Chapter 11 - The Person I Never SuspectedI opened the envelope.
The name was:
Marcus Bell.
My business partner.
The man I had trusted.
The man who had supposedly been helping me rebuild.
The man who had been secretly working with Daniel.
But Michael's statement revealed something even worse.
Marcus hadn't simply joined the plan.
He had started it.
Years before Daniel.
Years before Victor.
Marcus had been watching my family.
He had studied my company.
He had discovered the trust.
And he had approached Daniel because he knew Daniel was vulnerable.
The accident was part of a larger plan.
Marcus disappeared.
His office was empty.
His house was empty.
His phone was disconnected.
The police issued a warrant.
But I knew he would come back.
Because people like Marcus don't run forever.
They return for what they think belongs to them.
Three days later…
He came to my office.
No weapon.
No disguise.
He simply walked through the front door.
Security stopped him.
I told them to let him through.
My father looked at me.
“Emily.”
“I need answers.”
Marcus entered my office.
He looked exhausted.
“I knew you would find out.”
I stared.
“Why?”
“Because you always do.”
He confessed.
Everything.
He had been obsessed with my family for years.
His father had once worked for my grandfather.
He believed the Carter family had ruined his father's life.
He wanted revenge.
But revenge wasn't enough.
He wanted the company.
The money.
The recognition.
He wanted to become the person everyone respected.
Instead of the person everyone overlooked.
“You used Daniel.”
“Yes.”
“You used Evelyn.”
“Yes.”
“You used Victor.”
“Yes.”
“You caused the accident.”
He looked down.
“Yes.”
My hands trembled.
“You nearly killed me.”
“I know.”
“Why?”
He looked at me.
“Because I thought if you became afraid enough, you'd surrender.”
I shook my head.
“You never understood me.”
“No.”
He smiled bitterly.
“I didn't.”
The police arrested him.
But before they took him away, he looked at me.
“You won.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
He frowned.
May you like
“I survived.”
Then I walked away.
