Chapter 18: The Last Lie

For several seconds, I could only stare at Cole.

"Your father?"

He nodded slowly.

"My father knew about Richard's crimes. He helped him cover them up."

My hands tightened around the photograph.

"Then why did my father trust you?"

"Because he didn't know everything about my father."

"And you did?"

"I found out after he died."

I took a step back.

"You knew that your family was involved, yet you still came into my life."

"I came into your life because your father asked me to protect you."

"Protect me from what?"

Cole's voice broke.

"From my father."

Silence filled the space between us.

Then the detective approached with another envelope.

"We found this in Nathan's belongings."

I opened it.

Inside was a copy of an old police report.

The report stated that my father's car had been found abandoned the night before his death.

Someone had followed him from his office.

The name of the investigator assigned to the case was Richard Vale.

My heart sank.

"Richard investigated my father's death?"

The detective nodded.

"And the case was closed within forty-eight hours."

Everything had been controlled from the beginning.

The investigation.

The financial records.

My father's reputation.

Even the evidence surrounding his death.

Then Cole's phone rang.

It was an unknown number.

He answered.

Richard's voice came through.

"You finally found the truth."

Cole's expression hardened.

"Where are you?"

"Somewhere you won't find me."

"You killed Elias Wren."

Richard laughed quietly.

"Your father was never supposed to discover the accounts."

I stepped closer to the phone.

"Why did you destroy his life?"

There was a pause.

"Because he refused to cooperate."

"And my father?"

"Your father made the same mistake."

My blood ran cold.

"What do you mean?"

"He found out that Cole's father had been helping me."

Cole closed his eyes.

Richard continued.

"Your father planned to expose both of us. We couldn't allow that."

The call suddenly ended.

Cole looked at me.

"I'm sorry."

I shook my head.

"Sorry doesn't bring him back."

"I know."

"But it can bring the truth out."

Nathan stepped forward.

"The drive contains enough evidence to reopen the case."

The detective took the flash drive and began reviewing the files.

Within minutes, he found records connecting Richard to the missing money, the altered documents, and the old investigation.

Then he found something else.

A payment made to Cole's father one day before my father's death.

Cole stared at the screen.

"My father took money from Richard."

I looked at him.

"And you knew nothing about it."

"No."

For the first time, I believed him.

The detective immediately contacted the authorities.

Richard was no longer protected by silence.

But there was still one person missing.

Wes.

The man who had helped Richard watch us.

Before dawn, Wes appeared at the police station.

He looked exhausted and terrified.

"I want to testify," he said.

"I'll tell you everything."

He looked directly at me.

"I was the one who sent you the messages."

I stared at him.

"Why?"

"Because I realized too late that Richard planned to kill you just like he killed your father."

Cole stepped toward him.

"Where is Richard?"

Wes swallowed.

"He has one last meeting planned."

"With who?"

Wes looked at me.

"With you."

My heart stopped.

"When?"

"Tomorrow morning."

I looked at the folder containing my father's records.

After eight years of lies, I finally knew what I had to do.

I wasn't going to run anymore.

Tomorrow, I would face the man who had destroyed my family.

And this time, I would bring the truth with me.