Chapter 10: The Friend Who Was Never a Friend
Chapter 10: The Friend Who Was Never a Friend
Lucas stood motionless after the call ended.
The phone was still pressed against his ear.
But there was no sound anymore.
Only silence.
A silence that felt heavier than any accusation.
Mark.
His best friend.
The man who had stood beside him during the darkest moments of his life.
The man who attended Emily’s funeral.
The man who held baby Lily when Lucas was too broken to even speak.
Could he really have been part of this?
Lucas wanted to reject the idea.
He wanted to believe there was another explanation.
A misunderstanding.
A mistake.
Anything.
But then he remembered Mark’s words.
“You should have left Vanessa alone.”
Not:
“Who told you that?”
Not:
“You’re wrong.”
He already knew.
That was the part Lucas couldn’t ignore.
Mark knew.
That night, Lucas barely slept.
Lily was asleep in the next room, holding her small rabbit toy.
The same toy Vanessa had once picked up when they first met.
A memory that now felt like a carefully prepared scene.
Lucas sat alone in the living room, surrounded by documents from Emily’s old house.
Every piece of evidence created another question.
Vanessa.
Richard.
Mark.
Everyone seemed connected.
Everyone knew something.
Everyone had kept him in the dark.
Except Emily.
The woman everyone thought was gone…
Had been the only person trying to protect him.
Lucas picked up Emily’s letter again.
His eyes stopped on one sentence.
“Do not trust anyone who tries to convince you that protecting Lily means losing yourself.”
He read it again.
And suddenly, something clicked.
Emily knew someone close to him would try to manipulate him.
Not just Vanessa.
Someone else.
Someone she couldn’t name directly.
Because maybe she was afraid.
The next morning, Lucas made a decision.
He would not confront Mark emotionally.
Not yet.
He needed proof.
If Mark was involved, Lucas wanted the truth from his own hands.
Not rumors.
Not guesses.
Evidence.
He called Sarah.
“Can you help me?”
“Of course.”
“I need everything about Mark.”
There was a pause.
Then Sarah answered:
“I thought you would ask.”
Lucas frowned.
“You already suspected him?”
Sarah sighed.
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because Emily never had enough proof.”
Lucas looked down.
“She suspected him too?”
“Yes.”
The answer felt like a punch.
Sarah continued.
“Emily told me something before she died.”
“What?”
“She said…”
Sarah hesitated.
“She said the person closest to Lucas would be the hardest one to recognize.”
Lucas closed his eyes.
He already knew.
Mark.
Three hours later, Sarah sent Lucas a file.
He opened it.
The first document was a business record.
Mark’s company.
Then another.
Financial transfers.
Then another.
A connection between Mark and Richard Vale.
Lucas stared.
No.
He zoomed in.
The date.
The amount.
The account.
It was real.
Mark had received money from Richard.
But why?
Lucas continued reading.
Then he found something worse.
A message exchange.
Between Mark and Vanessa.
The first line made his entire body freeze.
Mark: “Lucas trusts me completely. He won’t suspect anything.”
Lucas felt sick.
He kept reading.
Vanessa: “The girl is the only problem.”
Mark: “Don’t worry. Once you become his wife, Lily will no longer be an issue.”
Lucas stopped.
His hands trembled.
The girl.
They were talking about Lily.
His daughter.
Like she was an obstacle.
Like she was something to remove.
A wave of anger rushed through him.
But he forced himself to keep reading.
The final message was the worst.
Vanessa: “And Emily?”
A long pause.
Then Mark replied:
“Emily already knows too much.”
Lucas stared at the screen.
His breathing became heavy.
The room suddenly felt too small.
Emily knew.
Mark knew.
Vanessa knew.
Everyone knew.
Everyone except him.
That evening, Lucas went to meet Mark.
Alone.
Mark arrived at the same café where they used to meet years ago.
The place where they celebrated promotions.
Where Mark helped Lucas choose an engagement ring for Vanessa.
A place full of memories.
Now it felt like a crime scene.
Mark smiled when he saw him.
“You look tired.”
Lucas sat down.
“Do I?”
Mark nodded.
“You’ve had a difficult few days.”
Lucas stared at him.
“You knew.”
The smile disappeared.
Slowly.
“What?”
“You knew Vanessa was planning everything.”
Mark looked away.
A tiny movement.
But enough.
Lucas placed his phone on the table.
The messages appeared on the screen.
Mark looked at them.
And for several seconds…
He said nothing.
Then he sighed.
“I was hoping you wouldn’t find those.”
Lucas felt his heart break.
Not from surprise.
From confirmation.
“How long?”
Mark looked at him.
“Lucas…”
“How long have you been lying to me?”
Mark rubbed his face.
“Years.”
The answer was quiet.
But devastating.
Lucas leaned back.
“Why?”
Mark looked out the window.
“You had everything.”
Lucas frowned.
“What?”
“You had Emily.”
A bitter smile appeared.
“You had a beautiful family.”
Lucas stared.
“So you were jealous?”
Mark shook his head.
“No.”
His eyes became darker.
“I was tired of always being the person standing behind you.”
Lucas couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“You were my brother.”
Mark laughed softly.
“Friends don’t inherit anything.”
The sentence was cold.
Lucas felt like he didn’t know this person at all.
“What did you want?”
Mark looked at him.
“Your life.”
Silence.
“I wanted your position.”
Lucas stared.
“And Vanessa?”
Mark smiled.
“She wanted Emily’s.”
Everything became clear.
Two people.
Two obsessions.
One plan.
Mark wanted Lucas’s success.
Vanessa wanted Lucas’s family.
Together, they created a perfect trap.
But Lucas still had one question.
“Emily.”
Mark’s expression changed.
“What about her?”
“What happened that night?”
Mark looked away.
For the first time…
He looked afraid.
Lucas noticed.
“Tell me.”
Mark remained silent.
Then he whispered:
“I didn’t kill Emily.”
Lucas watched him carefully.
“But you know who did.”
Mark said nothing.
That was enough.
Lucas stood up.
“Who?”
Mark looked at him.
And his answer shocked Lucas.
“It wasn’t Vanessa.”
Lucas froze.
“What?”
Mark swallowed.
“The person who caused Emily’s death…”
A pause.
“…was someone who wanted Vanessa to succeed.”
Lucas’s eyes narrowed.
“Who?”
Mark looked around the café.
Then leaned closer.
“It was someone inside your family.”
Lucas felt cold.
“My family?”
Mark nodded.
“And if you keep searching…”
His voice became almost a whisper.
“You’re going to discover that Emily’s biggest secret wasn’t about Vanessa.”
Lucas stared.
“Then what was it about?”
Mark looked directly into his eyes.
“Lily.”
Lucas’s heart stopped.
Because once again…
Someone was trying to make him question the one thing he had sworn to protect.
His daughter.
But this time…
Lucas was ready.
And he would uncover the truth.
May you like
No matter how painful it was.
To be continued…
