Chapter 3 - The Secret His Father Buried
Gunther spent the next two days investigating Kayla.
He found nothing criminal.
Nothing suspicious.
Except her family.
Her father had worked for the Woods organization.
Her mother had disappeared.
Her brother's accident had been ruled accidental.
And Kayla had never finished college because she had become Sam's full-time caregiver.
Everything looked ordinary.
That was what bothered him.
People with secrets usually left damage.
Kayla's records left almost none.
Victor finally discovered the missing piece.
“Her mother's name.”
Gunther looked up.
“What?”
“Eleanor Hughes.”
He froze.
“That's impossible.”
Victor nodded.
“She was your father's secretary.”
Gunther stared.
“My father had a secretary.”
“Yes.”
“Not Eleanor.”
Victor slid the file across the desk.
The photo was old.
A young woman stood beside Gunther's father.
Eleanor.
And beside her was a baby.
Gunther.
His mother had not been a random woman who married his father.
She had worked for him.
She had known the organization.
And she had left shortly before she died.
Gunther looked at Kayla's photo.
There was a resemblance.
Subtle.
The eyes.
The mouth.
He felt something cold crawl through him.
“No.”
Victor asked:
“What?”
Gunther closed the file.
“Nothing.”
But he knew.
He needed a DNA test.
Not because he believed Kayla was related to him.
Because the alternative was worse.
Three days later, the result arrived.
Gunther stared at the paper.
He had expected nothing.
Instead, he saw the words:
Probability of biological relationship: 99.8%.
Kayla Hughes was his half-sister.
He sat down.
Victor stood silently.
Gunther finally spoke.
“My father had another child.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't anyone tell me?”
“Because someone didn't want you to know.”
Gunther looked toward the ceiling.
Kayla was downstairs.
Working.
Cleaning.
Invisible.
She had been in his house for three years.
And she was family.
The irony was almost cruel.
Gunther had rejected family his entire life.
Now family had been sleeping in his bed.
He asked Victor to keep the information confidential.
Then he did something unexpected.
He asked Kayla to dinner.
She arrived wearing a simple blue dress.
Gunther stared.
“You look…”
She smiled.
“Different?”
“Yes.”
She sat.
He poured water.
“You don't need to be nervous.”
“I am.”
“Why?”
“You invited me to dinner.”
“I have invited women to dinner.”
“That's different.”
“How?”
“They knew why they were here.”
Gunther almost laughed.
Kayla did too.
For a few minutes, they ate.
Then Gunther asked:
“Do you remember your father?”
“Yes.”
“What do you remember?”
“He was complicated.”
“Good.”
“Why?”
“My father was too.”
Kayla looked up.
“Your father?”
Gunther froze.
She had no reason to know.
“I heard things.”
“What things?”
“That he wasn't a good man.”
Gunther stared.
“He wasn't.”
She lowered her gaze.
“My father worked for him.”
“I know.”
She looked shocked.
“How?”
“I had him investigated.”
Her face tightened.
“Why?”
“Because of you.”
Silence.
“I found an old report.”
Kayla stopped breathing.
“About the warehouse.”
“Yes.”
She looked away.
“You shouldn't have looked.”
“Why?”
“Because those people don't like witnesses.”
Gunther leaned closer.
“Who?”
She looked at him.
“I was told your uncle was there.”
Gunther went still.
“He wasn't supposed to be alive.”
“I know.”
“What happened?”
“My father found evidence.”
“What evidence?”
“That your father was planning to sell part of the organization.”
Gunther stared.
“My father?”
Kayla nodded.
“Your mother tried to stop him.”
He felt as though the room had tilted.
“My mother died.”
“Yes.”
“But she wasn't sick.”
Kayla shook her head.
“No.”
Silence.
“What happened to her?”
Kayla looked at him.
“I don't know.”
“Then why do you think she was murdered?”
“Because my father told me before he died.”
Gunther stood.
“Your father knew?”
“Yes.”
“And he did nothing?”
“He was afraid.”
Gunther turned away.
His mother.
The one person he had loved.
The one person whose death had shaped him.
Maybe it had been a lie.
He looked at Kayla.
“Why did you come here three years ago?”
She hesitated.
“To investigate.”
“What?”
“My mother's death.”
Gunther stared.
“She believed someone in your family killed her.”
“Who?”
Kayla's eyes filled.
“Your father.”
He felt anger.
Then grief.
Then something else.
Recognition.
His father had always been cruel.
Gunther had spent years becoming ruthless to avoid becoming him.
Maybe the truth was uglier.
His father had murdered his own wife.
And then buried the evidence.
Kayla stood.
“I shouldn't have told you.”
Gunther reached for her hand.
She stopped.
“Why?”
“Because you're shaking.”
“I’m fine.”
“No.”
He held her gaze.
“You're not.”
She swallowed.
“Neither are you.”
He had no answer.
Then the lights went out.
The entire estate fell into darkness.
Gunfire erupted outside.
Gunther shoved Kayla behind him.
“Stay down.”
Men flooded the halls.
Gunther drew his weapon.
Victor appeared.
“They're inside.”
“How many?”
“Eight.”
Gunther looked at Kayla.
“Stay with Victor.”
“No.”
She surprised him.
“I can help.”
“You're not trained.”
“I know where the service corridors are.”
That was true.
She had cleaned them for years.
She knew the house better than anyone.
They moved.
Kayla guided them through the east corridor.
A gunman entered from the kitchen.
Gunther fired.
The man dropped.
Kayla flinched.
Gunther grabbed her hand.
“Don't look.”
She did anyway.
“I've seen worse.”
He stared.
“What?”
“My father.”
They reached the security room.
Kayla pointed to the monitors.
“Camera seven.”
Gunther looked.
A man was inside his father's old office.
Searching.
Gunther recognized him.
Caleb Shaw.
His father's lawyer.
He had vanished after the death.
Gunther's voice turned cold.
“That's him.”
Victor looked.
“Boss?”
“My father's lawyer.”
Kayla stared.
“Why would he be here?”
Gunther's eyes narrowed.
“To destroy something.”
They found Caleb in the old office.
He tried to escape.
Gunther caught him.
“Who sent you?”
Caleb laughed.
“You don't want to know.”
Gunther grabbed his collar.
“Try me.”
Caleb looked at Kayla.
“Ask her mother.”
Gunther froze.
“You know where Eleanor is?”
Caleb smiled.
“She isn't dead.”
Kayla went pale.
Gunther released him.
“What did you say?”
May you like
Caleb whispered:
“Your mother is alive.”
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