Chapter 7: The Deal My Family Never Told Me About
I stared at the photograph until my eyes burned.
My father.
Marcus.
Together.
Standing outside a building I didn’t recognize.
Shaking hands like old friends.
Like business partners.
Like two people who had known each other long before Marcus walked into my life and pretended we were strangers.
My first thought was denial.
It had to be.
A coincidence.
A misunderstanding.
A trick.
But the longer I looked at the picture, the harder it became to lie to myself.
That was my father’s watch.
His old silver watch he wore every day until the year he passed away.
That was his jacket.
That was his face.
And standing across from him was Marcus.
The man who claimed he met me by chance.
The man who told me our first date changed his life.
The man who said he had never felt that way about anyone before.
I turned the photo over again.
The words were still there.
*Your family knew him first.*
My hands started shaking.
I grabbed my phone and called my sister.
She answered after one ring.
“Nia?””
“Did Dad know Marcus?””
Silence.
The kind of silence that makes your heart sink before you even hear the answer.
“Nia…”
“Did Dad know him?””
My sister exhaled.
“Yes.””
The room spun.
“How?””
“I don’t know everything.””
I almost laughed.
Of course.
Nobody knew everything.
Everyone only knew enough to protect themselves.
“Then tell me what you know.””
My sister was quiet.
Finally, she said:
“Marcus worked with Dad.””
I sat down.
“No.””
“Yes.””
“When?””
“Before you met him.””
“How long before?””
“Years.””
My grip tightened around the phone.
“And you never told me?””
“I didn’t know he was the same Marcus.””
That stopped me.
“What?””
“I knew Dad had a business contact named Marcus. I knew they had problems near the end.””
I frowned.
“Problems?””
“Yes.””
“What kind?””
My sister’s voice became softer.
“Money.””
The word landed heavily.
Money.
The same word that appeared everywhere Marcus went.
The same word behind the documents.
The companies.
The lawsuits.
The secrets.
“What happened between them?””
“I don’t know.””
“You’re lying.””
“I’m not.””
“You’re hiding something.””
She didn’t answer.
That was enough.
“Tell me.””
“Nia…”
“Tell me!””
My voice echoed through the hotel room.
A few seconds passed.
Then she whispered:
“Dad thought Marcus stole from him.””
I didn’t sleep that night.
Again.
It was becoming a pattern.
My entire life had been turned upside down, and my body didn’t know how to rest anymore.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw another piece of the puzzle.
Marcus at the grocery store.
Marcus outside the courthouse.
Marcus shaking hands with my father.
A man who had been everywhere in my life.
Except honestly.
The next morning, I drove to my mother’s house.
I needed answers from someone who couldn’t hide behind distance.
Someone who had known my father.
Someone who had been there.
When she opened the door and saw my face, she immediately knew.
“Nia.””
She stepped aside.
“What happened?””
I walked inside.
The house smelled the same.
Fresh flowers.
Coffee.
The scent of my childhood.
For a moment, I almost broke down.
Then I remembered why I was there.
“Did Dad know Marcus?””
My mother froze.
Not confused.
Not surprised.
Afraid.
That was all I needed to see.
“Mom.””
She looked away.
“Nia, where did you hear that name?””
“Answer me.””
She sat down slowly.
“Yes.””
My heart hurt.
Everyone knew.
Everyone except me.
“How long?””
“Before you met him.””
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
Her eyes filled with sadness.
“Because your father didn’t want you involved.””
I stared at her.
“Why?””
“Because he didn’t trust Marcus.””
The room became silent.
“Then why did you let me marry him?””
My mother looked down.
“I didn’t know.””
“You knew enough.””
“I knew they had history.””
“What kind of history?””
She hesitated.
Then she said:
“Your father believed Marcus ruined his company.””
I felt cold.
“His company?””
“Yes.””
“Did Marcus work for him?””
“No.””
She paused.
“He worked with him.””
That difference mattered.
“How?””
My mother looked toward the window.
“Your father invested in a business Marcus created.””
My stomach tightened.
“Like Victoria?””
Her head snapped toward me.
“How do you know Victoria?””
I froze.
“You know her?””
My mother closed her eyes.
“Nia…”
“Oh my God.””
