Now there was only an empty frame.
She opened the wardrobe.
Inside hung several dresses she had not worn in years. Beneath them was a cardboard box containing old letters, school notebooks, and photographs.
At the bottom of the box, she found a newspaper clipping.
ASHFORD FAMILY MOURNS DAUGHTER KILLED IN OVERSEAS OPERATION.
The article included a photograph of Victoria standing beside Daniel's grave.
But Daniel had died before Evelyn disappeared.
Why had her mother been standing beside his grave again?
Evelyn read the date.
April 19.
Two days after her supposed death.
She turned the clipping over.
Someone had written a sentence in black ink.
The first burial was only a warning.
Evelyn felt her stomach tighten.
A knock sounded at the door.
"Come in."
The door opened.
An elderly woman stepped inside.
It was Margaret, the family's former housekeeper. She had worked for the Ashfords for nearly thirty years and had practically raised Evelyn and Daniel.
When Margaret saw her, she covered her mouth.
"Oh, my goodness."
Evelyn rushed toward her.
"Margaret."
The old woman embraced her tightly.
For the first time since returning home, Evelyn felt something resembling love.
"I thought I would never see you again," Margaret whispered.
Evelyn held her for several seconds.
Then she pulled away.
"Margaret, I need you to tell me something."
The housekeeper looked nervous.
"What is it, dear?"
"Do you know about the room beneath the east wing?"
Margaret's expression changed immediately.
She glanced toward the hallway and quietly closed the bedroom door.
"Who told you about that place?"
"Daniel."
Margaret's eyes filled with tears.
"Oh, Daniel. That poor boy."
"What's down there?"
The old woman hesitated.
Then she reached into the pocket of her cardigan and pulled out a small piece of paper.
"Your brother gave me this before he died. He told me to keep it until you returned."
Evelyn unfolded it.
There was an address.
And beneath it, a date.
April 17.
The exact date she had been declared dead.
Margaret held her hand.
"Listen carefully. Your brother didn't die in an accident. He discovered something about your father. Something that could destroy the entire Ashford family."
"What did he discover?"
Margaret looked toward the door.
"That the money your father used to build his empire came from people who were never supposed to exist."
Before Evelyn could ask another question, footsteps sounded in the hallway.
Margaret immediately stepped back.
"Please, dear. Don't tell anyone I spoke to you."
The bedroom door opened.
Richard stood outside.
His eyes moved from Margaret to Evelyn.
"What are you two discussing?"
Margaret lowered her head.
"Nothing, sir."
Richard stared at her for a long moment.
Then he looked at his daughter.
"Tomorrow morning, we are going to the cemetery."
Evelyn frowned.
"Why?"
"Because there is something you need to see."
He paused.
"Your brother's grave."
The cemetery was almost empty when Evelyn arrived the following morning.
A cold wind moved through the tall trees, scattering yellow leaves across the narrow stone pathways. The sky was gray, and the distant sound of church bells echoed through the quiet morning.
Richard walked several steps ahead of her.
He had barely spoken since breakfast.
Victoria had refused to come.
According to Richard, she was too emotionally exhausted to visit Daniel's grave.
Evelyn suspected there was another reason.
"How long has he been buried here?" she asked.
Richard stopped in front of a large marble monument.
"Two years."
Evelyn looked down.
The name Daniel Ashford was engraved across the stone.
Beneath it were the words:
Beloved Son. Forever Remembered.
She knelt and placed her fingers against the cold marble.
Daniel had been twenty-two when he died.
He had loved terrible jokes, old movies, and late-night conversations. He was the kind of person who remembered everyone's birthday and apologized even when someone else was at fault.
He had been her best friend.
And now she was standing beside his grave, wondering whether the people who claimed to love him had actually killed him.
"Tell me what happened," she said.
Richard remained silent.
"Please, Dad. I deserve to know."
"Your brother was involved with people he shouldn't have trusted."
"What people?"
"Business associates. Investors. Individuals who promised him opportunities."
"Daniel wasn't stupid."
"I never said he was."
"Then stop talking about him as if he was responsible for his own death."
Richard looked toward the grave.
"He discovered certain financial irregularities within the company. He believed I was involved in something illegal."
"Was he wrong?"
Richard's jaw tightened.
"Your brother became paranoid."
Evelyn stood.
"That isn't an answer."
Richard reached inside his coat and removed a small photograph.
It showed Daniel standing beside a black luxury vehicle outside an unfamiliar building.
"Three days before his death, he was seen meeting this man."
Evelyn examined the photograph.
The man standing beside Daniel was wearing a dark suit and sunglasses.
"Who is he?"
"We never identified him."
"Then how do you know he was involved?"
"Because Daniel called me that night. He said someone was following him."
Evelyn stared at her father.
"Why didn't you tell the police?"
"We did."
"And?"
"They found nothing."
Evelyn looked down at the photograph again.
Something caught her attention.
Daniel was holding a newspaper.
A small date was visible in the corner.
April 16.
One day before Evelyn's official date of death.
She looked up.
"Dad, where was this photograph taken?"
Richard hesitated.
"Outside an office building downtown."
"Which one?"
"I don't remember."
Evelyn studied his face.
He was lying.
She had seen that expression many times during her childhood. It was the same expression he used whenever someone asked about the locked office on the third floor.
She placed the photograph inside her jacket.
"Thank you."
Richard frowned.
"Where are you going?"
"To visit my brother."
"I thought we were here to talk."
"We are. But apparently, you still aren't ready to tell me the truth."
She walked away.
Behind her, Richard made a phone call.
Evelyn did not hear the words.
But she saw him watching her until she disappeared behind the trees.
At noon, Evelyn met James Carter at a small café several blocks from the cemetery.
He had been waiting for nearly twenty minutes.
When she entered, he immediately stood.
"Are you all right?"
"No."
He nodded.
"Fair enough."
Evelyn placed Daniel's letter on the table.
"Tell me everything you know."
James looked around before speaking.
"I first met Daniel about six months before his death. He contacted me because he believed the Ashford Corporation was financing a secret network of military supply operations."
Evelyn frowned.
"My father owns a construction and logistics company."
"That's what the public knows."
James opened his laptop.
He displayed several photographs.