Chapter 49 The Code and the Keeper
DAVID
I gripped the worn leather cover of my father’s diary, my pulse thrumming beneath my skin. Whatever truths it held, I was ready or so I thought. I flipped it open without hesitation, the pages creaking under the weight of secrets long buried.
Dear Diary,
I know it’s absurd, writing things down at my age. But there are things I can’t afford to forget.
Roy… something about him feels off lately. He’s my friend, but I’ve noticed things. Suspicious things. And when I discovered he’s involved in human trafficking, my world tilted. But the worst part the part that shattered me was learning my eldest son, Roy, is a part of it too.
My firstborn. My pride.
Have I failed as a father?
I’ve always loved both my sons, but now… now I have no choice. I have to report them. Both of them.
Roy invited me to a gathering. I know it could be a trap. It might even be the end of me.
David, if you’re reading this, remember the secret house I used to take you to. Go there. Find my old steward. Tell him, “I love you.” That’s the code. He’ll understand.
I told him to reveal everything to you, and only you, when you’re ready to take them down Roy and Eden.
I’m sorry, David. I failed you both.
The words blurred as my grip on the diary tightened. My breath hitched. Eden. My brother.
Human trafficking.
I forced myself to read the passage again, hoping praying I had misunderstood. But no. The words were the same. Cold. Final.
How had I missed it? In all my investigations, I’d only uncovered Mike’s involvement. Not Roy. Not Eden.
My heart pounded against my ribs as questions swarmed my mind. How had this diary remained hidden? Why now? What else was my father keeping from me?
The room felt smaller, the air heavier. I needed answers, and there was only one person who could give them to me the steward.
I stood, ready to leave, when the door creaked open.
“David.”
The voice, deep and familiar, froze me in place. I turned slowly.
Grandpa stood in the doorway, his eyes as sharp as ever, though lined with age.
“Grandpa,” I managed, masking my shock. He never visited not once since I moved here. Yet here he was, unannounced, standing in my doorway like a specter from my past.
“Surprised to see me?” His lips curved into a knowing smile.
“I… wasn’t expecting you,” I said, stepping aside.
“May I come in?”
“Of course.”
He moved with practiced ease, his gaze sweeping the room before settling on the diary clutched in my hands. His eyes darkened with recognition as he lowered himself onto the edge of my bed.
“I came to see my great-grandson,” he said, his voice light.
“Jasper’s been with him for the past three days,” I replied, suspicion crawling up my spine. Was he making excuses?
“I see you’ve found your father’s diary.” His voice cut through my thoughts like a blade.
I stiffened.
So, my mother hadn’t been lying. She’d warned me Grandpa had told her to back off. But why now? Why was he here, in a house he’d never once set foot in?
“What do you know about it?” I asked, my voice low, controlled.
His eyes met mine, and for a moment, silence hung between us, thick with unspoken truths.
“More than you think,” he said softly.