Chapter 13 - MARIA'S SECRET
Maria had worked for our family for twenty years.
She had raised me.
She had protected me.
She had been the person who showed my father the dining-room footage.
But now Thomas had named her.
Dad looked at her.
“Maria?”
She began crying.
“I didn't want this.”
“Tell me.”
She slowly sat down.
“Your wife asked me to protect Ethan.”
“You knew about Lily?”
“Yes.”
“Nathan?”
“Yes.”
“Thomas?”
“Yes.”
Dad's voice broke.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because your wife believed you were being watched.”
“She trusted you.”
“Yes.”
“And you let me believe she died in an accident.”
“I was afraid.”
Dad turned away.
Maria continued.
“Your wife transferred the controlling shares into a private foundation.”
Michael frowned.
“Which foundation?”
Maria looked at me.
“Yours.”
I stared.
“My foundation?”
“You were the legal beneficiary.”
Dad looked confused.
“Then why does the trust say Ethan owns the shares?”
“Because the foundation was created in his name.”
Michael understood.
“It's a dual structure.”
“Yes.”
“Who controls it?”
Maria hesitated.
“Ethan.”
Dad looked at me.
“But he's seven.”
“That's why your mother appointed a guardian.”
“Who?”
Maria whispered:
“Me.”
Everyone was silent.
Dad stared.
“You?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because your wife didn't trust anyone else.”
Michael examined the documents.
“They're legitimate.”
Maria nodded.
“Your wife planned everything.”
“Even her death?”
Maria shook her head.
“No.”
“She knew she was in danger.”
“Yes.”
“But she didn't expect to die.”
Maria pulled out a final letter.
“She wrote this two days before she died.”
Dad opened it.
His hands trembled.
The letter explained that my mother had discovered her father was planning to remove all three children from the inheritance.
She had created a foundation.
She had hidden the assets.
She had placed Maria in charge.
She had arranged for Lily and Nathan to be protected.
Then she wrote:
If Daniel ever discovers the truth, tell him I loved him.
Dad began crying.
For the first time, I saw my father completely broken.
He had spent twelve years believing his wife died because he failed to protect her.
Now he knew she had spent her final days protecting him too.
Then Maria said:
“There is one more problem.”
“What?”
“The foundation's original charter is missing.”
Michael frowned.
“Who had it?”
Maria looked at me.
“Your mother gave it to someone.”
“Who?”
“She said only one person could be trusted with it.”
Dad asked:
“Who?”
Maria answered:
“Ethan's future wife.”
Everyone stared.
I was seven.
That made no sense.
Michael looked confused.
“Your mother planned for the future.”
Maria nodded.
“She believed the foundation needed protection beyond Ethan's eighteenth birthday.”
Nathan shook his head.
“This is getting ridiculous.”
Then Maria smiled sadly.
“Your mother knew that.”
She opened a small box.
Inside was a photograph.
A young girl.
Around seven years old.
She stood beside my mother.
The girl looked familiar.
Very familiar.
I stared at her face.
Lily whispered:
“Who is she?”
Maria answered:
“Her name is Emily.”
Dad looked shocked.
“She was your mother's best friend's daughter.”
Michael examined the photograph.
“She disappeared.”
“When?”
“The same year your mother died.”
Suddenly, my phone received a message.
A photograph appeared.
Emily.
Now grown.
And standing beside Robert.
May you like
The message said:
YOU FOUND THE WRONG ENEMY.
