"I did trust you. I was afraid of what Margaret would do."
Richard interrupted gently.
"Your wife made the right decision."
Daniel turned toward him.
"How can you say that?"
"Because Margaret has spent decades protecting this secret. Anyone who threatened it became an enemy."
Richard removed a final document.
"The company's current estimated value is over one hundred and eighty million dollars. Your father's original fifty percent stake would represent an enormous inheritance."
Daniel sat down.
He stared at the documents for a long time.
Then he asked:
"Does my mother know you have these?"
Richard nodded.
"She knows I have been investigating the original ownership structure."
"Does she know about Emily?"
"Not yet."
Emily looked at Richard.
"Then we need to be careful."
Richard's expression became serious.
"Yes. Because there is something else you should know."
He opened the final section of the folder.
"Your father did not die without leaving a message."
Daniel looked up.
"What do you mean?"
Richard removed a sealed letter.
The envelope was yellowed with age.
On the front, written in familiar handwriting, were four words:
FOR MY SON, DANIEL.
Daniel stopped breathing.
He recognized the handwriting.
It belonged to his father.
Richard placed the letter in front of him.
"I believe you should read it."
Daniel's hands trembled as he opened the envelope.
Inside was a single sheet of paper.
He began reading.
My dear Daniel,
If you are reading this, then something has happened that I hoped would never happen.
I have always wanted you to grow up believing that family means love, trust, and protection.
But I fear that one day you may discover that the people who promise to protect you are not always the people who deserve your trust.
I want you to remember one thing.
Never allow anyone to convince you that you are worth less than you truly are.
Your mother is gone, but I will always be proud of you.
And if I cannot be there to guide you, I hope you will find people who love you for who you are, not for what you own.
I have placed everything necessary to protect your future in the hands of someone I trust.
One day, the truth will come out.
When that day arrives, do not seek revenge.
Seek justice.
Love,
Dad.
Daniel could no longer hold back his tears.
He pressed the letter against his chest.
For the first time in nearly three decades, he felt close to the father he had lost.
Emily sat beside him.
She placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry."
Daniel shook his head.
"No. I should be the one apologizing."
He looked at Richard.
"What happens now?"
Richard closed the folder.
"Now we find the original trust agreement."
"Where is it?"
Richard looked directly at him.
"Margaret has it."
CHAPTER 5 β MARGARET'S DARKEST SECRET
At 9:26 p.m., Margaret was sitting alone in her living room.
She had changed into a silk robe and poured herself a glass of wine.
Her anger had not disappeared.
She kept replaying Daniel's words.
"GET OUT!"
She could not believe he had humiliated her in front of Emily.
She had raised him.
She had supported him.
She had given him everything.
And now he was choosing a woman she considered beneath the family.
Her phone rang.
Richard's name appeared on the screen.
She answered immediately.
"What do you want?"
"We need to talk."
"Not tonight."
"It concerns Robert's estate."
Margaret stopped moving.
"What about it?"
"The documents are no longer missing."
Her fingers tightened around the phone.
"What documents?"
"Don't pretend, Margaret."
Silence.
Richard continued.
"Daniel knows about the original partnership agreement."
Margaret stood.
"Who told him?"
"That doesn't matter anymore."
"You have no idea what you're doing."
"I know exactly what I'm doing."
Margaret walked toward the window.
"Richard, listen to me. You have no right to interfere."
"Robert was my brother-in-law. Daniel is my nephew. And you stole what belonged to him."
Margaret laughed nervously.
"That is a ridiculous accusation."
"Then you should have no problem explaining the missing documents in court."
She stopped laughing.
"Don't threaten me."
"I'm not threatening you. I'm giving you an opportunity to tell the truth."
Richard ended the call.
Margaret slowly lowered her phone.
Her face had become pale.
She walked toward an antique cabinet and opened a hidden compartment.