Chapter 10: The Truth My Father Left Behind
The name on the screen felt impossible.
I stared at it.
Then I looked away.
Then I looked back.
As if somehow my eyes had made a mistake.
But they hadn't.
The file was clear.
The person who betrayed my father.
The person connected to Victor.
The person who had been hiding the truth for eleven years.
It was someone I knew.
Someone I trusted.
Someone I never imagined could be part of this nightmare.
My aunt.
Sofia Rodriguez.
My mother's sister.
The woman who had held my hand at my father's funeral.
The woman who told me, "Your father loved you more than anything.""
The woman who disappeared when my mother got sick.
The woman who always seemed to know more than she admitted.
"No.""
The word came out before I even realized I had spoken.
Razor looked at me.
"Emily...""
"No.""
I pushed away from the table.
"That's not possible.""
Nobody stopped me.
Maybe because they understood.
Maybe because they knew some truths needed time before they could be accepted.
Marcus slowly closed the laptop.
"We need to be careful.""
I laughed bitterly.
"Careful?""
My voice cracked.
"My entire life has been a lie.""
Nobody answered.
Because nobody could.
I walked outside.
The morning air was cold against my face.
For years, I had wanted answers.
I thought answers would make me feel better.
I thought knowing the truth would fix something.
I was wrong.
Sometimes the truth hurt more than the mystery.
Razor came outside a few minutes later.
He didn't say anything.
He just stood beside me.
Finally, I whispered:
"Why would she do that?""
Razor looked toward the distance.
"Maybe she didn't.""
I turned.
"What?""
"We don't know the whole story.""
"But my father's file says her name.""
"Your father's file says her name was connected.""
He looked at me.
"That's different.""
I wanted to believe him.
I really did.
But trust was difficult when everyone around me had secrets.
"Then we find her.""
Razor nodded.
"Yes.""
The plan was simple.
Find Sofia.
Get answers.
End this.
But nothing about my life had been simple.
Three hours later, we found her.
Not hiding.
Not running.
Waiting.
She was sitting inside an old church outside town.
The same church where my father and mother had gotten married.
The moment I saw her, I felt something break inside me.
Because she looked exactly the same.
Older.
Tired.
But still Sofia.
She looked at me.
And immediately started crying.
"Emily.""
I froze.
She stepped forward.
I stepped back.
"Don't.""
The word stopped her.
Pain crossed her face.
"You know.""
I nodded.
"You betrayed him.""
Her tears fell.
"No.""
I hated how quickly she answered.
Because everyone always said no.
Everyone always had an explanation.
Everyone always had a reason.
"My father died.""
Her voice shook.
"I know.""
"You knew the truth.""
"I did.""
The admission hurt.
"You knew?""
Sofia closed her eyes.
"Yes.""
I felt my anger rise.
"Then why didn't you tell me?""
"Because your father asked me not to.""
I froze.
"What?""
She reached into her bag.
Slowly.
Carefully.
She pulled out a letter.
Another letter.
My father's handwriting.
My heart stopped.
"He wrote this the night before everything happened.""
She handed it to me.
I opened it.
Emily,
If you are reading this, it means the people I trusted failed to keep you away from this world.
My hands shook.
I continued.
Your aunt Sofia did not betray me.
She helped me.
I looked up.
Sofia was crying.
I kept reading.
The person who betrayed me used Sofia's name to hide their own actions.
The truth is hidden where nobody would think to look.
Trust Sofia.
She protected your mother.
She protected you.
I lowered the letter.
Everything changed.
Again.
"Who?""
Sofia looked at me.
"The person who actually betrayed your father.""
My voice was barely audible.
"Who?""
Sofia took a deep breath.
"Your father's closest friend.""
The room went silent.
Razor stiffened.
Marcus looked away.
I felt confused.
"We already know that.""
Sofia shook her head.
"No.""
She looked at Razor.
"You don't.""
The silence became unbearable.
Then she said the name.
The name nobody expected.
The name that made Razor step backward.
Because the person who destroyed Daniel Rodriguez's life...
Wasn't Victor.
Wasn't Marcus.
Wasn't Sofia.
It was someone who had spent eleven years pretending to search for the truth.
Someone who had protected me.
Someone who had promised my father he would keep me safe.
Jason "Razor" Miller.
I stared at him.
Unable to breathe.
The man who saved me.
The man who brought me here.
The man my father trusted.
His face changed.
Not with anger.
With pain.
Because he knew.
The truth was finally out.
"I can explain.""
May you like
But for the first time...
I wasn't sure I wanted to hear it.
