Chapter 5: The Father Who Hid the Truth
I stared at the photograph.
For several seconds, my mind refused to understand what my eyes were seeing.
My father.
Standing beside Richard Hale.
The two men were outside a building I recognized.
The old Madden Global headquarters.
The date stamped in the corner was only three days earlier.
Three days.
My hands went cold.
Because my father had been dead for twelve years.
Or at least, that was what I believed.
"Emily.""
Walter’s voice sounded distant.
I couldn’t take my eyes off the picture.
"That’s my father.""
Nobody answered.
Because everyone in the room already knew.
The impossible was sitting in front of us.
"My father is dead.""
Walter looked at James.
"Are you certain?""
James nodded.
"We verified the image multiple times.""
I looked up.
"Then it’s fake.""
The words came out quickly.
Almost desperately.
"Someone edited it.""
James didn’t react.
"We considered that possibility.""
"And?""
He hesitated.
"The image is authentic.""
I stood up.
"No.""
My chair moved backward loudly.
"No, you’re wrong.""
I looked at Walter.
"You don't understand.""
My voice shook.
"My father died in a car accident.""
Walter remained silent.
"My mother died first. Then my father raised me alone.""
I swallowed.
"He was the only family I had left.""
The room became quiet.
Because saying it out loud made it real.
My father.
The man who taught me how to ride a bicycle.
The man who made pancakes every Sunday morning.
The man who told me the world was full of good people.
Standing beside the man who destroyed my mother’s life.
Walter looked at me carefully.
"Emily, I know this is difficult.""
I laughed bitterly.
"Difficult?""
I pointed at the photograph.
"This changes everything.""
And it did.
Every memory I had suddenly felt different.
Every conversation.
Every silence.
Every unanswered question.
Because my father had always been the person I trusted most.
Until that moment.
Walter picked up the photograph.
"We need to find out why he was there.""
I looked at him.
"Maybe because he wasn't there.""
"Emily—"
"No.""
My voice became stronger.
"I need to know the truth.""
Walter nodded slowly.
"Then we find it.""
I barely slept that night.
I returned to my apartment after leaving Walter’s office, but nothing felt familiar anymore.
The small kitchen.
The old photographs.
The worn couch.
Everything reminded me of my father.
I opened the drawer where I kept his belongings.
A broken watch.
An old wallet.
A few handwritten notes.
Things I had saved because they were all I had left.
My fingers touched the wallet.
I remembered the last time I saw him.
I was twenty-three.
He had hugged me before leaving for work.
"Don't stay up too late," he joked.
I laughed.
"You say that every night.""
"Because every night you ignore me.""
That was the last normal conversation we had.
Later that evening, the police arrived.
They told me there had been an accident.
A truck.
A dangerous road.
A mistake.
That was the story.
The only story.
But now I wondered.
Was it?
My phone rang.
I looked at the screen.
Unknown number.
My body immediately tensed.
I answered.
"Hello?""
A man’s voice came through.
"Emily.""
I froze.
Because I knew that voice.
I hadn’t heard it in twelve years.
But I knew.
My hand covered my mouth.
"No...""
The voice was quiet.
"Emily, please listen to me.""
My heart was pounding.
"Who is this?""
Silence.
Then:
"It’s Dad.""
The phone nearly slipped from my hand.
I couldn’t breathe.
"You’re dead.""
The words came out like a whisper.
"I know what you were told.""
I stood frozen in my apartment.
"Where are you?""
"Emily, I don't have much time.""
"Where are you?""
My voice became louder.
"You let me believe you were dead.""
"I was trying to protect you.""
"Protect me?""
Anger replaced the shock.
"Do you know what it was like?""
Silence.
"Do you know what it was like losing both my parents?""
His breathing changed.
"I know.""
"No, you don't.""
I wiped my eyes.
"You don't get to disappear and come back when it's convenient.""
"I know.""
That answer made me pause.
Because there was no argument.
No excuse.
Just pain.
"Why?""
I asked.
"Why did you leave?""
The line remained silent.
Then he said:
"Because Richard Hale found out I had the evidence.""
