Chapter 6 - The Daughter Who Was Never Supposed to Know
The video kept playing.
But nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
My eyes stayed fixed on the screen as Kenneth's younger face appeared beside my sister Gertrude.
The woman who had held my hand through the hardest moments of my life.
The woman who had sat beside me at Thomas's funeral.
The woman who had looked me in the eyes and said:
"Some things are better left unanswered."
I had believed her.
I had trusted her.
And now I was watching her smile while my son talked about taking control of everything my husband built.
I looked at Daniel.
"How long?"
My voice barely sounded like mine.
Daniel knew exactly what I meant.
"How long did they work together?"
He lowered his head.
"Longer than Thomas knew."
My hands tightened.
"No."
I stood up.
"No, Daniel. I need you to say that again."
He looked at me.
"Kenneth and Gertrude had been making plans before Thomas discovered anything."
I shook my head.
"That doesn't make sense."
"I know."
"My sister helped raise my children."
"I know."
"She was there when Thomas died."
Daniel's expression changed.
"Exactly."
That one word made my stomach turn.
"Why did you say it like that?"
Daniel looked at the screen.
"Because Gertrude wasn't just there after Thomas died."
He paused.
"She was there before."
I stared at him.
"What are you saying?"
Daniel walked toward the table and picked up the photograph from earlier.
The one of Thomas and him.
"The night Thomas died, he wasn't trying to expose Kenneth."
I frowned.
"Then who?"
Daniel looked directly at me.
"Gertrude."
The room felt like it had disappeared.
I could hear my heartbeat.
My own sister.
The person who knew every secret I had.
The person who knew exactly where my weaknesses were.
"Why?"
Daniel took a deep breath.
"Because Thomas discovered something about the company accounts."
"What?"
"Money wasn't just being stolen."
He looked at the photograph.
"It was being prepared for something bigger."
I walked back to the laptop.
The video was still frozen on Kenneth and Gertrude.
"What were they planning?"
Daniel didn't answer immediately.
That scared me more than anything.
Because Daniel had answers.
But he was choosing which ones to give me.
"Daniel."
He looked at me.
"I need the truth."
He nodded.
"Thomas believed Kenneth wasn't trying to take the company."
"Then what was he trying to do?"
Daniel looked toward the window.
"He was trying to erase every person who could stop him."
The words stayed in the air.
I thought about the family message.
The rejection.
The sudden decision to cut me off.
It wasn't emotional.
It wasn't random.
It was planned.
"That's why they removed me."
Daniel nodded.
"Yes."
"Because I owned everything."
"Yes."
I laughed quietly.
A painful laugh.
"My own son thought he could throw me away."
Daniel said nothing.
Because he knew.
The worst part wasn't losing control of the company.
Or the house.
Or the money.
The worst part was realizing my son had looked at his mother...
and only seen an obstacle.
My phone suddenly rang.
I looked down.
Kenneth.
Again.
This time, I answered.
Daniel looked surprised.
I put it on speaker.
"Mom."
His voice came immediately.
Not angry.
Not anymore.
Nervous.
"What do you want, Kenneth?"
There was silence.
A long silence.
"I know you're upset."
I almost smiled.
Upset.
That was the word he chose.
Not hurt.
Not betrayed.
Upset.
"I think we need to talk."
"No."
Another silence.
"What?"
"You don't want to talk."
"Mom..."
"You want something."
I heard him breathe.
"Eleanor, this isn't helping anyone."
I looked at Daniel.
Then at the laptop.
"Who told you about the documents?"
Silence.
Too long.
"Mom, what are you talking about?"
I closed my eyes.
A lie.
A bad one.
"You knew about the house."
"No."
"You knew about the company."
"No."
"You knew about my husband's instructions."
The silence returned.
And this time...
I heard fear.
"Who have you been talking to?"
That question answered everything.
I ended the call.
Daniel looked at me.
"You knew."
I nodded.
"He didn't ask what instructions."
Daniel understood immediately.
"He already knew they existed."
I sat down.
The pain was worse because part of me still hoped.
A small part of every mother hopes.
Even when reality keeps proving them wrong.
Daniel reached for the flash drive.
"There is more."
I looked at him.
"More?"
Thomas had left behind more secrets than answers.
Daniel opened another file.
A folder appeared.
Three documents.
The first was labeled:
"Company Transfer."
The second:
"Family Protection Agreement."
The third...
had my name.
"Eleanor."
I clicked it.
The document opened.
The first line made me stop breathing.
"This agreement becomes active only if Eleanor Gable is betrayed by the people she protected."
I stared.
My husband had prepared for this.
Years ago.
Before anyone hurt me.
Before Kenneth sent that message.
Before my family abandoned me.
Thomas knew.
I kept reading.
"If my wife is reading this, then I failed to protect her myself."
My eyes filled.
Thomas.
Always thinking about me.
Always trying to save me.
The next sentence made my hands shake.
"The person responsible for my disappearance is not the person Eleanor believes."
I looked at Daniel.
"What does that mean?"
Daniel stared at the document.
"I don't know."
"You were with him."
"Yes."
"You know what happened."
"I know some of it."
"Some?"
His jaw tightened.
"Eleanor, that night changed everything."
I stood.
"No more half-truths."
Daniel looked at me.
"I am telling you the truth."
"Then tell me why Thomas blamed you."
His face changed.
Because I had finally asked the question neither of us wanted to answer.
"What did you do that night?"
Daniel looked away.
And for the first time...
I saw guilt.
Not fear.
Not regret.
Guilt.
Before he could answer, there was a sound outside.
A car door closing.
Both of us froze.
Daniel walked toward the window.
His expression changed.
"That's impossible."
I moved beside him.
"What?"
He looked outside.
A black SUV was parked in front of my house.
The same type of vehicle Thomas used to drive.
But Thomas had been gone for twenty years.
"Who is that?"
Daniel didn't answer.
Because someone was walking toward my front door.
Slowly.
Confidently.
Then my phone vibrated.
A message appeared.
Unknown number.
"Do not let Daniel open the door."
My heart stopped.
I looked at Daniel.
He looked at me.
Neither of us moved.
Then another message arrived.
This time with a photo.
A picture taken from outside my house.
Showing Daniel standing beside me.
And behind him...
in the reflection of the window...
was someone else.
Someone already inside the room.
Daniel slowly turned around.
The office door behind us moved.
It opened by itself.
And a familiar voice whispered:
May you like
"Eleanor..."
The voice belonged to someone who had been dead for twenty years.
