Chapter 48 The Secret He Left Behind
DAVID
Something about my dad and Roy didn’t sit right. I knew it, felt it in my gut. I told Sam to wait for me at the mansion.
The moment I stepped inside, I spotted him. He was slumped in one of the chairs, pale, with swollen eyes and a split lip. His suit, usually pristine, looked rumpled, his hands trembling slightly as he rose to greet me.
“Sir,” he said, voice hoarse. “I have the information.”
I moved closer, my gaze narrowing on his battered face. “What the hell happened to you?”
“It’s nothing,” he muttered, attempting to straighten his back. “Just a gang… they jumped me on my way here.”
“A gang?” My voice sharpened. “Why would anyone attack you?”
John, my head of security, stepped forward. His jaw was tight, and I could see the frustration in his eyes. “Boss, we were late. By the time we got to him, they had already done a number on him. They scattered when they saw us, but… it was close.”
“How close?” I asked quietly.
John hesitated. “Close enough. He was almost killed.”
My stomach tightened. I glanced back at Sam. “Do you think it’s connected to what you found?”
Sam nodded, wincing as he moved. “It’s the diary, sir. It contains information about your father about his legacy and… his death.”
My throat dried up. “Have you read it?”
“No, sir. But… this fell out.” He handed me a small folded note, edges worn.
I recognized the handwriting instantly my father’s. The familiar, looping script made my chest tighten.
David,
If you’re reading this, it means I’m gone. Be careful of your brother. Trust no one. Not even Roy. Especially not Roy. I hoped to see you grow, to watch you succeed, but that’s no longer possible. Protect your mother. Tell her I love her. And don’t, under any circumstances, dig into my death. It will lead to yours.
The paper trembled slightly in my hands. For years, I thought I had numbed myself to pain, buried emotions too deep to feel. But now? A wave of something sharp and raw clawed its way through me.
Eden.
I clenched my jaw, the name reverberating in my mind. I was too young to remember everything back then. But what did Eden, my brother, have to do with our father’s death?
I glanced up. Sam sat stiffly, his face a mess of bruises. He was in this condition because of me. Because I needed answers.
“Where’s the diary?” I asked, forcing my voice to remain steady.
Sam opened his briefcase and pulled out a leather-bound book, old and worn. He hesitated, then looked around, lowering his voice. “There’s more, sir. I couldn’t say it out there.”
I nodded. “Come with me.”
We moved to my room, and I shut the door behind us. Sam leaned in, his voice barely a whisper. “The day your father died… Eden was there. He met with your father. Something happened a fight. I tried to dig deeper, but the man who told me… he didn’t survive long enough to say more.”
I stared at him, the weight of his words pressing on my chest. Eden. He was supposed to be somewhere else that day. I remember Dad leaving alone. How did Eden get involved?
“You’ve done enough, Sam,” I said quietly. “I’ll handle the rest. You’re not safe at home. I’ll assign guards to take you to my private residence.”
Sam’s shoulders sagged with relief. “Thank you, sir.” He bowed slightly before slipping out of the room.
Alone, I sank onto the edge of my bed, the diary heavy in my hands. Grandpa’s warning echoed in my mind stay away from Roy. But no one had ever mentioned Eden.
What was he hiding?
I stared at the cover of the diary, my fingers brushing over its surface. A part of me wanted to open it, to face whatever truth lay inside. But another part a deeper, instinctual part feared what I would find.
And once I opened it, there would be no turning back.