Chapter 16 NEAR TRUTH
I woke up early, the room was quiet. i didn't know what the day would bring but I just want to have a positive mind. I got dressed and went downstairs.
I poured myself a glass of water and sat at the table.
Just then, I heard soft footsteps so I turned and it was Carson.
“Morning,” I said.
“Morning,” he replied.
He walked past me and opened the fridge. Then he looked at me.
“You want to take a walk?” he asked.
“A walk?” I said.
He nodded. “Just a small one.”He replied.
“Okay,” I said.
We stepped outside, walked side by side but we weren't talking much.
After a while, he spoke.
“When I was ten, my stepmother told me I would never be good enough,” he said.
I looked at him. He was staring ahead.
“I believed her for a long time,” he said.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“It’s fine,” he said. “She was always like that. Cold and sharp.”
We walked a little more.
“You ever feel like you’re pretending to be okay when you’re not?” he asked.
“All the time,” I said.
He gave a small nod. “Yeah. Me too.”He said.
We reached a small bench by the trees and sat.
“Thank you,” I said.
“For what?” he asked.
“For sharing that with me,” I said.
He didn’t reply, but he looked at me. It wasn’t cold this time. It was soft.
When we got back, I went upstairs. I wanted to clean my room, just to keep my mind busy.
As I pulled out the drawer by the bed, something fell out. It was a folded piece of paper.
I picked it up and opened it.
It was an old paper, the ink was faded but I could still read the words.
It was a letter. Not from Carson. Not from Fred.
It was from someone else.
It said:
"If you’re reading this, then you’re already close to the truth. Be careful who you trust. The people closest to you may not be who they seem. Ask your mother about the night of the gala."
I stared at it for a long time.
What gala? What night?
I folded the letter and kept it in my pocket.
Later that day, someone rang the doorbell and I walked to the door slowly.
When I opened it, there was no one there, but there was a small brown envelope on the ground.
I picked it up and opened it and Inside, there was a picture.
It was me and Carson,sitting outside last night.
On the back of the picture, someone had written:
“You don’t belong here.”
My hand shook, I looked around but no one was in sight.
I shut the door quickly and locked it.
That night, I sat by my window, pulled the blanket around my shoulders and held the picture in my hand.
I had to find out who sent it, I had to know what my mother knew, but still I had to be very careful.
This was no longer just about me and Carson.
It was deeper than that.
And the answers were close.
Very close.
I sat on my bed for a long time.
The envelope was still in my hand and the picture too. I turned it over again,the words were still there. You don’t belong here.
I didn’t know who sent it. But whoever it was, they were watching me. Maybe they were even close by, maybe they had been close all along.
I went to my bag and took out the letter I found earlier. I read it again. Ask your mother about the night of the gala.
The gala. What gala?
I couldn’t remember anything about a gala. But my mother might know. She had been silent for too long, maybe she was protecting me. Or maybe she was scared too.
I needed to call her.
I picked up my phone and dialed her number.
She answered on the third ring.
“Hello?” she said.
“Mum,” I said quietly.
“Annabel? Is everything alright?” she asked.
“I need to ask you something,” I said.
There was silence on the line. Then she said, “Go ahead.”
“Do you remember the night… a night at a gala?” I asked.
Another pause.
“What gala?” she said.
“I don’t know,” I said. “There’s a letter here. It says you know something about a gala night.”
Her voice went soft. “Where did you find that?”She asked.
“It was in Carson’s house,” I said.
There was a long silence.
“Mum?” I said again.
“I didn’t want to talk about it,” she said. “Not yet.”she added.
“Why?” I asked.
“Because it changes everything,” she said.
“What happened that night?” I asked her softly.
She took a breath. “Your father was supposed to receive an award. It was a big night. Everyone in business was there and Carson’s family too. Your father… he got into a fight that night. With someone powerful. A man who worked closely with Victoria Claire.”She said.
“Who was the man?” I asked.
“I don’t know his full name,” she said. “But I remember he had a scar on his hand. He wore a gold ring. Your father came home angry that night. He told me something bad was coming.”She added.
“What happened next?” I asked.
“Three weeks later, your father was arrested,” she said. “And that man disappeared.”
“Why didn’t you ever tell me this?” I asked.
“Because I was scared,” she said. “I didn’t want you to go after them.”She said again.
“But I’m already in this,” I said. “I’m living in Carson’s house. I married him, remember?”i added.
“I remember,” she said quietly.
“I have to find out the truth,” I said.
“I know,” she said.
We stayed silent for a while. Then she whispered, “Be careful, Annabel.”
“I will,” I said.
We ended the call. I stared at the phone for a long time.
I went downstairs, Then I stumbled on Carson.
“You okay?” he asked.
I nodded slowly. “Just thinking,” I said.
He walked closer.
“About what?” he asked.
“About my father. About the night he got arrested,” I said.
Carson looked at me. He didn’t say anything.
“Do you remember a gala night?” I asked him.
He blinked. “Yes.”He said.
“You were there?” I asked.
“I was,” he said.
“Do you remember a man with a scar and a gold ring?” I asked.
He was quiet. Too quiet.
“I don’t know his name,” I said. “But I think he’s important.”
Carson sat down.
“I remember him,” he said.
“Who is he?” I asked.
Carson looked at me. “He was one of Victoria’s closest partners. But he wasn’t just in business. He had other connections. Dangerous ones.He added.”
“Did he know my father?” I asked.
“Yes,” Carson said. “They worked together once. But something went wrong. And after that gala night, everything changed.”
“Was Victoria involved?” I asked.
Carson nodded slowly. “She never liked your father. She thought he was too honest. Too clean.”He said.