Chapter 26 The Visit
After the whole issue with Bridget, I suddenly felt the need to go to the prison to see my father. I had been avoiding this day for so long, and knew it was coming.
“I feel the need to see my father,”I said to Carson.
“Truth be told, I've thought of it too,”He replied.
“Let's go by noon,”I said.
“Okay ma'am “.
Carson was quiet all morning. He knew how much I was struggling so he didn’t ask questions, but I could see it in his eyes—he wanted to be there for me, no matter how hard it would be.
It was finally noon and we drove straight to the prison, although it was a quiet drive but I feel there's a lot going on, in our minds.
“You don’t have to do this,” he said finally, as we sat in the car outside the prison gates.
I squeezed his hand. “I do. I have to hear it from him. I need to know the truth,"I said.
Carson nodded, but his face was filled with concern. “I’ll be right there. No matter what happens,”he said.
We sat in silence for a moment. The thought of seeing my father again after all this time, is so much to take in.
We got out of the car and walked toward the entrance. The heavy doors of the prison creaked as they opened.
A guard led us through the hallways. My father’s cell was at the very end, isolated from the others. I had always hated that part of the prison, It felt like they were punishing him even more by keeping him away from everyone else.
When we reached the cell, the guard unlocked the door.
“Your visit is fifteen minutes,” he said, stepping aside.
Carson gave me a reassuring look as I stepped inside.
There was my father, sitting on the small bed, staring at the floor. He hadn’t changed much but his hair was graying.
“Annabel,” he said softly, without looking up.
I stood frozen at the door. I didn’t know what to say. There were so many things I wanted to scream at him, but my voice wouldn’t come.
“Dad,” I whispered, my voice shaking. “I don’t know what to say."I said.
He finally looked up. His eyes were filled with a mixture of guilt and something else—maybe love.
“I never wanted this for you,” he said. “I know I failed you, I know I hurt you. But I did it because I thought I was doing what was best for you.”he added.
I shook my head. “You weren’t doing what was best for me. You were doing what was best for you. You ruined everything,"I said.
Tears filled my eyes, but I held them back. I wouldn’t cry in front of him.
“I know,” he said, his voice cracking. “But I didn’t know how to stop. The people I was involved with... they were dangerous. I thought I could control it, but I couldn’t.”he said again.
I felt Carson step closer behind me, his presence a quiet comfort. I reached for his hand and held it tightly.
“Who are they, Dad?” I asked. “Who were you working with?"I asked again.
He hesitated. For a moment, he didn’t speak. Then he looked at Carson and me with a heavy sigh.
“There are names... people I should have told you about long ago. People who are still out there. You’re going to need to know their names, because if you don’t, you won’t be able to stop them,”he said.
I took a deep breath. “What names?"I asked.
He looked down at his hands, then back up at me.
“Greg’s not the only one,” he said. “There’s more. People in high places. People you would never expect,”he added.
“There’s a man named Henry Clark,” he said slowly. “He’s connected to everything. The money, the deals, the lies. He’s the one pulling strings behind Greg. If you want to bring him down, you’ll need to go after him first,”he added.
“Henry Clark?”I asked curiously.
“Yes,” he said.
“He’s the one who gave Greg the power. And he’s still out there, still making deals. But there’s also more, there’s a woman named Laura Price. She’s his right hand, they’ve been working together for years. They know things, Annabel. Things that could destroy everything.”he said again.
Henry Clark and Laura Price. These were names I’d never heard before, but now they felt like a dark storm cloud, hovering over us.
“Is there anyone else?” Carson asked quietly.
My father nodded slowly.
“There’s one more,” he said. “Her name is Fiona. She’s the one who made sure all the money was funneled out through the fake companies. She’s just as dangerous as Clark and Price. If you don’t deal with her... everything will fall apart.”He said again.
I was shaking now. “What do you want me to do with this?"I asked.
“I can’t help you anymore, Annabel,” he said, his voice breaking. “But I can give you the names. You have to use them. You have to stop them. It’s the only way.”He said with tears in his eyes.
I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders.
“I’ll do it,” I whispered. “I’ll make them pay,"I said.
My father looked at me, his eyes filled with regret. “I’m sorry, Annabel. I’m so sorry.”he apologized.
I stood up, my legs unsteady. Carson put a hand on my back, guiding me toward the door.
“Thank you,” I whispered to my father. “Thank you for telling me."I said.
As we walked out of the cell, I heard my father’s voice one last time.
“Be careful,” he called. “They’ll come after you.”he said.
We stepped out into the cold air of the prison yard, the heavy doors slamming shut behind us.
I didn’t say anything because I didn’t need to. Carson knew what I was feeling so he didn’t ask any questions as we walked back to the car. He just held my hand, supporting me in silence.
When we got home, I sat at the kitchen table, still in shock. The names my father had given me kept echoing in my mind. Henry Clark, Laura Price and Fiona.
Carson sat down beside me and placed the flash drive on the table.
“Do you think it’s connected?” he asked quietly.
I looked at the drive. I didn’t know what was on it, but I knew it was important. I nodded.
“I think it is,” I said. “I think everything leads back to them."I said again.
Carson pressed the button on the laptop, and we waited as the files loaded.
Then, one by one, the names appeared.
Henry Clark.
Laura Price.
Fiona Wallace.
I gasped.
“Just like he said,” Carson murmured. “They were all involved,”he said.
And just right there, I know we were in for something serious. It was all supposed to be our little love story and managing it but now we are in for much more.