Chapter 2 - The Broken Toy Bus Revealed That Theo’s Father Wasn't the Desperate Thief I Expected—He Was Protecting a Secret That Could Destroy My EmpireI sent Samuel home.
He refused.
“Mr. Pembroke, I can finish the maintenance.”
“Go.”
“But—”
“Take your son.”
Samuel looked confused.
Theo hugged his broken toy.
Before leaving, he looked back.
“Thank you.”
I stared at him.
Nobody had thanked me for mercy in years.
After they left, I picked up the toy bus.
The underside had a tiny inscription.
Three letters.
E.P.
I recognized the initials.
Evelyn Pembroke.
My wife.
My dead wife.
My hand tightened around the toy.
Impossible.
Evelyn had died twelve years earlier.
She had never mentioned a child.
Never.
I called my head of security.
“Bring me every photograph of Evelyn from the final year of her life.”
Twenty minutes later, I had them.
Family dinners.
Charity events.
Hospital visits.
The night before she died.
Then I found one photograph I had never seen.
Evelyn standing beside a young woman.
The young woman was holding a baby.
The same yellow toy bus lay in the baby's crib.
My blood froze.
The baby's name was visible on the back.
Theodore Carter.
I stared.
Theo.
He was connected to my wife.
But how?
I called Samuel.
No answer.
I sent men to his apartment.
He was gone.
His room was almost empty.
One photograph remained.
Evelyn.
Holding baby Theo.
On the back:
If Arthur ever finds out, keep him safe.
My stomach dropped.
My wife had known this child.
She had protected him.
But why?
Then I found something else.
A financial transfer.
Twelve years earlier.
Evelyn had secretly sent money to a woman named Grace Carter.
Theo's mother.
The payments continued for seven months.
Then stopped.
Exactly one month before Evelyn died.
I stared at the dates.
Someone had been hiding something from me.
And if my wife had been involved, the secret wasn't simple.
I returned to the library.
The envelope was still there.
The money untouched.
I suddenly wondered why I had chosen five thousand dollars.
Why not ten?
Why not one?
Because five thousand was exactly the amount Evelyn had paid Grace every month.
My breath caught.
The test had never been about Samuel.
It had accidentally reopened a secret from my wife's life.
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
“Arthur Pembroke.”
“Who is this?”
A man's voice answered.
“You should stop looking for the Carter boy.”
My blood went cold.
“Where is he?”
“You won't find him.”
“Try me.”
A pause.
Then:
“Your wife died because she refused to cooperate.”
I stood.
“What did you say?”
“You were told she died of a heart condition.”
“Yes.”
“She didn't.”
The line went dead.
I looked toward the fireplace.
For twelve years, I'd accepted the official story.
May you like
Now someone had just told me my wife had been murdered.
And Theo's broken toy might be the first piece of proof.
Related Stories
