Claire had cried after reading it.
Edward sat quietly.
"I found these letters after she died. I have read them hundreds of times."
"Why didn't you give them to Daniel?"
"Because I was ashamed."
Claire looked at him.
"Then why give them to me?"
"Because I don't know how to speak to my son anymore."
He opened another envelope.
It contained a letter written by Margaret shortly before her final hospitalization.
She had written that she wanted Daniel to remember the good parts of his childhood, not only the painful ones.
She also hoped that Edward would eventually learn to be present.
Claire had promised to keep the letters safe.
But she had not yet found the right moment to tell Daniel.
Now, standing between the two men, she realized that keeping the truth hidden was no longer protecting anyone.
She reached into her handbag and took out the wooden box.
"Daniel," she said softly.
He turned toward her.
"What is that?"
"Something your mother left behind."
Daniel stared at the box.
His expression changed immediately.
"Where did you get that?"
"Your father gave it to me."
Daniel looked at Edward.
Edward lowered his head.
"I should have given it to you years ago."
Claire opened the box and handed him the letters.
Daniel recognized his mother's handwriting.
His hands trembled as he opened the first envelope.
CHAPTER 8: THE LETTERS OF A MOTHER
Daniel began reading.
At first, his face remained expressionless.
Then his eyes moved more slowly.
He read about his mother's hopes.
Her disappointments.
Her memories.
The small moments she treasured.
He discovered that she had never wanted him to hate his father.
She had simply wanted him to understand that love required action.
One letter was addressed directly to Daniel.
"My dearest Daniel,
If you are reading this, I hope you have become a good man.
I hope you have found someone who makes you laugh. I hope you have friends who stand beside you when life becomes difficult. I hope you have learned to be kind without allowing others to take advantage of your kindness.
There is something I want you to remember.
Your father has made mistakes, but you are not responsible for correcting them.
You are not responsible for making him happy.
You are not responsible for carrying his regrets.
You have your own life to live.
If one day he comes to you with a sincere heart, listen to what he has to say. Not because he deserves unlimited chances, but because your heart deserves freedom.
Never confuse forgiveness with forgetting.
And never believe that being a good person means allowing yourself to be hurt repeatedly.
I love you more than words could ever explain.
Mom."
Daniel stopped reading.
For several seconds, he could not speak.
Claire gently touched his shoulder.
"She wanted you to have these."
Daniel looked at his father.
"Did you read them?"
Edward nodded.
"Every single one."
"And you still waited all these years?"
Edward's eyes filled with tears.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because every time I thought about giving them to you, I remembered what I had done. I was afraid you would look at me and see exactly what I had become."
Daniel shook his head.
"You were afraid of being judged, so you let me believe I had lost my mother and my father at the same time."
Edward looked down.
"I know."
For the first time, he did not defend himself.
He did not mention money.
He did not mention his sacrifices.
He simply admitted that he had failed.
CHAPTER 9: THE TRUTH ABOUT THE MONEY
Just when Daniel believed the worst part of the evening was over, Edward spoke again.
"There is something else you should know."
Daniel closed the letter.
"What now?"
Edward took a deep breath.
"Your mother's hospital expenses were covered by the company. But that is not the reason I came tonight."
He explained that, years earlier, Richard Cole had attempted to steal money from the family business.
Edward had discovered the fraud too late.
The investigation had eventually cleared the company, but it had uncovered another painful truth.
Richard had also used Edward's absence to manipulate Daniel.
He had told Daniel that his father was intentionally avoiding the family.
He had encouraged Margaret to believe that Edward no longer cared about them.
But Edward was not entirely innocent.
He had allowed the distance to grow.
He had chosen business over conversations.
He had allowed other people to speak for him.
Richard's lies had made things worse, but Edward's own decisions had created the conditions in which those lies could succeed.
Daniel listened carefully.
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because I don't want you to believe that everything was your fault. And I don't want to pretend that everything was Richard's fault either."
Daniel remained silent.
Edward continued.
"I blamed him for many years. It was easier than admitting that I had been absent when my family needed me."
That admission meant more than any explanation.
For years, Daniel had believed that his father had simply stopped loving them.
Now he understood that the story was more complicated.
But understanding the past did not automatically erase the pain.
CHAPTER 10: A FATHER'S APOLOGY
The guests had gradually moved away, leaving the three of them near the marble table.
Edward looked at Daniel.
"I don't expect you to forgive me tonight."
Daniel folded his mother's letter carefully.
"Good. Because I can't."
Edward nodded.
"I understand."
"No, I don't think you do."
Daniel's voice trembled.
"I grew up believing that I wasn't important enough for you to come home. I watched my mother make excuses for you. I watched her become weaker while you continued chasing another business deal."
Edward closed his eyes.
"And when she died, I had nobody to ask why. I had nobody to tell me what she was thinking during those final days."
He paused.
"I needed my father. Not his money. Not his business connections. I needed him."
Edward's shoulders dropped.
"I should have been there."
"Yes."
"I should have listened."
"Yes."
"I should have chosen my family."
Daniel looked away.
"Yes."
Edward stepped closer but stopped before reaching for his son.
"I cannot change what happened. I cannot bring your mother back. I cannot give you those years again."
His voice became quieter.
"But I can stop lying about what I did."
Daniel looked at him.
"Why now?"
Edward considered the question.
"Because I finally understand that I have spent years protecting my pride while losing the people I love."
He took a breath.
"I am sorry, Daniel. Not because you are angry. Not because other people are watching. I am sorry because I hurt you, and because I hurt your mother when she needed me most."
For a long time, Daniel said nothing.