Chapter 5 - The Truth Inside the Envelope
The envelope landed on the floor.
Nobody moved.
Not me.
Not my mother.
Not Daniel.
For a few seconds, the only sound in the room was my daughter's soft breathing against my chest.
Then Daniel stepped forward.
"Don't touch it."
I looked at him.
"Why?"
His eyes stayed fixed on the envelope.
"Because whoever sent it wanted us to find it."
The words made my skin crawl.
I looked toward the broken window.
The glass was scattered across the floor.
Someone had thrown it from outside.
Someone had been watching us.
Someone knew Daniel was here.
My entire body went cold.
I picked up my daughter and moved farther away from the window.
Daniel noticed.
"You need to leave."
I looked at him.
"Leave where?"
"Somewhere they can't find you."
I almost laughed.
"Do you understand how impossible that sounds?"
My voice shook.
"Two days ago, my biggest problem was finding out my husband cheated on me."
I looked at my mother.
"Now I find out my father is alive, my husband knew who I was before we met, and someone is throwing messages through my window."
I looked back at Daniel.
"I don't even know who to trust anymore."
Daniel's expression softened.
"You shouldn't trust anyone blindly."
The honesty in his voice surprised me.
Including him.
Maybe especially him.
My mother slowly walked toward the envelope.
Daniel immediately stopped her.
"Susan."
She looked at him.
"I need to know what's inside."
He stared at her.
"You knew this day would come."
My mother froze.
"What?"
Daniel's face changed.
"You knew Ryan would eventually find out."
My mother looked away.
And I felt my heart sink again.
"Mom?"
She didn't answer.
"Mom, what does he mean?"
She sat down slowly.
"I thought I could protect you."
I shook my head.
"Everyone keeps saying that."
My voice broke.
"But everyone keeps lying to me."
She covered her face.
"I was wrong."
Daniel looked at the envelope.
"Open it."
My mother looked at me.
Then at him.
Finally, she reached down.
Her hand trembled as she picked it up.
There was no return address.
No name.
Only mine.
Sarah Miller.
She opened it carefully.
Inside was a single photograph.
She pulled it out.
Then she stopped breathing.
I saw the fear in her eyes.
"What?"
She didn't answer.
"Mom."
Slowly, she handed me the picture.
I looked down.
And my entire world shifted.
It was a photo of Ryan.
But it wasn't recent.
It was years before we met.
He was standing beside a man I had never seen before.
The two of them were outside an office building.
Behind them was a sign.
Miller Holdings.
My father's company.
My hands started shaking.
"Why would Ryan have this?"
Daniel took the picture.
His expression darkened.
"Because he was there when everything started."
I looked at him.
"What does that mean?"
Daniel looked at the photograph.
"Ryan didn't meet you by accident."
I closed my eyes.
Even though I already knew.
I didn't want to hear it.
But I needed to.
"He was assigned to you."
The words cut deeper than I expected.
Assigned.
Like I was a target.
Not a person.
Not a wife.
Not someone he loved.
A target.
I remembered our first meeting.
The coffee shop.
His smile.
The way he made me laugh.
The way he said he felt like he had known me forever.
All of it suddenly felt fake.
"He knew about me."
Daniel nodded.
"He knew your identity."
"But I didn't even know."
"Exactly."
I looked at my mother.
"Why didn't you tell me who I was?"
She cried silently.
"Because I wanted you to have a normal life."
I shook my head.
"Normal?"
I looked around.
"My husband tried to take everything from me."
My voice became quieter.
"My baby almost got hurt because of him."
My mother closed her eyes.
"I thought if you didn't know, they couldn't use you."
Daniel looked at her.
"But they found her anyway."
The room went silent.
I looked at the photograph again.
"Who is the man with Ryan?"
Daniel took a long breath.
"Someone who controls a lot more than Ryan."
"Who?"
Before he could answer, my phone rang.
This time, it wasn't an unknown number.
It was Ryan.
Everyone looked at the screen.
I stared at his name.
A name that used to make me smile.
Now it made me feel sick.
"Don't answer."
Daniel's voice was calm.
But I picked up.
"Why are you calling me?"
For several seconds, there was silence.
Then Ryan spoke.
"Sarah."
Hearing his voice almost made me drop the phone.
Not because I missed him.
Because I remembered the sound of his voice when he told Megan they needed to leave me.
"I need to talk to you."
I laughed quietly.
"You need to talk to me?"
"Yes."
"Now?"
"Please."
I looked around the room.
At Daniel.
At my mother.
At my daughter.
"Why?"
Ryan hesitated.
And that hesitation told me something.
He was scared.
"Because you don't understand what you're involved in."
My grip tightened.
"You mean your plan?"
"No."
His voice became desperate.
"My plan wasn't supposed to hurt you."
I froze.
"What?"
"I never wanted things to happen this way."
I almost couldn't believe him.
"You pushed me."
Silence.
"You left me on the floor."
"I know."
"You ran."
"I know."
"Then why are you calling?"
His voice dropped.
"Because Megan lied to me."
I frowned.
"What?"
"Megan wasn't working alone."
I looked at Daniel.
He was watching me carefully.
"Who was she working with?"
Ryan didn't answer immediately.
Then he said:
"The same person who has been controlling everything."
A cold feeling moved through me.
"Who?"
The line became quiet.
Then Ryan whispered:
"Your father."
I froze.
Daniel's face changed.
Not surprise.
Anger.
I turned away from him.
"You're lying."
"I'm not."
"You knew he was alive."
"Yes."
"Then why didn't you tell me?"
Ryan's breathing became heavier.
"Because I was trying to protect myself."
There it was.
Not me.
Himself.
I closed my eyes.
"You never changed."
"Sarah, listen to me."
"No."
My voice was steady now.
"I'm done listening."
"You're in danger."
The words stopped me.
Because despite everything...
I believed him.
Not because I trusted him.
Because I knew Ryan.
He was selfish.
He was cruel.
But he was not afraid easily.
And right now, he sounded terrified.
"What danger?"
Before he could answer, I heard something.
A door closing on his end.
Then another voice.
A man's voice.
Ryan stopped speaking.
"Who are you talking to?"
I heard Ryan whisper:
"No one."
The other man laughed.
Then Ryan suddenly lowered his voice.
"Sarah, don't stay there."
My heart started pounding.
"What?"
"Leave the house."
"Why?"
The call became chaotic.
Someone grabbed Ryan's phone.
A different voice came through.
A voice I didn't recognize.
"Sarah Miller."
I froze.
The man continued.
"Your father told you the truth."
My fingers tightened around the phone.
"But he didn't tell you everything."
The call ended.
I stared at the screen.
Then I noticed something.
Daniel wasn't looking at me.
He was looking behind me.
At the front door.
Slowly, I turned around.
The lock was moving.
Someone was unlocking it from the outside.
And my mother whispered:
May you like
"Sarah... that's impossible."
Because the person standing outside had the only key that should have existed.
