CHAPTER 5 — THE SECRET BEHIND A FATHER’S DEATH
CHAPTER 5 — THE SECRET BEHIND A FATHER’S DEATH
The Sterling mansion had survived countless storms.
Economic crashes.
Corporate wars.
Public scandals.
But nothing had ever shaken its foundation like this night.
Alexander Sterling stood in the center of his office, staring at the message from Lauren.
"You need to know the truth about your father."
Seven words.
Seven words that reopened a wound he had buried for thirty years.
His father.
Jonathan Sterling.
The man who built the first piece of the Sterling empire.
The man Alexander admired more than anyone.
The man whose death changed everything.
Alexander was only twelve years old when it happened.
He still remembered that night.
The rain.
The flashing lights.
The sound of adults whispering.
The black car sitting outside their mansion.
Everyone telling him the same thing.
“Your father had an accident.”
“He’s gone.”
“He loved you.”
But nobody explained anything.
Nobody answered his questions.
And the person who controlled every detail afterward…
Was Victoria.
His mother.
The woman standing across from him now.
The woman who had spent years deciding what truths he was allowed to know.
Alexander slowly placed the phone on the desk.
“Tell me.”
Victoria looked at him.
“Alexander…”
“No.”
His voice was calm.
But there was something different now.
The son who wanted to believe his mother was gone.
Only the man remained.
“Tell me what happened to my father.”
Victoria’s face hardened.
“Your father died in an accident.”
“That’s what you told me.”
“Because it’s the truth.”
Alexander stared at her.
“Is it?”
Silence.
A dangerous silence.
Then Victoria sighed.
“You’re letting Lauren manipulate you.”
Alexander almost smiled.
“Three years ago, you said Lauren was manipulating me.”
“Now you say she’s manipulating me again.”
He shook his head.
“Do you have any other explanation?”
Victoria looked away.
For the first time…
She looked cornered.
Alexander noticed.
And it confirmed something he didn’t want to believe.
His mother was hiding something.
“Mother.”
He walked closer.
“How long have you been lying to me?”
Victoria’s eyes moved toward him.
“Careful.”
“Why?”
“Because some truths destroy people.”
Alexander’s expression didn’t change.
“Then let it destroy me.”
A long pause.
Then Victoria whispered:
“Your father wasn’t the man you thought he was.”
Alexander froze.
“What?”
“Jonathan made mistakes.”
“What mistakes?”
Victoria looked toward the window.
“He was going to destroy everything we built.”
Alexander frowned.
“My father built this company.”
“Yes.”
Her voice became bitter.
“But he was willing to throw it away.”
“Why?”
Victoria didn’t answer.
Alexander stepped closer.
“Why?”
Finally, she said:
“Because of another woman.”
The words hit the room.
Alexander stared.
“No.”
“Your father was planning to leave.”
Victoria’s voice remained steady.
“He wanted a different life.”
“He wanted to abandon the company.”
“He wanted to abandon us.”
Alexander shook his head.
“That doesn’t sound like him.”
“Because you only remember the father who loved you.”
Victoria looked at him.
“You didn’t see the man behind closed doors.”
Alexander remained silent.
Because a part of him wanted to believe her.
But another part…
The part that had just discovered three years of lies…
Couldn’t trust anything.
Then his phone rang.
Lauren.
Alexander answered.
“Lauren.”
Her voice came immediately.
“Did Victoria tell you about Jonathan?”
Alexander looked at his mother.
“She told me he was leaving.”
A painful silence.
Then Lauren whispered:
“That’s not true.”
Alexander closed his eyes.
“What do you know?”
Lauren took a breath.
“Your father discovered something.”
“What?”
“He discovered Victoria was moving company money.”
Alexander looked at his mother.
“What?”
Lauren continued.
“Before Jonathan died, he was investigating financial records.”
“He believed someone inside Sterling Holdings was stealing from the company.”
Alexander’s eyes narrowed.
“Who?”
Lauren hesitated.
“Alexander…”
“Who?”
Her voice became quiet.
“Victoria.”
The room felt frozen.
Alexander looked at his mother.
The woman who raised him.
The woman who taught him business.
The woman who controlled his life.
“No.”
Victoria immediately stepped forward.
“She’s lying.”
Alexander ignored her.
“Lauren.”
“Yes?”
“Do you have proof?”
“I do.”
His heart stopped.
“Where?”
“I kept it.”
“Why?”
“Because I knew one day you would need it.”
Alexander looked at Victoria.
“What proof?”
Lauren answered:
“Your father’s final investigation file.”
The air disappeared from the room.
“Where is it?”
“In the same place where Victoria hid me.”
Alexander’s eyes widened.
“What?”
“She didn’t just erase me from your life.”
Lauren’s voice trembled.
“She erased evidence too.”
Alexander gripped the phone.
“Where are you?”
“I’ll send the location.”
A few seconds later…
A message appeared.
An address.
An abandoned office building in Manhattan.
Alexander recognized it immediately.
Sterling Holdings’ old headquarters.
The building his father used before the company expanded.
The building Victoria claimed had been emptied years ago.
He looked at his mother.
“You kept evidence there?”
Victoria’s expression changed.
Only slightly.
But enough.
Alexander saw it.
“You did.”
Victoria shook her head.
“You don’t know what you’re walking into.”
“Maybe.”
He picked up his jacket.
“But I know what I’m walking away from.”
Victoria stepped in front of him.
“Alexander.”
He stopped.
“You really think finding old papers will change anything?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I spent three years believing my wife abandoned me.”
He looked at her.
“And tonight I discovered you stole my daughter.”
A pause.
“So forgive me if I don’t believe you anymore.”
Victoria’s eyes became cold.
“If you continue this…”
“What?”
“You may lose everything.”
Alexander looked at her.
“No.”
He glanced toward the hallway where Sophia was sleeping.
“I already lost everything.”
“Three years ago.”
Then he walked away.
One hour later.
Alexander arrived at the abandoned Sterling Holdings building.
The place was forgotten.
Dust covered the floors.
Old company signs hung crooked on the walls.
A place frozen in time.
Like a memory Victoria wanted buried.
Lauren was waiting inside.
When Alexander saw her…
Everything stopped.
Three years.
Three years without seeing her face.
Without hearing her voice.
Without holding her hand.
They stood there silently.
Neither knew what to say.
Finally…
Lauren whispered:
“I’m sorry.”
Alexander looked at her.
“For what?”
“For not fighting harder.”
His expression softened.
“You were protecting Sophia.”
Lauren looked down.
“I should have found a way.”
“No.”
Alexander shook his head.
“You were trapped too.”
A tear rolled down her cheek.
Then she handed him a small metal box.
“This belonged to your father.”
Alexander took it.
“What’s inside?”
“Everything.”
He opened it.
Inside were documents.
Photos.
Bank records.
And one final letter.
Written in his father’s handwriting.
Alexander recognized it immediately.
His hands began shaking.
The letter was addressed to him.
"To my son Alexander…"
He opened it.
And read the first sentence.
"If you are reading this, it means Victoria succeeded in hiding the truth for many years."
Alexander stopped breathing.
Lauren watched silently.
Because she knew.
The truth was finally arriving.
And it was far darker than anyone imagined.
Alexander continued reading.
"Your mother did not protect this family."
"She protected her power."
"And the person who caused my death..."
Alexander’s eyes widened.
Because the next words changed everything.
"Was someone you trusted more than anyone."
The room became silent.
Alexander slowly looked up.
Because his father’s final message had just confirmed the impossible.
The accident…
May you like
Was never an accident.
TO BE CONTINUED…
