Chapter 31 Truth Comes
It had been a few peaceful days since Carson and I shared our first kiss.
The house was quiet. The wounds on my skin had fully healed now, but the memories still visited me in my sleep, but I'm healing fast.
That morning, Carson came to me with a little grin on his face.
“What?” I asked, raising my brows.
He hid something behind his back. “Guess what I planned,”he said.
“Oh no,” I said, narrowing my eyes playfully. “What did you do this time?"I added.
“Date night,” he said proudly, bringing out two tickets and shaking them in the air. “We’re going out tonight,”he added.
“Going out?” I blinked. “Like… leaving the house?"I asked.
“Yes. You need air, music, lights. You need to feel alive again,” he said. “And I want to see you smile somewhere else other than the kitchen or balcony.”
I giggled. “I don’t have anything to wear."I said.
“You don’t need anything fancy. Just wear what makes you feel beautiful,” he said. “Because to me, you already are,”he added.
I rolled my eyes and smiled. “Smooth talker."I said
“I'll try,” he said with a wink.
By evening, I stood in front of the mirror in a soft pink dress. It was simple, with a little sparkle on the waist. My hair was down, and I had light makeup on—just a touch to make me feel like myself again.
Carson stepped in, and for a second, he didn’t say a word.
He just stared.
“You’re not saying anything,” I said, looking at him.
He slowly walked over and took my hand. “I don’t have the right words,” he said softly. “You look… perfect.”
My heart fluttered.
“Okay,” I said, smiling. “Let’s go before I change my mind."I said again.
The place he took me to wasn’t too loud or too quiet. It was a rooftop restaurant in the city, with soft music, dim lights, and a view of the stars above.
“Wow,” I whispered as we sat at our table. “This is beautiful,"I said.
“I wanted you to see the stars from a different place tonight,” he said.
I smiled as I looked around. The air smelled like vanilla and something spicy. There were people laughing, clinking glasses, and talking gently.
I took a deep breath and relaxed into my chair.
“This feels good, like I can breathe again,"I said.
The waiter came, took our order, and left us alone again.
“Carson,” I said, squeezing his hand. “Can I ask you something?"I asked.
He nodded. “Of course,”he replied.
“Back then… when all those things were happening. When you found me, when Greg was arrested, when Bridget showed up. Did you ever feel like giving up?"I asked.
He took a deep breath, then slowly let it out.
“I thought about it,” he said honestly. “But not because I was weak. Because I was scared.”
“Scared of what?"I asked.
“Of losing you before I ever got the chance to tell you how I felt,” he said.
“You were in so much danger. I kept asking myself—what if I’m too late? What if she never knows how much she means to me?”he said again.
“You were never too late,” I whispered.
He smiled. “And I’m never leaving again.”
After dinner, we walked around the rooftop garden. There were little fairy lights on the trees and soft jazz playing from hidden speakers.
I leaned on his shoulder as we walked.
But just when the moment felt too perfect, Carson’s phone buzzed.
He looked at it.
“Who is it?” I asked.
He frowned slightly. “It’s from James.”
“James?” I blinked. “Your cousin?”
“Yeah,” he said. “He said… he found something strange on the flash drive we recovered.”
My steps slowed. “Strange how?”i asked.
“I’m not sure. He said we should look at it together when we get home.” he replied.
“Do you think it’s something serious?”
“I don’t know, but I trust James. He wouldn’t bother me during our night out if it wasn’t important,”he said .
I nodded slowly. “Okay. Let’s go see,"I said.
Back home, we changed into something more comfortable. I sat beside Carson on the couch as he opened his laptop and inserted the flash drive.
Lines of files appeared on the screen. Some looked like documents, others like video clips.
“Play the first one,” I said.
He clicked.
A video opened. It was grainy but clear enough. A small office. A man sat at a desk—one I recognized.
“That’s Greg,” I whispered.
He was talking to someone. The audio was low, but we could hear some parts.
“…as long as the money keeps coming… no one will suspect anything.”
The camera shook, then shifted.
Another man stepped into view.
I gasped.
“That’s… that’s my father’s old business partner, Mr. Collins.” I said.
“Carson froze. “You know him?”
“He used to visit our house when I was younger. I always thought he was kind… but…”i added.
Carson clicked another file.
This one was a set of documents. Payments. Wire transfers. Fake companies.
“It looks like… someone was framing your father,” Carson said.
My eyes widened. “You mean… he might be innocent?”
“There’s a chance,” he said.
I covered my mouth with my hands.
“But why would Greg have all this?” I asked.
“Because he was part of it. Or maybe he found out and wanted to use it for leverage,” Carson said. “Either way, this is something.”
My heart pounded. “We have to show someone.”
Carson nodded. “We will. But carefully. This could turn everything around.”
\---
That night, I couldn’t sleep.
I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking about the past. About my dad. About everything we believed. Everything I thought was true.
Carson turned beside me.
“You’re still awake?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I said softly.
He moved closer and wrapped his arms around me.
“We’ll figure this out,” he said. “Whatever this truth is… we’ll find it together.”
“I know,” I whispered. “I’m just… shocked."I said again.
He kissed my forehead. “It’s okay to be.”
We stayed quiet for a long time, just listening to each other’s breathing.
Then I said something I didn’t expect to say out loud.
“I used to hate my past,” I whispered. “I used to wish I could erase it all. But now… now I think maybe I had to go through all that pain to find you."I said.
Carson didn’t speak at first. Then he pulled me even closer.
“I used to hate my past too,” he said. “All the women I dated. The deals I made. The things I let slide. But now… I know it all led me to you.”he added.
My heart softened.
“I don’t want to hide anymore,” I whispered.
“Then don’t,” he said gently. “We’ll face everything together. No more secrets. No more silence.”he said.
\---
By morning, we had already called James again and told him everything we saw. He promised to dig deeper and send more help.
I stood by the window, looking outside.
The world looked the same… but I didn’t.
I felt changed.
Braver.
Lighter.
Stronger.
Carson came behind me, placed his arms around my waist, and rested his chin on my shoulder.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked.
“The truth,” I said. “How scary and freeing it can be at the same time.”
He smiled. “And?”
“And how lucky I am… to face it with you.”i said.