Chapter 12 - My Mother Had KnownI watched the video three times.
Every time, the woman remained the same.
My mother.
Older.
Tired.
Alive in the same room as Daniel and his daughter.
Nina sat beside me, frozen.
“She knew?”
“I don't know.”
“You said she didn't.”
“I believed she didn't.”
The problem with family secrets was that every new answer created three new questions.
I called my mother.
No answer.
Again.
Still nothing.
Then her voicemail activated.
I left one sentence.
“Mom, call me.”
Lydia looked at me.
“We need to secure her.”
“I know.”
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
My mother's voice came through.
“Do not come looking for me.”
“Where are you?”
“Somewhere safe.”
“Are you with Daniel?”
Silence.
Then:
“Yes.”
Nina closed her eyes.
“Mom,” she said into my phone.
Another silence.
Then my mother began crying.
“I wanted to tell you.”
“When?”
“When it was safe.”
“It hasn't been safe for nine years.”
“I know.”
“Did you know about Meridian?”
“Yes.”
“Did you know about the trust?”
“Yes.”
My throat tightened.
“How long?”
“All your life.”
I couldn't speak.
She continued.
“Your grandmother asked me never to tell you.”
“Why?”
“Because your father was killed because of money.”
I stared ahead.
“Killed?”
“He did not die naturally.”
Nina covered her mouth.
My mother's voice shook.
“Your father discovered that the Wentworths were using his company to move money.”
“And you?”
“I helped him.”
“You?”
“I was terrified.”
“Who killed him?”
She didn't answer.
Then Daniel's voice came through faintly in the background.
“Don't ask her.”
I recognized the tone.
He knew.
My mother continued.
“Your grandmother spent years preparing for the day they would come for you.”
“They already did.”
“I know.”
“Then why didn't you warn me?”
“Because the person watching you wasn't Heloise.”
I looked at Nina.
“Who?”
My mother answered:
“Bridget.”
The room went silent.
I stared at Bridget.
She shook her head.
“No.”
My mother continued.
“She was forced to monitor your company.”
Bridget started crying.
“I didn't want to.”
“You should have told me.”
“I tried.”
“When?”
“The week you acquired Meridian.”
I stared at her.
“You knew I was buying it.”
“Yes.”
“And you didn't stop me.”
“I couldn't.”
“Why?”
“Because they already had my father.”
I remembered what she'd said.
The missing father.
The threats.
The fear.
But my mother said something else.
“You need to leave the house.”
“Why?”
“They found the archive.”
My blood went cold.
“How do you know?”
“The security system.”
“What security system?”
Silence.
Then:
“Your grandmother installed a second system beneath the house.”
I turned toward Lydia.
She immediately checked the cameras.
Every monitor went black.
One by one.
Then the lights went out.
Nina grabbed my arm.
“What happened?”
Emergency lighting flickered on.
Red.
A loud crack echoed from upstairs.
Glass breaking.
Lydia drew her phone.
“Security breach.”
We moved.
Fast.
Bridget was crying.
Marcus stepped backward.
For once, nobody was pretending to control the situation.
Then a voice came over the house intercom.
Calm.
Male.
“You found the archive.”
I knew the voice.
Not Marcus.
Not Alec.
Not Heloise.
Someone else.
Someone who had been invisible for nine years.
The voice continued.
“Now you finally understand who your grandmother was protecting you from.”
A pause.
Then:
“Me.”
The lights returned.
And the front door opened.
May you like
A man walked inside.
My father.
