Chapter 5 - MY FATHER'S VOICEI had not heard my father's voice in five years.
Not in dreams.
Not in recordings.
Not even in old videos.
Yet somehow, hearing him now felt worse than seeing a ghost.
“Dad?”
The speaker crackled.
“You always were curious.”
I stepped toward it.
“You're dead.”
A soft laugh answered.
“That's what you were told.”
Rebecca grabbed my arm.
“Andrew, don't.”
I pushed her hand away.
“Why did you lie to me?”
“I didn't.”
“You knew he was alive!”
“Yes.”
“You knew Sarah was alive!”
She started crying.
“I thought she was dead.”
I froze.
“What?”
Rebecca took a breath.
“I found out six months ago.”
“Then why marry me?”
“Because your father was preparing to take Emily.”
“Why?”
“Because of an inheritance.”
I stared at her.
“What inheritance?”
She pointed to the file.
“Your grandfather created a trust.”
I opened another document.
The number at the top nearly made me dizzy.
It was worth over eighty million dollars.
But money was not the real secret.
The trust was not designed to pass to me.
It was designed to pass directly to Emily.
On her eighteenth birthday.
Unless someone else became her legal guardian first.
My father's voice returned.
“You understand now.”
I looked at the speaker.
“You were trying to become her guardian.”
“No.”
Rebecca stepped forward.
“I was trying to prevent him from becoming hers.”
Silence.
Then my father said:
“You should listen to the woman you were about to marry.”
I turned to Rebecca.
“Then why the note?”
Her face crumpled.
“I wrote it.”
“I know.”
“I wanted you to see it.”
“What?”
She nodded.
“It was a warning.”
“But Emily said you told her she would be sent away.”
“I did.”
“Why?”
“Because someone was listening.”
I stared at her.
“What does that mean?”
Rebecca looked toward the ceiling.
“I couldn't tell you the truth directly.”
“So you terrified my daughter?”
“I needed you to stop the wedding.”
“You could have called me.”
“You were being watched.”
“By my father?”
“Yes.”
“By who else?”
Rebecca hesitated.
Then whispered:
“Your mother.”
The words hit harder than a slap.
“My mother?”
“She has been reporting everything you do.”
“No.”
“She knows about Emily's inheritance.”
I turned toward my mother.
She had followed us into the basement.
Her face was wet with tears.
“Andrew…”
“Tell me she's lying.”
She said nothing.
I stepped closer.
“Mom.”
She whispered:
“I wanted to protect the family.”
“By helping Dad?”
“He said Sarah had stolen something.”
“What?”
“I never knew.”
I laughed in disbelief.
“My entire family knew more about my daughter's life than I did.”
Elias interrupted.
“We don't have time.”
“Why?”
“Because whoever took Emily wants the trust activated.”
I looked at the clock.
“She's only seven.”
“Exactly.”
“What does that mean?”
He pointed to the paperwork.
“Look at the guardian clause.”
I read it.
My blood went cold.
The trust could be transferred before Emily turned eighteen if a court declared her father legally incapable of protecting her.
And there was already a petition filed.
Against me.
Filed three days before my wedding.
The reason?
Psychological instability.
Attached were medical records.
My medical records.
But they weren't real.
Someone had forged them.
And one signature was mine.
I stared at the page.
“I never signed this.”
Elias looked at me.
“I know.”
“Then who did?”
He didn't answer.
He simply turned the document over.
There was a fingerprint in the corner.
Fresh ink.
And beside it was a note:
THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS EASY, ANDREW.
My father's voice returned one last time.
“You should have married Rebecca.”
I looked at Rebecca.
“Why?”
The speaker crackled.
“Because she was the only person standing between your daughter and me.”
May you like
Then the basement door slammed shut.
And the gas began pouring through the vents.
