Chapter 6 - NATALIENatalie called me that afternoon.
I almost didn't answer.
But curiosity won.
“Hello?”
“Elena.”
Her voice sounded exhausted.
“I think you need to know the truth.”
“Then tell me.”
She breathed slowly.
“I knew Julian before you did.”
“I know.”
“No. You don't.”
I said nothing.
“We were engaged.”
That hit harder than I expected.
“For how long?”
“Two years.”
My fingers tightened.
“Why did you break up?”
“I didn't.”
Silence.
“Natalie?”
“He left me.”
“Why?”
“Your name came up.”
My stomach dropped.
“He asked about your family. About your father. About your inheritance.”
I closed my eyes.
She continued.
“At first, I thought he was asking because his mother wanted to know who I was.”
“And then?”
“Then I realized they were planning something.”
“What?”
Natalie began crying.
“I tried to stop him.”
“Did you?”
“I threatened to expose him.”
“Why didn't you?”
“Because Victoria threatened my family.”
I sat motionless.
“They said they'd destroy my father's business.”
Natalie whispered.
“So I disappeared.”
“Then why come back?”
“Because I found out what they were going to do to you.”
“What?”
“They wanted you pregnant within the first year.”
My blood ran cold.
“Why?”
“Because a child would make it harder for you to leave. And if they could get you to sign the trust documents before then…”
My voice shook.
“Then what?”
“They would control your inheritance.”
I stared at the wall.
“What about the safe?”
“What safe?”
I told her.
Natalie went silent.
“That's not possible.”
“What?”
“Victoria has been looking for something for years.”
“What's inside?”
“I don't know.”
Then she whispered:
“Ask Julian why his father vanished.”
The line went dead.
I called back.
No answer.
That evening, I watched security footage from my parents' house.
A black SUV had stopped outside.
A man got out.
He looked toward the windows.
Then he lifted his phone.
My father leaned closer to the screen.
“That isn't Julian.”
“No.”
Dad paused the video.
“That's Richard Hale.”
My heart stopped.
“His father?”
“Yes.”
“But he's supposed to be dead.”
Dad stared at the screen.
“No.”
He looked at me.
“He's supposed to be missing.”
Then the doorbell rang.
Three slow knocks.
Nobody moved.
A voice came from outside.
“Mr. Morris.”
My father went rigid.
The voice continued.
“Your daughter has something that belongs to my family.”
May you like
Then the man added:
“And I'm here to collect it.”
