Chapter 29: The Last Secret My Father Left Behind
Angela.
The name stayed with me.
The woman who gave us evidence.
The woman who warned us.
The woman who claimed to know the truth.
And now my mother's letter suggested she was involved.
I felt exhausted.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
Every person who helped us had a secret.
Every person who claimed to protect us had hidden something.
I looked at Marcus.
"What do we do?""
He looked at the letter.
"We find Angela.""
I nodded.
Because after everything, there was only one thing left.
The full truth.
Not pieces.
Not accusations.
Not stories.
The truth.
We contacted Angela.
This time, she agreed to meet.
No abandoned buildings.
No hiding.
A public place.
A coffee shop downtown.
When she arrived, she looked nervous.
The moment she saw us, she knew.
"You found it.""
I placed the letter on the table.
Her expression changed.
"You weren't supposed to see that.""
"Why?""
She looked away.
"Because Thomas wanted to handle it himself.""
My anger rose.
"Everyone keeps saying what Thomas wanted.""
I leaned forward.
"But nobody asked what we needed.""
Angela looked at me.
And for the first time, she looked ashamed.
"You are right.""
The honesty surprised me.
"Tell us.""
She nodded.
"I knew Richard was stealing.""
"Yes.""
"I knew Loretta found out.""
"Yes.""
"I knew they were both trying to control the situation.""
"Yes.""
Marcus looked at her.
"And you?""
Angela sighed.
"I was trying to protect Thomas.""
"By hiding?""
"Yes.""
I shook my head.
"Why?""
"Because Thomas was planning to confront everyone at once.""
"Everyone?""
She nodded.
"He wanted the truth exposed.""
"Then why didn't he?""
Her eyes filled.
"Because he discovered something worse.""
I waited.
Angela whispered:
"Richard wasn't the one who started the fraud.""
The room became silent.
"Then who?""
She looked at Marcus.
Then at me.
Then said:
"Thomas's business partner.""
I frowned.
"Who?""
She pulled out a folder.
Inside was a contract.
A partnership agreement.
A name.
I read it.
And everything stopped.
Because the person listed beside my father...
Was someone I knew.
Someone who had been around our family for years.
Someone nobody suspected.
My aunt.
My father's sister.
"She did it?""
Angela shook her head.
"No.""
"Then why?""
"Because she discovered the truth.""
I looked confused.
"Then why is her name on the contract?""
Angela answered:
"Because she helped Thomas hide the evidence.""
My mind raced.
"Hide it from who?""
Angela looked at me.
"From the person who was controlling Richard.""
"Who?""
She hesitated.
Then said:
"Your mother.""
I froze.
Again.
My mother.
But this time, it was different.
Not because she was guilty.
Because the truth was more complicated.
Angela continued.
"Your mother wasn't the mastermind.""
"Then what was she?""
"She was someone who made one terrible decision.""
"What decision?""
Angela looked at the folder.
"She made a deal.""
My stomach tightened.
"What kind of deal?""
"She agreed to keep quiet about Richard if he stopped exposing Thomas's mistakes.""
Marcus frowned.
"But why?""
Angela looked at me.
"Because Thomas had made a mistake before.""
"What mistake?""
Angela opened another document.
A birth record.
My father's name.
A child.
Another child.
Not Marcus.
A name I had never heard.
My blood ran cold.
"There was another secret.""
Angela whispered.
"Your father had another child.""
The world seemed to stop.
Marcus looked at me.
Neither of us spoke.
Another sibling.
Another person erased.
Angela continued.
"And that child was the reason everything started.""
I stared.
"Where are they?""
Angela looked down.
"That's the final thing Thomas wanted you to know.""
My phone buzzed.
A message.
Unknown number.
A photo.
A person standing outside my house.
A young woman.
Holding a folder.
May you like
The message:
*"Darnell, I think it's time you meet your sister.""*