I stepped back.
“You knew all of them.””
“No.””
“Did you know about Claire?””
“No.””
“About Elena?””
“No.””
“About Victoria?””
A pause.
Then:
“Yes.””
My heart broke all over again.
“Why?””
My mother wiped her eyes.
“Because Victoria came to your father.””
“Why?””
“She wanted help.””
“With what?””
My mother looked at me.
“With proving Marcus had lied.””
By the afternoon, I had every document my mother had kept.
Old contracts.
Letters.
Emails.
My father’s notes.
Things he never showed anyone.
I sat at the dining room table surrounded by pieces of a past I never knew existed.
Then I found the letter.
A handwritten letter from my father.
The first line made my blood run cold.
*“If Marcus ever enters my daughter’s life, she cannot know the truth until she is ready.””*
I stopped reading.
My hands shook.
My daughter.
Me.
He knew.
My father knew Marcus might come into my life.
He knew.
I continued.
*“Marcus is not the same man he pretends to be. He has a talent for making people trust him. That is what makes him dangerous.””*
I swallowed.
My father’s words felt impossible.
Because they described Marcus exactly.
The man everyone loved.
The man everyone defended.
The man nobody questioned.
Until it was too late.
The next paragraph made me stop breathing.
*“I believe Marcus approached my family because of the agreement we made years ago. He believes Nia’s inheritance belongs to him.””*
I stared at the page.
Inheritance.
My inheritance.
“What?””
My mother covered her mouth.
“I hoped you would never see that.””
I looked up.
“What inheritance?””
She looked broken.
“Your grandfather left you a trust.””
I blinked.
“A trust?””
“Yes.””
“How much?””
She didn’t answer.
“Mom.””
“A lot.””
My chest tightened.
“And Marcus knew?””
“Yes.””
“How?””
My mother looked down.
“Because your father told him.””
I stood up.
“Why would Dad tell him?””
“Because at the time, Marcus was supposed to help with the business.””
I laughed bitterly.
“So Marcus knew exactly who I was before I knew who he was.””
My mother didn’t deny it.
That was the worst part.
That evening, I called Marcus.
He answered quickly.
“Nia.””
“Did you know about my inheritance before we met?””
Silence.
A long silence.
Then:
“Who told you?””
I closed my eyes.
There it was.
Not denial.
Not confusion.
Confirmation.
“You did.””
“Nia, listen—”
“No.””
My voice was steady.
For the first time in days, I wasn’t crying.
I wasn’t shaking.
I was angry.
“You knew.””
“Yes.””
The honesty shocked me.
“Why?””
“I wanted to tell you.””
“When?””
“After we were serious.””
I laughed.
“You mean after you knew I trusted you?””
“Nia—”
“Did you marry me because of it?””
“No.””
The answer came fast.
Too fast.
“I loved you.””
I felt something break inside me.
“Did you?””
“Yes.””
“Then why didn’t you tell me?””
He didn’t answer.
Because there was no answer.
“You used me.””
“No.””
“You used my family.””
“No.””
“You lied to me for seven years.””
“Nia, I made mistakes.””
I froze.
Mistakes.
That word.
The word people use when they don’t want to say what they did.
“Mistakes don’t create secret families.””
Silence.
Then Marcus said something that changed everything.
“I didn’t know Rachel would tell you.””
My blood ran cold.
“What?””
He realized too late.
“Nia—”
“Rachel.””
I whispered her name.
“You knew she was here.””
Another silence.
“You knew she contacted me.””
“Nia, please.””
“How long have you been watching me?””
He didn’t answer.
That was enough.
I ended the call.
My hands were shaking.
Not because I was scared.
Because I finally understood.
Marcus wasn’t trying to fix the damage.
He was trying to control how much I discovered.
Then my phone buzzed.
A message from Rachel.
A photo appeared.
A photo of Marcus entering a building.
Underneath it was a message:
*“This is where he keeps everything he doesn’t want you to find.””*
Then another message appeared.
*“But Nia, you need to know something before you go there.””*
I stared at the screen.
The next line appeared.
*“Your father wasn’t Marcus’s victim.””*
May you like
My heart stopped.
*“He was Marcus’s first enemy.””*
