Chapter 3 - Six Years of LiesI returned to Whitmore House with one thought repeating in my head.
Vanessa knew Andrew.
Maybe she had always known him.
Maybe our entire relationship had been built around a lie.
She was sitting in the library when I arrived.
Perfectly composed.
A glass of wine rested between her fingers.
She looked at me.
"You've been somewhere."
"Yes."
"Where?"
"Room 217."
Her hand stopped.
That tiny movement told me everything.
She had been expecting me to ask.
But she wasn't expecting me to know.
"What happened there?"
"You tell me."
She smiled faintly.
"You're being cryptic."
"Did you know Andrew?"
Her face didn't move.
"No."
I threw the photograph onto the table.
She looked down.
Andrew.
Her.
Together.
Six years ago.
Her expression changed.
Only slightly.
Then she laughed.
"That's fake."
"You've never met him?"
"No."
"Then why are you in the photograph?"
She stared at it.
"I don't know."
"Liar."
She stood.
"Alex, you're upset."
"Who was he?"
"I already told you."
"Who was Andrew to you?"
She turned away.
I walked closer.
"You were with him three weeks before he disappeared."
"I met him once."
"Once?"
"He approached me."
"Why?"
"I don't remember."
"You're asking me to believe you don't remember my brother?"
She raised her eyes.
"I didn't know he was your brother."
"Then how did you meet him?"
Silence.
Finally she whispered.
"Business."
"What business?"
"It doesn't matter."
"It matters to me."
She suddenly looked angry.
"Why are you doing this?"
"Because Maria was nearly killed."
"Maria attacked me."
"Then why was she terrified of you?"
Vanessa's jaw tightened.
"She's manipulating you."
"What about Noah?"
Her face changed again.
"What about him?"
"He is Andrew's son."
She went completely still.
I watched her carefully.
"You knew."
She swallowed.
"I suspected."
"How long?"
"Alex..."
"How long?"
She didn't answer.
I stepped closer.
"Six years?"
Nothing.
"Before our first date?"
Nothing.
"Before you moved into this house?"
Her silence became an answer.
I felt sick.
The door opened.
My mother entered.
She stopped when she saw us.
"What is happening?"
I turned toward her.
"Did you know?"
"Know what?"
"That Andrew might still be alive."
She dropped her purse.
The sound echoed through the room.
"Who told you that?"
"Maria."
My mother sat down.
For the first time in my life, I saw fear in her eyes.
"Alex," she whispered, "leave this alone."
"Why?"
"Because you don't know what Andrew did."
"What did he do?"
She looked at Vanessa.
Vanessa stared back.
Something passed between them.
Something old.
Something understood.
My mother stood.
"Andrew was involved with dangerous people."
"What people?"
"I don't know."
"But Vanessa does."
My mother looked at her.
Vanessa said nothing.
My mother's voice cracked.
"Six years ago, Andrew came to me before he disappeared."
"What did he say?"
"He said someone wanted to kill him."
"Who?"
"He wouldn't tell me."
"And you let everyone think he was dead?"
"He made me promise."
"Why?"
My mother closed her eyes.
"Because he said they would kill you next."
I stepped back.
"So all these years..."
"He wanted you safe."
"No."
I shook my head.
"He wanted me ignorant."
The library doors opened.
A security guard rushed inside.
"Mr. Whitmore."
"What?"
"There is a boy at the front gate."
My heart stopped.
"What boy?"
"Seven years old. He says he's Noah."
I ran.
The front gate stood open.
A small boy was standing outside.
Dirty sneakers.
Gray hoodie.
Blue backpack.
His face was pale.
He looked at me.
For one second, neither of us spoke.
Then he said something that made my entire body go numb.
"You look just like my father."
I crouched.
"Where is your father?"
Noah looked toward the road.
"He told me never to say his name."
"Why?"
"Because the woman with the silver bracelet found us."
My stomach dropped.
I looked behind him.
There was nobody.
Then Noah reached into his backpack.
He pulled out a small envelope.
"This is for you."
I opened it.
Inside was a photograph of Andrew.
And underneath it, a handwritten message.
Protect my son until I come back.
I looked at Noah.
"When did he write this?"
The boy shook his head.
"He gave it to me yesterday."
My throat tightened.
"Yesterday?"
May you like
Noah nodded.
"Before he disappeared again."
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