CHAPTER 5 — THE SECRET MY MOTHER HID FOR 30 YEARS
My mother cried.
Not because she was afraid.
Because she was tired.
“Daniel…”
She held my hand.
“There is something I should have told you.”
I sat down.
“What?”
She took a deep breath.
“Your father didn’t leave us.”
I froze.
“What?”
“He was forced to disappear.”
My mother revealed the truth.
My father had discovered corruption inside a company connected to Michael’s father.
He was threatened.
He disappeared to protect us.
For thirty years…
My mother carried that pain alone.
Vanessa had discovered the documents.
And she planned to use them to blackmail my family.
But she made one mistake.
She underestimated Elena.
Elena had copied everything.
The recordings.
The documents.
The evidence.
Vanessa’s face turned white.
“You betrayed me?”
Elena looked at her calmly.
“No.”
She answered.
“I protected someone who needed help.”
The police arrived.
Michael broke down.
He admitted everything.
Vanessa was arrested.
But before leaving…
She looked at me.
“You’ll regret destroying me.”
I looked at her.
“No.”
May you like
I shook my head.
“You destroyed yourself.”
