Chapter 3: The Second Letter
The room remained silent long after the phone call ended.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
The only sound was the faint hum of the building's ventilation system and the distant noise of security officers moving through the terminal outside.
David Sterling stared at the envelope on the table.
The second seal.
The hidden message.
*FOR MARGARET, ONLY.*
Those four words had been sitting there for eleven years.
Eleven years.
And he had never seen them.
Or perhaps he had refused to see them.
Rebecca watched him carefully.
She had spent years learning how to read people.
VIP clients.
Corporate executives.
Investors who smiled while negotiating millions of dollars.
People who lied professionally.
But David Sterling was different.
He wasn't hiding anger.
He wasn't hiding fear.
He was hiding a memory.
A memory that had just come back to life.
“Who was that?”” Rebecca asked.
David didn't answer.
“Mr. Sterling.””
Still nothing.
Elliot stepped closer to the table.
“David.””
The chairman finally looked up.
His eyes were fixed on the envelope.
“Thomas.””
Elliot frowned.
“That wasn't possible.””
David looked at him.
“You heard the voice.””
“I heard someone claiming to be Thomas.””
David shook his head.
“No.””
His voice became quieter.
“I heard Thomas.””
Rebecca looked between them.
“You're telling me Thomas Ellis is alive?””
Neither man answered.
That was the answer.
Rebecca felt a chill move through her.
Thomas Ellis had been dead for eleven years.
His death had been reported.
His funeral had been attended by hundreds of people.
His company obituary had been published in major aviation magazines.
Everyone knew the story.
Thomas Ellis, the brilliant businessman who helped create Sterling Aviation, had died in a car accident outside Austin.
A tragic ending.
A respected legacy.
A closed chapter.
Except now, someone had just called David Sterling using his voice.
“Open it,” Elliot said.
David looked at him.
“What?””
“The second letter.””
David stared.
“I can't.””
Elliot's expression hardened.
“You have to.””
David didn't move.
Rebecca noticed his hands.
They were shaking again.
“You're afraid of what's inside.””
David looked at her.
“Yes.””
The honesty surprised her.
After everything that had happened that night, she expected another explanation.
Another excuse.
Another carefully prepared corporate answer.
Instead, he admitted fear.
“What did Thomas know?”” Rebecca asked.
David looked away.
“I don't know.””
“But he left something specifically for Margaret.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
David sat down slowly.
“Because he knew something was going to happen.””
Elliot looked at the envelope.
“Something involving his death?””
David didn't answer.
That silence was enough.
Rebecca stepped closer.
“Open it.””
David looked at her.
“Why do you care?””
The question caught her off guard.
“Because I work here.””
“No.””
David shook his head.
“Not anymore.””
Rebecca froze.
“What?””
“Your access was revoked because the system believes you're no longer part of Sterling Aviation.””
“That doesn't mean anything.””
“It means whoever controls the system has already begun removing people.””
David looked at her.
“You were one of the first.””
Rebecca felt anger rise.
“So that's it?””
“No.””
“Then what?””
David looked at the envelope.
“You were removed because someone wants you away from this.””
Rebecca stared.
“Why?””
David didn't respond.
Elliot did.
“Because you might know something.””
Rebecca laughed once.
“That makes no sense.””
“You were promoted six months ago.””
“Yes.””
“You replaced someone.””
Rebecca frowned.
“Michael Turner.””
Elliot nodded.
“Where is he now?””
Rebecca hesitated.
“He resigned.””
“No.””
Elliot's voice was cold.
“He disappeared.””
Rebecca's expression changed.
“What?””
David looked at her.
“You never questioned why you were promoted so quickly?””
Rebecca remembered.
She had been surprised.
Michael Turner had been one of Sterling's longest-serving executives.
He had suddenly left.
Within two weeks, Rebecca had been offered his position.
Everyone told her it was because of her performance.
Her dedication.
Her results.
But now...
She wasn't sure.
“What happened to Michael?””
David looked down.
“We don't know.””
Rebecca felt something tighten in her chest.
“You think he knew about this?””
“I think Michael found something.””
“What?””
David looked at the envelope.
“Maybe this.””
The room became quiet again.
Finally, David reached forward.
His fingers touched the second seal.
For several seconds, he simply held it.
Then he opened it.
Inside was another piece of paper.
Older.
Yellowed.
The handwriting was the same.
Thomas Ellis.
David unfolded it.
He read silently.
His face changed almost immediately.
Rebecca noticed.
“What?””
David didn't answer.
Elliot stepped forward.
“Let me see.””
David handed him the paper.
Elliot read.
Then he looked up.
“What does this mean?””
Rebecca took the paper next.
The message was short.
Only a few paragraphs.
But every word felt heavier than the last.
David,
If you are reading this, then I am already gone.
You will believe many things after my death.
Some will be true.
Most will not.
The person who benefits from my disappearance is not the person who caused it.
Do not trust the records.
Do not trust the investigation.
And most importantly—
Do not trust the man who tells you he protected me.
He did not.
Margaret knows the truth.
She always has.
If she returns, listen to her.
She is not coming for revenge.
She is coming because I asked her to.
Thomas.
Rebecca lowered the paper.
Nobody spoke.
Finally, Elliot whispered,
“Richard.””
David looked at him.
“What?””
“The man who protected you.””
David's face darkened.
Richard Hayes.
His attorney.
His friend.
The person who had guided him through every major decision for over two decades.
Rebecca looked at David.
“Thomas was talking about him.””
David shook his head.
“No.””
“Why not?””
“Because Richard was the one who helped me survive after Thomas died.””
“That doesn't mean anything.””
David stood.
“You don't understand.””
