Chapter 23: The Enemy My Father Never Saw Coming
The payment came from a company name nobody recognized.
At first.
My father stared at the document.
"Northbridge Holdings.""
The name meant nothing to me.
But it meant something to him.
His expression changed.
"Who are they?""
My father didn't answer.
He walked to his office.
Opened an old cabinet.
And pulled out a file.
A file I had never seen before.
"Years ago, before I started my company, I had a business partner.""
I listened.
"His name was Daniel Reeves.""
The name sounded familiar.
Not because I knew him.
Because I had heard my father mention him once.
Years ago.
A name from a story that ended badly.
"What happened?""
My father opened the file.
"We built the company together.""
"Then?""
"He betrayed me.""
The word was heavy.
"What did he do?""
"He tried to take control.""
My father explained.
Daniel had been ambitious.
Too ambitious.
He wanted more ownership.
More power.
When my father refused, Daniel tried to force him out.
Eventually, the partnership ended.
My father rebuilt.
Daniel disappeared.
Or at least, that was what my father thought.
"Northbridge is his company.""
Nobody spoke.
The pieces connected.
Daniel had access to old information.
He knew my father.
He knew the company.
He knew his weaknesses.
But why involve Denise?
Why involve Marcus?
Why destroy my family?
My father looked at the documents again.
"Because he wanted revenge.""
The word sounded simple.
But revenge had destroyed years of lives.
My father contacted his attorney.
Within days, we learned the truth.
Daniel had been quietly investigating my father for years.
He knew about the trust.
He knew about Denise.
He knew about the family situation.
And then he found a weakness.
A person willing to listen.
Denise.
But the truth was more complicated.
Daniel didn't create Denise's fear.
He didn't create her insecurity.
He simply used them.
He saw what she wanted.
Security.
Control.
A perfect family.
And he offered her a way to get it.
A way that would benefit him.
My father was devastated.
Not because Daniel betrayed him.
That had happened before.
Because Daniel had used his family.
One evening, my father received a message.
Daniel wanted to meet.
I expected him to refuse.
He didn't.
"I need answers.""
We met Daniel at an office downtown.
He looked exactly like someone who had spent years convincing himself he was right.
Confident.
Calm.
Almost friendly.
"Arthur.""
My father looked at him.
"Daniel.""
They sat across from each other.
Two men who once built something together.
Now separated by years of anger.
"Why?""
My father didn't waste time.
Daniel smiled.
"Still direct.""
"Why did you involve my family?""
Daniel leaned back.
"Because your family was the only thing you cared about.""
The answer shocked me.
"You ruined people's lives because you were angry at him?""
Daniel looked at me.
"And you must be Maya.""
I felt uncomfortable.
"How do you know me?""
He smiled.
"Everyone knows about the Carter family.""
My father stood.
"Answer the question.""
Daniel sighed.
"Arthur, you took everything from me.""
"No.""
My father's voice was firm.
"You destroyed your own opportunity.""
Daniel laughed.
"That's what you tell yourself.""
The conversation became heated.
Daniel admitted he contacted Denise.
He admitted he encouraged her to fight for control.
But he denied forcing her.
"She made her own choices.""
My father looked at him.
"And Marcus?""
Daniel shrugged.
"A desperate young man who wanted to help his mother.""
I hated how casually he said it.
Like people were just pieces on a board.
Like pain was a strategy.
Before we left, Daniel said something that stayed with me.
"You think this is over?""
My father stopped.
"What does that mean?""
Daniel smiled.
"Because I didn't create your family's problems.""
He looked at me.
"I only exposed them.""
The words bothered me.
Because there was a small piece of truth hidden inside them.
Daniel had not created every problem.
Denise had made choices.
Marcus had made choices.
My father had made mistakes.
I had suffered because of all of it.
But Daniel had found every weakness and pushed.
He turned cracks into disasters.
When we returned home, my father received another call.
This time, it wasn't from his attorney.
It was from Denise.
She sounded terrified.
"Arthur.""
"What happened?""
A pause.
Then:
"Daniel contacted me.""
My father froze.
"What did he say?""
Her voice shook.
"He said if I don't help him one more time...""
Silence.
"What?""
"He will release something about Maya's mother.""
My heart stopped.
My mother.
Again.
Another secret.
Another threat.
May you like
And this time, Denise wasn't hiding something.
She was afraid.
