Chapter 5 - The Voice From My Father’s Phone
Nobody moved after the message ended.
The recording stopped.
But the words remained.
The person who caused it is sitting in that room with you.
I looked around the conference room.
Slowly.
One face at a time.
Daniel.
The auditor.
The board members.
Grace.
Evan.
Madison.
Someone in that room had something to do with my father’s death.
My mind refused to accept it.
Because there were things you could prepare yourself for.
Losing a company.
Finding betrayal.
Discovering lies.
But believing someone close to you could hurt your father?
That was different.
That was something my heart rejected before my mind even processed it.
"Olivia..."
Evan’s voice pulled me back.
I looked at him.
He looked terrified.
Not angry.
Not defensive.
Terrified.
"What?" I asked.
He swallowed.
"Play it again."
I stared at him.
"Why?"
"Because I need to hear it."
I pressed the screen.
The recording played again.
Your father never died because of his heart.
The room became even colder.
Nobody spoke.
When it ended, Daniel immediately stood.
"Everyone leaves this room."
Madison laughed.
A nervous laugh.
"Excuse me?"
Daniel looked at her.
"Until we understand what happened, nobody leaves the building."
Her expression changed.
"You cannot hold me here."
"No."
Daniel's voice remained calm.
"But I can ask security to prevent unauthorized access to company property while an investigation is active."
Madison looked around.
She realized something.
For the first time that day, she wasn't controlling the room.
She wasn't the person giving orders.
She was the person being watched.
I looked at Evan.
"Who sent that message?"
He shook his head.
"I don't know."
"But you knew about Victor."
His jaw tightened.
"I said I met him."
"You also lied to Dad."
His eyes dropped.
I hated seeing him like that.
Because despite everything, he was still my brother.
But my father was gone.
And someone had taken advantage of his trust.
I couldn't protect Evan from consequences anymore.
Not if he had been part of the reason we were standing there.
The conference room door opened.
A security officer stepped inside.
"Mr. Foster."
Daniel turned.
"Yes?"
"There is someone asking to see Olivia Cole."
Everyone looked at me.
"Who?"
The officer hesitated.
"He refused to give his name."
My stomach tightened.
"Did he say why he was here?"
The officer looked at his notes.
"He said he had information about Richard Cole's final day."
Nobody breathed.
Daniel immediately stepped forward.
"Where is he?"
The officer looked uncomfortable.
"He left."
My eyebrows pulled together.
"Left?"
"He said if Olivia Cole wanted the truth, she would know where to find him."
Madison suddenly spoke.
"You shouldn't go."
Everyone turned toward her.
Her face was unreadable.
"Why?"
I asked.
She looked away.
Too quickly.
That was the second time that day she had revealed something without realizing it.
"Because whoever sent that message wants you afraid."
I studied her.
"You sound like you know who it is."
"I don't."
The answer was immediate.
Too immediate.
Daniel noticed too.
He walked closer.
"Mrs. Cole."
She looked at him.
"Where were you the night Richard Cole died?"
Her expression hardened.
"Are you accusing me?"
"I'm asking a question."
"I was home."
"Alone?"
A pause.
Small.
But enough.
"No."
The room went silent.
"Who was with you?"
Madison looked at Evan.
My brother looked back at her.
And something passed between them.
Something they didn't want us to see.
Finally, Madison answered.
"My husband."
Everyone looked at Evan.
He slowly nodded.
"Yes."
I felt a strange disappointment.
Not surprise.
Disappointment.
Because even now, even after everything, he was still protecting her.
Daniel noticed.
"Mr. Cole, your father's death certificate listed the cause as a heart attack."
Evan nodded.
"Yes."
"But your father had a private medical evaluation scheduled two days before his death."
I frowned.
"What?"
Daniel looked at me.
"He suspected something was wrong with his health."
My heart sank.
"Why didn't anyone tell me?"
Nobody answered.
Because nobody knew.
Or because someone didn't want me to know.
The second possibility hurt more.
The auditor opened his laptop again.
"I reviewed the security records from the night Mr. Cole died."
Madison looked up.
"What security records?"
"The company cameras."
Her face changed.
I saw it.
A flash of fear.
"You said the cameras were damaged."
The auditor looked at her.
"Who told you that?"
Silence.
Madison realized her mistake.
Nobody had said the cameras were damaged.
She knew.
Daniel slowly turned toward her.
"Mrs. Cole."
She didn't respond.
"How did you know the cameras were damaged?"
Her mouth opened.
Nothing came out.
For the first time, Madison Cole had no answer.
The auditor displayed footage on the screen.
A hallway.
The executive floor.
The night my father died.
The timestamp showed 10:43 PM.
My father's office door opened.
Everyone leaned closer.
A figure walked inside.
The quality was poor.
The face was hidden.
But the person carried a familiar object.
A black leather briefcase.
My father’s briefcase.
The one he carried every day.
My breathing stopped.
"Who is that?" Grace whispered.
The footage continued.
The person entered my father's office.
Ten minutes later, they left.
Holding something.
A folder.
The same type of folder my father used for confidential documents.
Daniel paused the video.
"We need the original footage."
The auditor nodded.
"I tried."
"And?"
"The file was partially deleted."
My hands tightened.
"By who?"
He looked at the screen.
"Someone with internal access."
Again.
Someone inside.
Madison suddenly stood.
"I need to leave."
Daniel immediately blocked her path.
"No."
She stared at him.
"You cannot keep me here."
"You are free to go when we finish asking questions."
Her eyes narrowed.
"Is this because you think I did something?"
Nobody answered.
That was enough.
She looked at Evan.
"Are you going to let them treat me like this?"
Evan didn't move.
Madison's expression changed.
"Evan."
Still nothing.
Something inside my brother had shifted.
Maybe it was the documents.
Maybe it was the message.
Maybe it was finally seeing the truth.
Madison walked toward him.
"You know I would never hurt your father."
Evan looked at her.
And quietly said:
"I don't know what to believe anymore."
The words hit her harder than any accusation.
She stepped back.
I watched her carefully.
Because there was something she was hiding.
Something bigger than money.
Bigger than the company.
Daniel picked up the black envelope from the table.
The one my father hid behind the bookshelf.
"Olivia."
I looked at him.
"Your father wanted you to open this after you heard the recording."
My fingers went cold.
"Why?"
Daniel looked at the envelope.
"Because he knew someone would try to stop you before you found the truth."
I opened it.
Inside was a single photograph.
My father.
Standing outside a restaurant.
Talking to someone.
The picture was old.
But clear enough.
I recognized my father immediately.
Then I saw the person standing across from him.
My heart stopped.
Because I knew that face.
Everyone in the room knew that face.
It was my brother.
Evan.
May you like
But the date printed on the back of the photograph was impossible.
It was taken one week after my father’s funeral.