“Then explain.””
David looked exhausted.
“After the accident, everyone wanted answers.””
Rebecca listened.
“The police investigated. The insurance companies investigated. The board investigated.””
“And?””
“Everyone reached the same conclusion.””
“Which was?””
“Driver lost control. Road conditions were poor. Thomas died accidentally.””
Rebecca looked at the letter.
“But Thomas didn't believe that.””
“No.””
“Why?””
David's expression became distant.
“Because three days before he died, he told me someone was trying to kill him.””
Silence.
Elliot stared.
“And you didn't tell anyone?””
David looked at him.
“Who would believe me?””
Rebecca stepped forward.
“Your best friend told you someone wanted him dead, and you did nothing?””
David's eyes hardened.
“You weren't there.””
“No, I wasn't.””
“He was paranoid.””
Rebecca froze.
David continued.
“He had been under enormous pressure. The company was growing too quickly. Investors were demanding more. He wasn't sleeping.””
“But he was right.””
David looked at the letter.
“Yes.””
A notification sound interrupted them.
Everyone looked toward the conference room screen.
A new message appeared.
SECURITY ALERT.
A file had been uploaded.
Sender:
UNKNOWN.
Subject:
THE TRUTH ABOUT THOMAS ELLIS.
Elliot immediately moved toward the computer.
“Don't open it.””
David stopped him.
“Why?””
“Because whoever sent it wants us to.””
Rebecca looked at the screen.
“Then why send it?””
Elliot stared.
“To control what we see.””
David looked at him.
“But we need to know.””
Elliot hesitated.
Then he opened the file.
A video appeared.
Black screen.
No image.
Only audio.
Then a man's voice.
Thomas.
Everyone froze.
“If you're watching this, then something went wrong.””
David grabbed the edge of the table.
Thomas continued.
“I don't know who will find this recording. I don't know whether David will believe me. I don't know whether Margaret will still be alive.””
Rebecca looked at David.
His face had gone pale.
“But I know one thing.””
The recording paused.
Then Thomas spoke again.
“The company was never attacked from the outside.””
A few seconds of silence.
“The person destroying Sterling Aviation was already inside.””
The video continued.
“There are three people who know what happened.””
David whispered,
“No.””
Thomas's voice continued.
“One of them is dead.””
The room became colder.
“One of them is hiding.””
A pause.
“And one of them has been pretending to protect the company.””
David stepped back.
Rebecca watched him.
The words were impossible to ignore.
Three people.
One dead.
One hiding.
One pretending.
Thomas continued.
“David, if you're hearing this, you need to understand something.””
The recording crackled.
“You were never my enemy.””
David closed his eyes.
“But you were used.””
The video ended.
The screen went black.
Nobody moved.
Then Elliot spoke.
“Who were the three people?””
David looked at him.
“I don't know.””
Rebecca shook her head.
“No.””
Both men looked at her.
“You do.””
David frowned.
“What?””
She pointed toward the letter.
“Thomas said one of them was hiding.””
She looked at the screen.
“One was pretending to protect the company.””
Then she looked directly at David.
“And one was dead.””
David said nothing.
Rebecca's voice lowered.
“Who died before Thomas?””
The question hung in the room.
Elliot slowly turned toward David.
“David.””
The chairman's expression changed.
Rebecca knew she had found something.
Something buried.
Something everyone had avoided.
“Who died?”” she asked again.
David walked to the window.
Outside, the airport lights reflected against the dark glass.
Finally, he spoke.
“Thomas had a brother.””
Elliot looked confused.
“A brother?””
“Yes.””
“Why don't I know about him?””
David's voice became quieter.
“Because nobody does.””
Rebecca felt a chill.
“Why?””
David turned around.
“Because his brother disappeared twenty-five years ago.””
“Disappeared?””
David nodded.
“After a family dispute.””
“What was his name?””
David looked at the floor.
“Jonathan.””
Elliot suddenly froze.
“Jonathan Ellis?””
David looked at him.
“You know that name?””
Elliot didn't answer immediately.
Then he reached into his briefcase.
Slowly.
Carefully.
He removed a folder.
“I found this three months ago.””
David stared.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because I thought it was irrelevant.””
Rebecca stepped closer.
“What is it?””
Elliot opened the folder.
Inside was a photograph.
Old.
Faded.
A young Thomas Ellis stood beside another man.
The resemblance was obvious.
Same eyes.
Same smile.
Same face structure.
Two brothers.
On the back of the photograph was a handwritten note.
Rebecca picked it up.
Her fingers tightened.
The note said:
*The Ellis family story was never about Thomas.*
A second line was written beneath it.
*It was always about Jonathan.*
David stared at the photograph.
Then his phone rang.
Again.
Unknown number.
Nobody wanted him to answer.
Everyone knew it.
But David did.
“Hello?””
A man's voice came through.
Older.
Calm.
Familiar.
“David.””
David stopped breathing.
“Jonathan?””
The voice laughed softly.
“You finally remembered me.””
Rebecca looked at Elliot.
Elliot looked terrified.
David gripped the phone.
“You're alive.””
“Yes.””
“Where are you?””
A pause.
Then:
“Closer than you think.””
David's face changed.
“What does that mean?””
The voice lowered.
“It means you've been sitting in a room with my secrets all night.””
David looked around.
At the walls.
The cameras.
The locked door.
Then the voice said:
“And you still haven't noticed the person who brought them to you.””
The call ended.
Everyone looked at each other.
Slowly.
Suspiciously.
The question no one wanted to ask appeared in everyone's mind.
May you like
Who had been helping Jonathan Ellis?
And who had been sitting beside them all along?
