Chapter 20: The Person Everyone Trusted
Marcus called Daniel early the next morning.
“I need you to check something.””
Daniel immediately recognized his tone.
“What?””
“Everyone who had access to my house during my wife’s final months.””
Daniel paused.
“Everyone?””
“Yes.””
“You think someone inside the house was involved?””
Marcus looked at the journal.
“I think someone knew more than they admitted.””
Within hours, Daniel sent the list.
Family.
Friends.
Employees.
Medical workers.
The list was long.
But one name kept appearing.
Grace.
Marcus stared at it.
Not because he suspected her.
Because he couldn’t imagine it.
Grace had been the one who protected Nia.
The one who saved the box.
The one who kept the recording.
The one who had waited six years.
But then Marcus remembered something.
His wife’s message.
The person who helped me hide this knows the truth.
Knowing the truth wasn’t the same as causing the problem.
Marcus needed to be careful.
He couldn’t let fear destroy innocent people.
That afternoon, Marcus visited Grace again.
She immediately knew something was wrong.
“What happened?””
Marcus sat down.
“I need to ask you something.””
Grace nodded.
“Anything.””
“Who else knew about the messages?””
Grace became quiet.
A little too quiet.
Marcus noticed.
“Grace.””
She looked down.
“Your wife trusted very few people.””
“I know.””
“But she trusted me.””
“Yes.””
Grace took a breath.
“She also trusted someone else.””
Marcus waited.
“Who?””
Grace looked toward the window.
“Vanessa.””
Marcus frowned.
“Vanessa?””
“Yes.””
That surprised him.
“Why?””
“Because before your wife passed away, she tried to help Vanessa.””
Marcus listened carefully.
“She believed Vanessa wasn’t a bad person. She believed she was insecure and hurt.””
Marcus shook his head slightly.
“She was right.””
Grace looked at him.
“But your wife also knew insecurity could become dangerous.””
Marcus absorbed that.
“So Vanessa knew about the messages?””
“She knew there were protections.””
“Did she know where?””
Grace hesitated.
“I don’t know.””
Marcus watched her.
“Grace.””
She sighed.
“She asked me once.””
“Asked you what?””
“If I knew where your wife kept the final letter.””
Marcus felt cold.
“What did you say?””
“I told her no.””
“And?””
“She stopped asking.””
Marcus looked away.
Because now he had another piece.
Vanessa had known enough to be suspicious.
But maybe not enough to control everything.
That evening, Marcus talked to Vanessa.
She looked exhausted.
Almost defeated.
“I know why you’re here.””
Marcus sat across from her.
“Do you?””
“You think I know where everything is.””
“Do you?””
She looked down.
“No.””
The honesty surprised him.
Then she said:
“But I know who does.””
Marcus leaned forward.
“Who?””
Vanessa hesitated.
“I don’t know his full involvement.””
“Whose?””
She looked at him.
“Ethan.””
Marcus shook his head.
“We already know about Ethan.””
“No.””
Vanessa’s voice lowered.
“You don’t understand.””
She pulled out an old phone.
“I kept something.””
Marcus stared.
“Why?””
“Because I was scared.””
She unlocked it.
There was one recording.
A conversation.
Between Ethan and someone else.
Marcus pressed play.
Ethan’s voice appeared.
“We can’t let Marcus find out.””
Another voice answered.
“You said she handled the documents.””
Ethan replied:
“She did.””
Marcus looked at Vanessa.
The other voice continued.
“What about the girl?””
A pause.
Then Ethan said:
“She won’t know enough to stop us.””
Marcus felt anger rise.
But then the second voice spoke.
And he recognized it.
His entire body went still.
Because it wasn’t a stranger.
It wasn’t a business partner.
It wasn’t someone from outside.
It was someone who had sat at his family’s dinner table.
Someone who had hugged Nia.
Someone who had told Marcus they cared.
The recording ended.
Marcus looked at Vanessa.
“Who is that?””
Vanessa whispered the name.
May you like
And Marcus felt the world shift.
Because the person behind the betrayal was someone he never suspected.
