Chapter 5 - The Father Who Betrayed His Own SonI stared at the document.
Impossible.
My father.
The man who taught me honesty.
The man who built my company.
The man who told me family mattered more than money.
Was connected to Ethan.
“No.”
My attorney looked at me.
“Ryan.”
I shook my head.
“There has to be another explanation.”
But deep down…
I knew.
Because the evidence was there.
I confronted my father that night.
He was sitting in his study.
Reading a newspaper.
Like nothing happened.
When I placed the documents in front of him…
He didn’t look surprised.
That hurt more than anything.
“You knew.”
He sighed.
“Yes.”
My heart dropped.
“Why?”
He looked at me.
“Because I was trying to protect you.”
I laughed bitterly.
“By helping someone hurt my children?”
His face changed.
“No.”
A pause.
“I was trying to stop something worse.”
My father explained.
Years ago, he discovered Ethan’s plan.
He knew Ethan was dangerous.
But instead of exposing him…
He tried to control him.
He invested in one of Ethan’s companies to monitor him.
To gather evidence.
But something went wrong.
Ethan used the money.
He used my father’s name.
And he made it look like my father was involved.
I wanted to believe him.
I did.
But then I asked:
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
He looked away.
“Because I knew you would try to handle it yourself.”
I stared.
“I’m your son.”
“I know.”
“Then why didn’t you trust me?”
He had no answer.
Then my father revealed something worse.
Ethan wasn’t after my company.
Not originally.
He was after something else.
A family inheritance.
A trust created by my grandfather.
A trust that would only activate under one condition.
If my children became legal heirs.
My children were not just victims.
They were the key.
That night, we found Ethan.
Not through police.
Through his own mistake.
He sent a message to the wrong person.
A message meant for Vanessa.
“Tomorrow morning. The children transfer. Then we disappear.”
My blood ran cold.
“The children transfer?”
My attorney looked at me.
“He’s planning to move their trust.”
“No.”
I stood.
“He’s planning to take my kids.”
The next morning, we prepared.
Security.
Police.
Legal team.
Everything.
Because Ethan thought he was invisible.
He thought Vanessa was still under his control.
He thought my children were helpless.
He was wrong.
At exactly 9:00 AM…
Ethan arrived.
With documents.
With lawyers.
With confidence.
He walked into the house.
“Ryan.”
I looked at him.
“You’re making this harder than necessary.”
I smiled.
“No.”
A pause.
“You did that yourself.”
He frowned.
May you like
Then noticed the police behind me.
His expression changed.
