Chapter 6 - The Secret Emmett Had Been Hiding
Jillian did not speak to Emmett for two days.
She stayed with Cody.
Patrick stayed in a private hospital.
The ledger remained locked away.
Emmett did not force her to talk.
That was what made it worse.
He gave her space.
Food appeared outside her room.
Cody received new sketch paper.
Patrick's medical team was paid.
Security remained.
But Emmett stayed away.
On the third night, Jillian finally entered his office.
“You owe me the truth.”
He looked up.
“Yes.”
“Why did you first approach my family?”
He stood.
“Your father.”
“My father?”
“Yes.”
“What about him?”
“He knew my father.”
Jillian frowned.
“That doesn't answer the question.”
Emmett took out a photograph.
It showed two men in their thirties.
One was Emmett.
The other was Jillian's father.
“What is this?”
“They were partners.”
“My father?”
“Yes.”
“Doing what?”
“Building businesses.”
“Legal?”
“Mostly.”
She stared.
“And?”
“They were trying to expose Malcolm.”
“Why?”
“Because Malcolm had murdered a man.”
“Who?”
Jillian's face changed.
“Your mother's brother.”
Her uncle.
The man she had been told died in an accident.
He hadn't.
He had been killed because he discovered Malcolm's network.
Jillian sat.
“Why didn't my father tell me?”
“Because he was afraid.”
“Of Malcolm?”
“Yes.”
“And you?”
“I was eighteen.”
“What happened?”
“Malcolm found out.”
Jillian looked at him.
“He killed your father?”
“No.”
“He threatened him.”
“Yes.”
“Then why did your father disappear?”
“Because he had to.”
She swallowed.
“Why did you hate my family?”
“I didn't.”
She looked at him.
“Then why did everyone say you did?”
“Because Malcolm needed an enemy.”
Jillian stared at the photograph.
Her entire understanding of the Bannon-Carbone war was collapsing.
“It was manufactured.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Control.”
She closed her eyes.
“Then Patrick knew?”
“Partly.”
“And Shawn?”
“More than anyone.”
“So Shawn wanted to expose Malcolm.”
“Yes.”
“And that's why he died.”
“Yes.”
She looked up.
“Then why does the note say not to trust you?”
Emmett was silent.
“Answer me.”
“Because I lied.”
“What?”
He looked directly at her.
“I lied about why I saved you.”
Her heart stopped.
“Why?”
“Because Patrick asked me to.”
“You just said that.”
“He asked me to protect you.”
“Yes.”
“There was another reason.”
“What?”
Emmett's expression broke.
“Your father left you something.”
“What?”
“A trust.”
Jillian frowned.
“How much?”
“Millions.”
She stared.
“And you knew?”
“Yes.”
“Before you met me?”
“Yes.”
“You came to me because of money.”
“No.”
“Then why?”
“Because the trust was the only way to dismantle Malcolm.”
She stood.
“You used me.”
“No.”
“You knew about the money.”
“Yes.”
“You knew about the ledger.”
“Yes.”
“You knew about Patrick.”
“Yes.”
“You knew everything.”
“Not everything.”
“But enough.”
“Yes.”
Tears filled her eyes.
“You should have told me.”
“I should have.”
“Why didn't you?”
“Because every time I tried, I realized I couldn't risk losing you.”
She looked away.
“That sounds selfish.”
“It is.”
He stepped closer.
“But the feelings weren't.”
She wiped her eyes.
“I don't know what to believe.”
“You don't have to believe me.”
“Then what?”
“Believe what I do.”
Before she could answer, alarms sounded.
A guard rushed in.
“Marcus is here.”
Emmett turned.
“What?”
“He surrendered.”
“Where?”
“Police station.”
“Why?”
“He says Malcolm has been lying.”
Jillian stared.
“About what?”
The guard shook his head.
“He wants to speak with you.”
They went.
Marcus sat in an interrogation room.
He looked exhausted.
“What did Malcolm do?” Emmett asked.
Marcus looked at Jillian.
“Your father-in-law didn't kill Shawn.”
Silence.
Jillian's heart stopped.
“What?”
Marcus continued.
“Malcolm ordered the hit.”
“That sounds like killing him.”
“No.”
“Then who actually fired?”
Marcus swallowed.
“Your husband.”
Jillian froze.
“Patrick?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“He wasn't supposed to kill him.”
“What happened?”
“Shawn had the ledger. He refused to give it up. Patrick was ordered to take it.”
Jillian shook her head.
“Patrick would never.”
Marcus looked at her.
“He didn't.”
“What?”
“Patrick warned Shawn.”
“He helped him escape.”
“Then who fired?”
Marcus whispered.
“The council.”
“The council?”
“The political network.”
He looked at Emmett.
“They wanted both Malcolm and Shawn gone.”
Jillian felt sick.
“Why?”
“Because Shawn knew who the real leader was.”
“Who?”
Marcus looked terrified.
“Someone neither family has been looking for.”
“Name.”
He looked at Jillian.
“Your mother.”
The room went silent.
Jillian could not breathe.
“My mother is dead.”
Marcus shook his head.
“No.”
Emmett stepped forward.
“That’s impossible.”
Marcus pushed a photograph across the table.
It showed Jillian's mother.
Alive.
Standing beside the man from Cody's sketches.
The federal prosecutor.
Jillian stared.
The date on the photograph was only six months old.
Her mother was alive.
And apparently, she had been working with the man controlling everything.
May you like
The man both families had been searching for.
The man whose identity Shawn had died trying to reveal.
