
Lucas stared at the screen.
Then answered.
“Hello?”
A few seconds of silence.
Then Mark’s voice came.
“You found out, didn’t you?”
Lucas’s blood froze.
“What?”
Mark sighed.
“I knew this day would come.”
Lucas gripped the phone.
“Mark…”
The voice on the other end became colder.
“You should have left Vanessa alone.”
Lucas stood still.
“What did you say?”
Then Mark whispered:
“Because Emily wasn’t the only person who knew the truth.”
A pause.
“And now you’re about to discover why she really died.”
The call ended.
Lucas stared at the phone.
His world had changed again.
Because the enemy was no longer outside.
May you like
It had been standing beside him all along.
To be continued…