My blood ran cold.
"What evidence?""
"The evidence your mother died protecting.""
I grabbed the edge of the table.
"You were involved?""
"No.""
His voice became urgent.
"Emily, listen to me. Your mother discovered Richard was stealing from Walter. She tried to expose him.""
"I know.""
A pause.
"You know?""
"Walter told me.""
Another silence.
Then my father whispered:
"Then Walter finally found you.""
The way he said it scared me.
"What does that mean?""
"Your mother trusted Walter.""
"Yes.""
"But she also knew Richard would never stop.""
I looked around my apartment.
Every shadow suddenly felt threatening.
"What are you trying to say?""
My father lowered his voice.
"Richard isn't the only person you need to be afraid of.""
The room went silent.
"Who else?""
Before he could answer, I heard something.
A sound.
Like a door opening on his end.
My father suddenly stopped speaking.
"Dad?""
No answer.
"Dad?""
Then his voice returned.
Barely a whisper.
"Emily, do not trust—"
The call cut off.
I stared at the phone.
The sentence was unfinished.
Do not trust...
Who?
The next morning, Walter sent a car for me.
I almost refused.
But after everything that happened, I knew I needed answers.
When I arrived at Madden Tower, Walter was already waiting.
One look at my face and he knew something was wrong.
"What happened?""
I looked at him.
"My father called me.""
Walter froze.
"What?""
"He’s alive.""
For the first time since I met him, Walter looked genuinely shocked.
"Where is he?""
"I don't know.""
I told him everything.
Every word.
Every pause.
Every warning.
When I finished, Walter remained silent.
Then he walked to the window.
"He survived.""
I watched him.
"You knew?""
"No.""
The answer was immediate.
"But I hoped.""
I frowned.
"Hoped?""
Walter looked back at me.
"Your father was the last person to see Sarah alive.""
My stomach tightened.
"What?""
Walter sighed.
"I never told you because I didn't know if it was true.""
"Tell me.""
"After Sarah disappeared, your father came to me.""
"Why?""
"Because he had found out what Richard was doing.""
Walter’s voice became heavier.
"He said he had proof.""
"And then?""
"He vanished.""
I sat down slowly.
"So everyone thought he died.""
"Yes.""
"But he was hiding.""
Walter nodded.
"Or running.""
The words hurt.
Because I didn’t know which was worse.
That my father abandoned me.
Or that he was trying to protect me.
A knock interrupted us.
James entered.
"Mr. Madden.""
Walter turned.
"What happened?""
James looked serious.
"We found something connected to the photograph.""
He placed a folder on the table.
"The image was taken from a security camera.""
Walter opened it.
James continued.
"The camera belonged to a private building owned by Richard Hale.""
My eyes narrowed.
"So Richard knew he was there.""
"Yes.""
Walter flipped through the pages.
Then James said something that made both of us stop.
"There is more.""
"What?""
James looked at me.
"The camera footage shows your father meeting Richard.""
My heart sank.
"Meeting him?""
"Yes.""
"How long?""
"Twenty-three minutes.""
Walter looked concerned.
"What happened after?""
James hesitated.
"The footage ends.""
"Why?""
"Because someone deleted the next hour.""
The room went quiet.
Someone had removed the evidence.
Someone who knew exactly what they were hiding.
Walter closed the folder.
"Find out who deleted it.""
James nodded.
But before he left, he stopped.
"There is one more thing.""
Walter looked up.
"What?""
James placed a smaller envelope on the desk.
"This was recovered from the same archive.""
Walter opened it.
Inside was a handwritten note.
He read it silently.
Then his expression changed.
"Emily.""
I looked at him.
"What?""
He handed me the note.
The handwriting was unfamiliar.
But the message was clear.
My entire body went cold.
Because it was addressed to me.
*Emily Carter,*
*If you are reading this, then Walter has finally found you.*
*But before you trust him completely, you need to know the truth about what happened the night your mother died.*
May you like
*Because Walter Madden was not the person who saved your mother.*
*He was the person who put her in danger.*
