Chapter 8: The Father Who Never Died
The old estate looked exactly like my childhood memories.
That was the cruelest thing.
The same stone walls.
The same iron gates.
The same trees my mother planted.
Except everything felt wrong.
Like a beautiful photograph hiding a terrible secret.
I stepped out of the car.
Marcus grabbed my arm gently.
"Elena.""
I looked at him.
"If something feels wrong, we leave.""
I nodded.
But deep inside, I already knew.
Everything about this was wrong.
The front door opened before we reached it.
A man stood there.
Older.
Tired.
But familiar.
My knees almost gave out.
"Dad?""
The word escaped before I could stop it.
Richard Vale stared at me.
His eyes filled with tears.
"My little girl.""
I couldn't move.
I couldn't breathe.
For years, I had imagined my parents.
Their voices.
Their faces.
Their final moments.
But I never imagined this.
My father alive.
Standing in front of me.
Marcus stepped between us.
"Stay back.""
Richard looked at him sadly.
"You still hate me.""
Marcus's expression hardened.
"You abandoned us.""
"I was trying to protect you.""
The same excuse.
Again.
Protect.
Everyone used that word when they made decisions for me.
I stepped forward.
"No.""
Both men looked at me.
"I want the truth.""
Richard lowered his head.
"You deserve that.""
Inside the house, he told us everything.
The night of the accident.
The stolen money.
The betrayal.
Victor Laurent.
But the truth was worse than we expected.
Victor hadn't killed my parents because of money.
He killed them because my father discovered something bigger.
A network.
A group of powerful people who controlled companies, politicians, and organizations.
And Vanessa's father was only one piece.
"Why didn't you come back?"" I asked.
Richard looked broken.
"Because they threatened your life.""
I laughed softly.
"So you let your children believe you were dead?""
"I thought distance would keep you safe.""
"Did it?""
He had no answer.
Because it hadn't.
I looked at Marcus.
Then Julian.
Then Caleb.
"My brothers spent their entire lives protecting me from a ghost.""
Richard closed his eyes.
"I know.""
A noise came from upstairs.
Everyone froze.
Caleb immediately moved.
"Someone else is here.""
Footsteps.
Slow.
Confident.
Coming down the stairs.
And then she appeared.
Vanessa.
Wearing a black coat.
Smiling.
I stared at her.
"You.""
She looked at Richard.
"Hello, Father.""
The room exploded into silence.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
Vanessa smiled at me.
"You really believed Adrian was the mastermind?""
My hands tightened.
"You used him.""
"Of course.""
Her smile faded.
"Adrian was easy.""
My stomach turned.
"He wanted money.""
She walked closer.
"I wanted revenge.""
"For what?""
She looked at Richard.
"For what your family did to mine.""
I shook my head.
"You destroyed innocent people.""
She laughed.
"Innocent?""
Her eyes turned cold.
"You have no idea what your father did.""
Richard stood.
"Vanessa, stop.""
She looked at him with hatred.
"You don't get to tell me what to do.""
Then she pulled out a small device.
Marcus immediately moved.
But she pressed a button.
The entire house went dark.
May you like
And in the darkness, she whispered:
"Now you'll finally see why your mother died.""
