Chapter 5 - The Betrayal Inside the FamilyThe sound came from behind us.
Dad pushed me down.
A loud crack echoed through the warehouse.
Glass shattered.
Samuel shouted.
“Run!”
We moved behind the filing cabinets.
The darkness was complete.
Then emergency lights flickered on.
A figure sprinted toward the exit.
Dad followed.
“Stop!”
The man disappeared through the warehouse doors.
Samuel ran outside.
I followed.
But the snow was empty.
Only footprints remained.
Dad came back breathing heavily.
“Did you see him?”
“No.”
Samuel pointed toward the ground.
“Look.”
A small object lay in the snow.
A silver cufflink.
Dad picked it up.
His face changed.
“I know this.”
“Whose is it?”
He didn't answer.
Then he whispered:
“Julian's.”
I stared at him.
“You think Julian attacked us?”
“No.”
Dad looked toward the warehouse.
“I think someone wants us to believe he did.”
We returned inside.
The red ledger was gone.
Someone had taken it during the confusion.
Dad slammed his hand onto the desk.
“They knew exactly what they were looking for.”
Samuel looked at him.
“Marcus, there's more.”
“What?”
“The person who attacked us wasn't alone.”
He pointed toward the side door.
Two sets of footprints.
One large.
One smaller.
Dad's face hardened.
“Serena.”
I stared at him.
“You think my sister was here?”
“I don't know.”
My phone buzzed.
A message.
From Julian.
Don't trust Serena.
I stared at the screen.
Then another message arrived.
She knows what happened to Grandpa.
My blood ran cold.
I called him.
No answer.
Dad took my phone.
“Call again.”
I did.
Nothing.
Then the third message came.
I'm at the old church. Come alone.
Dad shook his head.
“No.”
“I have to go.”
“You're not going anywhere alone.”
Twenty minutes later, we arrived at the church.
Julian was sitting in the back pew.
His face was bruised.
His shirt was torn.
Dad rushed toward him.
“What happened?”
Julian looked at him.
“I tried to stop them.”
“Who?”
“Serena.”
Dad froze.
Julian began crying.
“She knew about the money.”
“What money?”
“The foundation.”
Dad stared at him.
“How?”
“She found Grandpa's records.”
“And?”
“She wasn't stealing it.”
I frowned.
“Then who was?”
Julian looked at me.
“Mom.”
Dad went completely still.
Our mother had been dead for fifteen years.
“What are you talking about?”
Julian shook his head.
“Not our mother.”
He swallowed.
“Grandpa had another daughter.”
Silence.
Dad sat down.
“What?”
Julian continued.
“Her name was Evelyn.”
Dad stared at him.
“She was born before you.”
Samuel whispered:
“Marcus…”
Julian looked at me.
“Serena found her.”
Dad's voice cracked.
“Where is she?”
Julian shook his head.
“I don't know.”
“Then why did Serena say you knew where the money was?”
“Because I do.”
He pulled a flash drive from his pocket.
“It's all here.”
Dad took it.
“What is it?”
“Bank records.”
He looked at me.
“And something else.”
“What?”
“A video.”
He handed me the drive.
“Watch it.”
I opened the file on my laptop.
The screen showed Grandpa sitting in the same warehouse.
He looked twenty years younger.
And beside him stood a woman I had never seen before.
Grandpa looked directly into the camera.
“If you're watching this, then Evelyn has returned.”
Dad covered his mouth.
The video continued.
“And she isn't coming for money.”
May you like
Grandpa looked frightened.
“She is coming for revenge.”
Related Stories
