Chapter 6 - The Truth Behind the Accident
The voice outside the door disappeared.
But the words remained.
"She was with..."
Adrian stood frozen.
He didn't need to hear the name.
Not yet.
Because somewhere deep inside, he already knew the truth was something he would never forgive.
Daniel moved toward the door.
"Everyone away from here."
Richard grabbed his arm.
"No."
Daniel looked at him.
"You know who it is."
Richard's expression became cold.
"I know exactly who it is."
Adrian turned toward them.
"Then say it."
Nobody answered.
That was the part that hurt the most.
Everyone knew.
Everyone except him.
For three years, Adrian had been living inside a lie created by people closest to him.
His father.
His wife's friend.
The investigator who closed the case.
All of them had watched him suffer.
All of them had let him believe the worst night of his life was just an accident.
"Tell me," Adrian said again.
This time, his voice was quieter.
But more dangerous.
Richard looked at him.
"The person who was with your wife that night was someone she trusted."
Adrian stared.
"Who?"
Richard didn't answer.
Then the hospital door shook.
Someone hit it from the other side.
Everyone jumped.
The lock almost broke.
Daniel immediately moved the hospital bed in front of the door.
"We need to leave."
Adrian looked at Lily.
The little girl was crying silently.
He knelt beside her.
"Hey."
She looked at him.
"Are you my daddy?"
The question destroyed him.
Because three years ago, he lost a daughter.
And now, another child was looking at him with the same fear.
Adrian didn't know what to say.
So he told her the only thing he knew.
"I'm someone who won't let anyone hurt you."
Lily nodded.
Then she whispered:
"Mama said you would say that."
Adrian looked at Sofia.
"What else did she tell you?"
Sofia looked away.
"Everything."
His heart stopped.
"Everything?"
Sofia slowly nodded.
"She told Lily about you."
"Why?"
"Because she knew one day you would have to find her."
Adrian looked confused.
"She knew I would find Lily?"
Sofia took a shaky breath.
"Your wife knew she wouldn't survive that night."
Silence.
The sentence was heavier than anything else.
Adrian felt his chest tighten.
"Don't say that."
Sofia looked at him with tears in her eyes.
"She knew."
"No."
"She prepared for it."
Adrian shook his head.
"No."
Sofia reached into her bag.
She pulled out a small device.
A flash drive.
"I was supposed to give this to you only when Lily was safe."
Adrian stared at it.
"What is it?"
"The last message your wife recorded."
His hands trembled.
"Play it."
Sofia looked at Richard.
Richard nodded.
Daniel locked the door again.
Then Sofia connected the device.
A small screen appeared.
Static filled the hospital room.
Then a familiar face appeared.
Adrian stopped breathing.
His wife.
Alive.
Speaking.
Three years ago.
She looked tired.
Scared.
But determined.
"Adrian..."
His eyes filled instantly.
Even after three years, hearing her voice broke him.
"I don't know when you will see this."
She looked away for a moment.
"If you are watching this, then something happened to me."
Adrian covered his mouth.
The recording continued.
"I need you to listen carefully."
Her eyes became serious.
"Do not trust the story they tell you."
Adrian looked at Richard.
"Your father is not the enemy."
Everyone went silent.
Adrian looked confused.
The recording continued.
"The person who betrayed us is someone who made you believe they were helping you."
His face changed.
Daniel looked away.
Adrian slowly turned toward him.
"No."
The recording continued.
"They will tell you they protected me."
A pause.
"But they were the reason I had to run."
The screen flickered.
Then his wife's voice became softer.
"Adrian, if Lily is with you..."
The little girl looked at the screen.
"...please tell her I kept my promise."
Adrian looked at Lily.
The child began crying.
"Mama..."
The recording continued.
"Tell my daughter I never left her."
The screen suddenly went black.
The room was silent.
Then Adrian looked at Daniel.
"You knew."
Daniel didn't answer.
"You knew this whole time."
Daniel closed his eyes.
"Yes."
Adrian walked toward him.
"You told me my wife died because of an accident."
"I was ordered to."
"By who?"
Daniel didn't speak.
Adrian grabbed his jacket.
"By who?"
Daniel finally looked at him.
"The person standing behind your entire family."
Before Adrian could ask more, the hospital lights turned on.
The door stopped shaking.
Everyone looked confused.
Then Daniel's phone vibrated.
He checked the screen.
His face turned pale.
"What?"
Richard stepped closer.
"Who is it?"
Daniel handed him the phone.
A message appeared.
One photo.
No words.
Adrian looked at the screen.
The picture showed a hospital hallway.
Taken only seconds earlier.
Everyone in the room was visible.
Adrian.
Lily.
Sofia.
Richard.
Daniel.
Someone had been watching them.
Richard looked at the photo.
Then whispered:
"He wants us to know he's here."
Adrian looked at the hallway camera.
"Who?"
Richard didn't answer.
Because another message arrived.
This time, only four words.
"Look behind your father."
Everyone slowly turned.
Richard froze.
Behind him, on the hospital wall, was a shadow.
A person standing just outside the emergency exit.
Richard's face changed.
Because he recognized the person.
"Impossible..."
Adrian stepped forward.
"Who is it?"
Richard whispered:
"The man who killed your wife."
May you like
The emergency exit door opened.
And the person standing there was holding Adrian's wife's wedding ring.
