Chapter 6: The Family Secret
The room felt smaller after my father's words.
My mother.
The person who had held my hand at my father's funeral.
The person who cried beside me.
The person who told me she didn't know how she would survive losing him.
My mother.
I stared at my father.
"No.""
He didn't argue.
He simply looked at me with sadness.
"I wish I was wrong.""
Nathan stepped forward.
"Olivia...""
I turned toward him.
"You knew?""
His silence answered before his words did.
"You knew.""
Nathan looked down.
"I suspected.""
My voice became colder.
"And you still let me believe everyone was grieving together.""
"We were.""
I laughed softly.
"Were we?""
Nobody responded.
Because the truth was becoming impossible to ignore.
My entire family had been living behind locked doors.
And I was the only person without the key.
Agent Morgan walked toward the table.
"We need to slow down.""
Everyone looked at her.
She pointed toward the evidence.
"Richard, if your wife was involved, why would she allow Olivia to lead the investigation?""
My father looked at me.
"Because she underestimated you.""
The words hurt.
More than I expected.
"My own mother underestimated me?""
"No.""
He shook his head.
"She underestimated how much your father taught you.""
I looked away.
I didn't want compliments.
I wanted answers.
"Where has she been?""
Nobody answered.
Then Nathan's phone rang.
Everyone froze.
Again.
Another call.
Another secret.
Nathan looked at the screen.
His face changed.
"It's her.""
My heart dropped.
"Answer it.""
Nathan hesitated.
My father nodded.
"Put it on speaker.""
He did.
For a moment, there was only silence.
Then my mother's voice.
"Nathan.""
My hands clenched.
She sounded calm.
Too calm.
"Why didn't you tell me the plan failed?""
Nobody spoke.
My mother continued.
"Do you have any idea what you have done?""
Nathan looked at me.
"Mom...""
"No.""
Her voice sharpened.
"You were supposed to keep Olivia away from this.""
I stepped closer to the phone.
"Mom.""
Silence.
A long, painful silence.
Then:
"Olivia.""
Hearing her say my name felt worse than hearing my father's.
Because my father disappeared to protect me.
But my mother stayed.
She looked me in the eyes every day.
She hugged me.
She told me everything was okay.
"How long?"" I asked.
Her voice became quieter.
"How long what?""
"How long have you known?""
Another silence.
Then she answered.
"Since the beginning.""
My eyes burned.
"The beginning of what?""
"The beginning of your father's investigation.""
I looked at Nathan.
Then my father.
Then Claire.
Everyone had pieces of the story.
Everyone except me.
"Why?""
My mother's voice cracked slightly.
"Because I was trying to protect this family.""
I almost couldn't believe it.
"By destroying me?""
"No.""
"By letting someone plant evidence in my car?""
"I didn't know he would do that.""
The room went quiet.
That sentence mattered.
Because it meant she knew about the plan.
Maybe not every detail.
But enough.
Agent Morgan stepped closer.
"Mrs. Bennett, where are you?""
My mother ignored her.
Instead, she spoke directly to me.
"Olivia, you need to leave.""
"Why?""
"Because you don't understand who you are dealing with.""
I looked at my father.
"Then tell me.""
My mother's voice dropped.
"Daniel Cross is not the person you should fear.""
A cold feeling moved through me.
"Who is?""
She hesitated.
Then whispered:
"The person who hired Daniel is someone who has been standing beside you throughout this entire investigation.""
Claire's face changed.
"What?""
My mother continued.
"Olivia, look at Agent Morgan.""
Everyone turned.
Including Claire.
My mother said one final sentence before the call suddenly disconnected.
"The person you trust most is the person who has been lying to you.""
The room went silent.
Slowly, I looked at Claire.
She didn't move.
Didn't speak.
But then I noticed something.
Something that made my heart stop.
A small scar on her hand.
A scar I had seen before.
In a photograph from my father's office.
A photograph of the person who helped him disappear.
I whispered:
"Claire...""
She looked at me.
May you like
And for the first time all night...
she looked afraid.
