Chapter 27: The Truth About My Mother
I read the sentence again.
Then again.
Daniel, trust your mother.
My mother.
The woman who disappeared.
The woman who everyone believed was gone.
The woman who returned with answers.
The woman who had spent years hiding.
I didn't know what to feel anymore.
Suspicion.
Hope.
Fear.
All mixed together.
Michael looked at my phone.
"What does it say?""
I didn't answer immediately.
Because saying it out loud made it real.
"My father told me to trust Mom.""
Michael froze.
"Your mother?""
I nodded.
He looked confused.
"Then we were wrong.""
"About what?""
"Everything.""
When I returned to the house, my mother was waiting.
She knew.
The moment she saw my face, she knew.
"What happened?""
I held up the letter.
"Why did Dad tell me to trust you?""
Her expression changed.
For a moment, she looked afraid.
Not guilty.
Afraid.
"Where did you find that?""
"Answer me.""
She sat down.
"I was hoping this day would never come.""
I almost laughed.
Another person hoping.
Another secret.
"Tell me.""
She looked at Grandma.
Then at Emily.
Then at me.
"When your father discovered the truth, he didn't send the evidence to me.""
"Why?""
"Because he knew I was being watched.""
"By who?""
She looked at the floor.
"By everyone.""
I frowned.
"What?""
"Daniel, your father didn't know who he could trust.""
That sounded familiar.
"So what did he do?""
"He created a plan.""
"What plan?""
My mother took a deep breath.
"He made everyone believe they had a different piece of the truth.""
I stared.
"He divided the information.""
"Yes.""
"Why?""
"So whoever betrayed him couldn't know everything.""
I looked around.
My entire family had been carrying fragments.
No one had the complete story.
Not even Harold.
Not even Victor.
"Then what did you know?""
My mother looked at me.
"I knew Edward was alive.""
The room froze.
"What?""
She shook her head.
"No.""
She corrected herself.
"I knew Edward survived the first attack.""
I couldn't breathe.
"What are you saying?""
"Your father didn't die immediately.""
Silence.
The words hit harder than anything before.
"He was alive.""
"For a short time.""
"How long?""
"Long enough to tell me something.""
My voice broke.
"What?""
My mother began crying.
"He told me to run.""
I stared.
"Why?""
"Because the person who attacked him was someone we loved.""
"Who?""
She looked at me.
"I never found out.""
I was frustrated.
"Then why disappear?""
"Because I had your sister.""
I looked at Emily.
"And you.""
She looked at me.
"I was trying to protect both of you.""
My mother continued.
"Edward told me if anything happened, I couldn't stay.""
"Why?""
"Because the person who attacked him would come after us.""
I thought about everything.
The missing years.
The secrets.
The lies.
Maybe my mother wasn't abandoning us.
Maybe she was running.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
She looked devastated.
"Because every time I tried...""
She stopped.
"What?""
"Someone warned me.""
"Who?""
She shook her head.
"I don't know.""
My phone buzzed.
Everyone froze.
A new message.
This time, no words.
Only a video.
I pressed play.
The screen showed my father.
Alive.
Sitting somewhere dark.
My entire body went numb.
"Daniel.""
His voice.
After all these years.
My father's voice.
"I don't have much time.""
I covered my mouth.
Everyone watched.
The video continued.
"If you're seeing this, then the plan worked.""
My father looked tired.
But calm.
"I need you to know something.""
He looked directly into the camera.
"Your mother did not betray me.""
My mother's eyes filled with tears.
The video continued.
"But the person who did...""
A pause.
My heart raced.
"...is someone who has been protecting you your entire life.""
The video glitched.
Then the final words appeared.
A name.
A name that made everyone in the room go silent.
Because the person my father accused...
May you like
Was the person none of us ever suspected.
Grandma.
