Chapter 20: The House Where They Buried the Truth

We reached the Hayes estate just after midnight.

The gates were closed, but the security system had already been disabled.

That was the first sign that Caleb had been telling the truth.

Vivian parked two streets away.

“We don't go in until the police are on their way,” she said.

I nodded, but my eyes were fixed on the dark mansion beyond the trees.

Somewhere inside was Paige.

For the first time in years, I wasn't thinking about forgiving her.

I was thinking about getting her out alive.

Daniel checked his phone.

“Officers are four minutes away.”

Then we heard glass breaking.

A light flashed inside the house.

“That's enough,” I said.

We ran toward the entrance.

The front door was unlocked.

Inside, the hallway smelled of smoke.

“Paige!” I shouted.

No answer.

A crash came from the study.

We followed the sound.

The study door was partially open.

Through the gap, I saw Robert Bennett standing beside a fireplace.

Thomas Hayes was holding a red notebook.

Victor Hale stood near the desk.

And Paige was sitting in a chair with her wrists tied.

My heart stopped.

Thomas looked toward the doorway.

“Nora.”

Robert turned.

For the first time, I saw fear in his eyes.

“You shouldn't have come here.”

I stepped inside.

“Untie her.”

Victor laughed.

“You still think you can give orders?”

I raised my phone.

“Everything you say is being recorded.”

Thomas glanced at Robert.

Robert's face hardened.

“You have no idea what you're dealing with.”

“I know exactly what I'm dealing with.”

I looked at the red notebook.

“You're destroying evidence.”

Thomas threw the notebook into the fireplace.

Paige screamed.

“No!”

Daniel rushed toward the fire.

Victor tried to stop him.

The two men struggled beside the hearth.

Vivian moved toward Paige.

Robert blocked her path.

“Stay out of this.”

“Move,” Vivian said.

Robert grabbed her arm.

I stepped between them.

“Touch my lawyer again and you'll have another charge to explain.”

Sirens sounded outside.

Everything changed instantly.

Victor backed away from the fireplace.

Thomas stared at the burning notebook.

Robert looked at me with pure hatred.

“You destroyed this family.”

I shook my head.

“No.”

I looked at Paige.

“You did that yourselves.”

Police officers stormed into the study.

They separated everyone and cut the restraints from Paige's wrists.

Paige immediately broke down.

“Nora, I'm sorry.”

I didn't answer.

One officer retrieved the partially burned notebook from the fireplace.

Another collected the flash drive and copies of the financial records.

Then an investigator walked in holding a sealed evidence bag.

“We found something in the garage.”

Inside the bag was a damaged black box.

My mother had owned one exactly like it.

The investigator continued.

“It contains an old vehicle tracking device.”

Daniel stared at it.

“That could prove where Victor's car was the night of the crash.”

Thomas suddenly lunged toward the bag.

The officers restrained him immediately.

“Don't touch that!” he shouted.

The room went silent.

Vivian looked at me.

“That's probably the most important thing we've found tonight.”

Thomas realized his mistake.

His face went pale.

Robert lowered his head.

Victor said nothing.

Outside, more police vehicles arrived.

The three men were taken into custody for questioning.

Paige remained in the study, crying quietly.

I stood across from her.

“Why did you help them?”

She wiped her face.

“Because they promised me everything.”

“Everything?”

“Money. The company. A house. They said once you were gone, the family would finally be mine.”

I stared at her.

“You thought abandoning me in that blizzard would make you win?”

She shook her head.

“I didn't know they'd actually try to hurt you.”

I almost laughed.

“You watched my location.”

Her eyes filled with tears.

“I know.”

“You laughed.”

“I know.”

“You spent ten years telling me I was too sensitive.”

She covered her face.

“I'm sorry.”

For years, I had dreamed of hearing those words.

Now they meant almost nothing.

I turned away.

As I stepped outside, Caleb was waiting near the police cars.

He looked at me but didn't approach.

“Nora.”

I stopped.

“I know I don't deserve another chance,” he said.

“No, you don't.”

His face crumpled.

“I understand.”

I walked past him.

For the first time, leaving someone behind didn't feel like abandonment.

It felt like freedom.

But the investigator stopped me before I reached Vivian's car.

“Ms. Bennett?”

I turned.

He held up the evidence bag containing the tracking device.

“There's something you need to see.”

He showed me the recovered data.

The location history from the night of the crash showed Victor's car stopping at the accident site.

Then another vehicle arrived six minutes later.

I recognized the license plate immediately.

It belonged to my father.

Robert hadn't merely known about my mother's death.

He had been there.

And now we finally had the evidence to prove it.