Chapter 10: My Father's Final Letter

I unfolded the letter with trembling hands.

The paper was old, but my father's handwriting was unmistakable.

“Fernanda, if you're reading this, your mother and I are no longer here.”

I had to stop.

For eight years, I had imagined hearing his voice again.

Now I was reading the last words he had ever written to me.

“We discovered something about Reed that we were never supposed to see.”

“At first, we believed it was simply a matter of business.”

“Then we discovered that money was being transferred through companies we had never heard of.”

“Pilar's name appeared repeatedly.”

My eyes filled with tears.

My father continued.

“We confronted Reed.”

“He denied everything.”

“But when we told him we had copies of the records, his attitude changed.”

“He warned us to stay out of his affairs.”

I gripped the paper tighter.

“We were planning to take the evidence to the authorities.”

“That was when we realized someone was following us.”

I looked at Marcus.

He was staring at the floor.

I continued reading.

“Fernanda, there is something else you need to know.”

“Reed was not the only person involved.”

My heart pounded.

“Pilar knew everything.”

“She was not merely receiving money.”

“She was helping Reed move it.”

A cold silence filled the room.

I had spent years believing Pilar was reckless, selfish, and immoral.

But I had never imagined she could be part of something this calculated.

My father's final words were written in darker ink.

“If anything happens to us, do not trust Reed.”

“Do not trust Pilar.”

“And most importantly, do not let them convince you that our deaths were an accident.”

The letter slipped from my fingers.

My mother and father had known they were in danger.

They had tried to warn me.

And I had never received the warning.

“Why didn't this letter reach me?” I asked.

Marcus looked ashamed.

“Because Pilar found out about it.”

I stared at him.

“What?”

“After the funeral, she came to my office.”

“She asked whether your father had left anything behind.”

“I lied.”

“I told her there was nothing.”

I looked down at the USB drive.

“But you kept this.”

“Your father trusted me.”

“I couldn't destroy the last thing he left for you.”

I picked up the drive.

“What's on it?”

Marcus shook his head.

“I never opened it.”

“Your father told me it was for you alone.”

We returned to Manhattan that evening.

I checked into a private suite under my maiden name.

Daniel arrived shortly afterward with a secure laptop.

I inserted the USB drive.

A single folder appeared on the screen.

Inside were financial records, photographs, and several audio files.

My hands went cold.

One recording was dated two days before my parents died.

I pressed play.

My father's voice filled the room.

“We know what you're doing, Reed.”

Reed answered from somewhere across the table.

“You don't understand the situation.”

My father's voice hardened.

“We understand perfectly.”

“You are stealing from your own company.”

A long silence followed.

Then Reed spoke.

“If you take this to the police, Fernanda loses everything.”

My father laughed bitterly.

“You think threatening our daughter will make us afraid?”

The recording continued.

Then Pilar's voice appeared.

“They're not going to stop.”

I froze.

Pilar sounded completely different from the woman I had known.

Cold.

Calm.

Certain.

Reed said, “We need another solution.”

The recording ended.

I sat motionless.

Daniel looked at me.

“Fernanda, this is enough to reopen the investigation.”

I shook my head.

“Not yet.”

He frowned.

“Why?”

I looked at the screen.

There were still dozens of files we hadn't opened.

“Because if this is only the beginning, I want to know everything before I strike.”

I closed the laptop.

For eight years, Reed had controlled the story of my parents' deaths.

For eight years, Pilar had controlled the story of our friendship.

Now I had something neither of them had expected.

The truth.

And I wasn't going to give it back.