Chapter 5 - The Truth My Father Left Behind
The message on the screen stayed there.
"Daniel, if you are seeing this, it means your brother already chose her side..."
I stared at the words.
I didn't blink.
I didn't breathe.
Because there was one thing I couldn't accept.
Ethan.
My brother.
The person who stood beside me at our father's funeral.
The person who told me we would always protect Mom.
The person who hugged me and promised our family would stay together.
He couldn't be involved.
He couldn't have chosen Melissa.
But my father's warning was not a guess.
My father had prepared this message before he died.
He knew something.
Something he was afraid of.
I looked at the others.
My mother was crying silently.
Kevin looked down.
Officer Reynolds looked like a man watching a disaster he had failed to stop.
"Play it," I said.
Nobody moved.
"Daniel," my mother whispered.
I looked at her.
"I need to know."
She nodded slowly.
I clicked the file.
The screen went black for a few seconds.
Then my father's face appeared again.
He was sitting in his office.
The same office where everyone believed he had simply collapsed six years ago.
But now I noticed something.
There was fear in his eyes.
Not panic.
Not confusion.
Fear from someone who knew exactly what was coming.
"Daniel," my father said.
"If you are watching this, I need you to understand one thing."
He leaned closer to the camera.
"I did not die because my heart failed."
The room became silent.
My mother covered her mouth.
I felt my chest tighten.
My father continued.
"I was poisoned."
Nobody spoke.
The video continued.
"I discovered that someone close to our family had been moving money, manipulating records, and hiding information."
He looked away from the camera.
"I thought I could handle it myself."
A painful pause.
"I was wrong."
I clenched my fists.
My father had always been the strongest person I knew.
Seeing him admit fear felt impossible.
"I created copies of everything."
He looked directly into the camera.
"Financial records. Messages. Names."
Then he stopped.
And his next words changed everything.
"The person helping Melissa was not someone outside the family."
My heart dropped.
The screen froze.
The video ended.
Only three minutes.
Only enough information to destroy everything I believed.
I turned toward my mother.
"Did you know?"
She didn't answer.
That was the answer.
"Mom."
She wiped her tears.
"Your father wanted me to forget."
"Forget?"
"He wanted me to move on."
I shook my head.
"Someone killed him."
She looked at me.
"I know."
Those two words hurt more than anything.
Because my mother knew.
She had spent six years carrying this alone.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Her voice broke.
"Because your father made me promise."
I stepped back.
"My father made you promise to let me believe he died naturally?"
She nodded.
"He said if the person who did this knew you were searching, they would come after you."
I looked at the screen.
My father's final message.
My brother's name.
Melissa.
The missing files.
Everything connected.
"Why did he think Ethan was involved?"
My mother looked away.
"I don't know."
Kevin finally spoke.
"I do."
Everyone turned toward him.
He looked nervous.
But this time, he didn't stay silent.
"Your father suspected Ethan was being manipulated."
I stared at him.
"My brother?"
Kevin nodded.
"Melissa knew how to control people."
"How?"
"She made them believe they needed her."
I thought about Ethan.
The quiet brother.
The one who avoided conflict.
The one who always wanted peace.
Could Melissa have used that?
Could she have convinced him he was protecting the family?
I picked up my phone.
I called Ethan again.
This time, he answered.
"Daniel."
His voice was tired.
"Where are you?"
Silence.
"Ethan."
"I can't talk."
"You need to."
Another pause.
Then:
"Did you watch Dad's video?"
I froze.
"How do you know about the video?"
He didn't answer.
"Ethan."
"I saw it years ago."
My stomach tightened.
"What?"
"I found it after Dad died."
The room disappeared around me.
"You knew?"
"I didn't understand everything."
"You knew Dad was murdered?"
His breathing changed.
"I knew something was wrong."
I felt anger rising.
"Then why did you say nothing?"
His voice cracked.
"Because Melissa threatened Mom."
I stopped.
"What?"
"She told me if I went to the police, Mom would be blamed."
I looked at my mother.
She looked shocked too.
"Ethan, where are you?"
"I can't tell you."
"Why?"
"Because they are watching me."
The line went quiet.
Then I heard something.
A door opening.
A woman's voice.
Melissa.
My entire body froze.
"Ethan?"
He whispered:
"Daniel, listen to me."
"I'm listening."
"Do not trust anything Melissa says."
The sound of footsteps came closer.
"Ethan?"
His voice became urgent.
"You need to find Dad's second file."
"What second file?"
But he didn't answer.
The call ended.
I immediately called back.
Nothing.
I looked at the others.
"We need to find him."
Officer Reynolds shook his head.
"No."
I looked at him.
"No?"
"You don't understand."
"I understand my brother may be in danger."
Reynolds stepped closer.
"Your brother may not be the person you think he is."
I stared at him.
"You knew about Ethan?"
"I knew he was involved."
"How long?"
He looked away.
"Since the beginning."
Anger moved through me.
"You arrested my mother while knowing my brother was connected?"
"I was trying to protect the investigation."
"No."
I stepped closer.
"You were protecting yourself."
He didn't argue.
Because he knew I was right.
I opened the flash drive again.
There were more files.
New ones.
Files that hadn't appeared before.
One folder was labeled:
"ETHAN."
I stared at it.
Nobody spoke.
I clicked.
Inside were dozens of documents.
Bank transfers.
Emails.
Photos.
The first photo loaded.
It was Ethan.
Standing with Melissa.
At a restaurant.
Six months before our father died.
That wasn't strange.
They were married.
But then I saw the next photo.
My brother was handing Melissa an envelope.
The date was three days before my father's death.
I opened the attached document.
A transfer record.
A large amount of money.
Sent from my father's company.
To an account connected to Ethan.
I felt like the floor moved beneath me.
"No."
My mother whispered.
"Daniel..."
I looked at her.
"Did you know about this?"
She shook her head.
"No."
I opened another file.
A recorded conversation.
I pressed play.
Ethan's voice filled the room.
"I can't do this anymore."
Melissa answered.
"You already did."
Ethan sounded scared.
"I didn't know he would die."
The recording stopped.
I couldn't move.
The words repeated in my head.
I didn't know he would die.
Kevin looked at me.
"Daniel..."
I raised my hand.
Nobody spoke.
Because I needed to understand.
Was my brother a victim?
Or was he part of the crime?
Then another file appeared.
A video.
Recorded two days after my father's death.
The title was simple.
"Final Meeting."
I opened it.
The screen showed a parking garage.
Two people were standing there.
One was Ethan.
The other was someone I never expected.
Someone who had been helping me investigate the entire time.
The video zoomed in.
And I saw the face clearly.
Officer Reynolds.
My phone suddenly vibrated.
A message appeared.
From Ethan.
Only four words.
"Run. He's coming for you."
I looked up.
May you like
Because behind me...
the station door had already opened.
