CHAPTER 7 — THE VOICE BEHIND THE MASK
The police came back.
This time, we had evidence.
But Rebecca had vanished.
The footage was sent for forensic analysis.
The police identified the person wearing my jacket.
It wasn't Michael.
It wasn't Robert.
It wasn't Marcus.
It was a man who had worked for Michael for years.
His name was Victor.
Victor had been responsible for moving the money from my father's company.
He had disappeared after my father's death.
Now we knew why.
But there was another problem.
Victor wasn't acting alone.
Someone had ordered him.
And that person was still inside our family.
Michael was arrested first.
He denied everything.
Then Rebecca was found hiding at a hotel.
She confessed.
Michael had promised her money.
She said she never intended to hurt Emily.
She only wanted to frighten her.
But when Emily fell, Rebecca panicked.
Then Victor arrived.
He told Rebecca to leave.
I asked her:
“Why didn't he save my daughter?”
Rebecca started crying.
“Because he didn't care.”
“What did he care about?”
She looked at me.
“The trust.”
Then she said something that made me realize the truth was much bigger than I had imagined.
“Your father knew this would happen.”
I stared at her.
“What?”
“He knew Michael would come after the money.”
“Then why didn't he tell me?”
“Because he didn't trust you either.”
Those words destroyed me.
“My father didn't trust me?”
“No.”
“Why?”
Rebecca hesitated.
“Because he believed someone close to you had already been working against you.”
I thought of Claire.
Michael.
Robert.
Rebecca.
May you like
Then Rebecca whispered:
“Your father believed the betrayal started before Emily was born.”
