Chapter 4: The Man Who Lied at My Father’s Funeral
For fifteen years, I remembered his face as the face of a friend.
A man who stood beside my mother when she couldn’t stop crying.
A man who lowered his head during my father’s funeral.
A man who told me, “Your dad loved you more than anything.””
Now he stood outside the diner window with the same calm smile.
And Marcus Vale had just told me he was the reason my father was dead.
I couldn’t move.
I couldn’t breathe.
The man outside lifted a hand and waved.
Like he knew me.
Like he expected me to wave back.
“No,” I whispered.
Liam looked at me.
“You know him?””
My throat tightened.
“His name is Victor Shaw.””
The moment I said it, several bikers reacted.
One of them cursed.
Another looked toward Liam.
“You’re sure?””
I nodded slowly.
“He was there.””
“Where?”” Liam asked.
“My father’s funeral.””
The words came out broken.
“He was the one who told us Daniel left because he was afraid.””
Marcus’s face darkened.
“He was lying.””
I stared at the man outside.
Victor had changed.
Fifteen years had added gray to his hair and lines around his eyes.
But the smile was the same.
That same comforting smile.
The one that made a scared little girl believe everything was going to be okay.
I hated that I still remembered it.
I hated that part of me wanted to believe him.
Liam stepped closer to the window.
“Everyone stay calm.””
One of the bikers looked at him.
“They came armed.””
“I know.””
“They’re not here to talk.””
“I know.””
The way Liam said it made the room colder.
He wasn’t guessing.
He was preparing.
I looked at him.
“How do you know?””
He didn’t look away from the window.
“Because people like Victor don’t travel twenty miles with armed men to have a conversation.””
Outside, Victor knocked on the diner door.
Three slow taps.
Everyone froze.
Then his voice came through the glass.
“Clara.””
Hearing him say my name made my skin crawl.
“Open the door.””
I stepped backward.
Liam immediately noticed.
“You don’t have to.””
Victor knocked again.
“I know you’re confused.””
His voice was gentle.
Almost kind.
That was what scared me.
“I know people are telling you stories.””
Marcus laughed bitterly.
“Stories?””
Victor looked toward him through the window.
Even from across the room, I could see the hatred between them.
“Still alive, Marcus?””
Marcus walked forward.
“You’re disappointed.””
Victor smiled.
“A little.””
Liam’s hand moved slightly.
A warning.
Marcus stopped.
Victor looked back at me.
“Clara, your father was not the man they’re making him out to be.””
My chest tightened.
“You don’t get to talk about my father.””
Victor’s smile faded slightly.
“There it is.””
“What?””
“That anger.””
He stepped closer to the glass.
“You have Daniel’s eyes.””
I felt sick.
“Don’t say that.””
“It’s true.””
“You lied to us.””
Victor tilted his head.
“About what?””
“About him leaving.””
The parking lot went quiet.
Even the men outside seemed to stop moving.
Victor sighed.
“I was trying to protect you.””
A bitter laugh escaped me.
“Everyone says that.””
Liam looked at me.
I ignored him.
“Everyone says they were protecting me.””
Victor’s expression hardened.
“Your father made choices.””
My fists tightened.
“You’re the one who killed him.””
The words came out before I could stop them.
Silence.
Victor didn’t react.
Not immediately.
Then he smiled.
Not kindly.
Not sadly.
Something colder.
“That’s what they told you?””
Marcus stepped forward.
“You’re not walking out of here.””
Victor looked at him.
“Still pretending you’re the hero?””
Marcus’s face changed.
“You know what Daniel died for?””
Victor smiled.
“Do you?””
The question hung there.
Then Victor looked back at me.
“Clara, your father wasn’t killed because he discovered a secret.””
My heart raced.
“He was killed because he was going to expose everyone.””
“Everyone who?””
Victor didn’t answer.
Instead, he reached inside his coat.
Several bikers immediately raised their hands.
Liam moved in front of me.
Victor slowly pulled out a small object.
A flash drive.
“This is what your father died protecting.””
My eyes went to it.
“What is that?””
“The reason he left the letter.””
Liam’s expression changed.
“You have it?””
Victor smiled.
“I always knew where it was.””
Marcus looked at Liam.
“He’s bluffing.””
Victor laughed.
“Am I?””
He held up the drive.
“Daniel hid the evidence somewhere nobody would think to look.””
His eyes moved toward me.
“Inside the one person he trusted most.””
My stomach dropped.
“What does that mean?””
Victor didn’t answer.
But Liam did.
“Clara.””
I looked at him.
His face had gone pale.
“What?””
Liam slowly looked at the envelope in my hand.
Then at me.
“Your father didn’t just leave you a letter.””
A cold feeling spread through my body.
“What are you saying?””
Victor smiled from outside.
“Your father knew I would come for it.””
The diner lights flickered.
Then suddenly went dark.
People screamed.
For a few seconds, there was only darkness.
Then everything happened at once.
A crash.
A shout.
The sound of glass breaking.
Someone grabbed my arm.
I screamed.
“Clara!””
Liam’s voice.
I felt myself pulled backward.
A second later, the emergency lights came on.
Dim red lights filled the diner.
And the first thing I saw was Liam standing in front of me.
His face was tense.
His hand was bleeding.
But he was still standing.
Then I looked around.
One of the bikers was on the floor.
The front window was shattered.
Victor was gone.
My heart dropped.
“He left.””
Marcus looked toward the broken window.
“No.””
Liam wiped blood from his hand.
“He didn’t leave.””
I stared at him.
“Then where is he?””
Liam looked at the envelope.
At me.
Then toward the kitchen.
My stomach turned.
“What?””
A sound came from behind us.
A slow clap.
Everyone turned.
Victor stood near the back exit.
Somehow, he had gotten inside.
And he was holding something.
Not a weapon.
Not the flash drive.
The letter.
My father’s letter.
I felt the air leave my lungs.
“How?””
Victor smiled.
“Your father taught me a lot.””
Liam moved forward.
Victor immediately held up the letter.
“Another step and this disappears.””
Liam stopped.
Victor looked at me.
“I’m sorry you had to find out this way, Clara.””
My voice shook.
“Give it back.””
He looked almost disappointed.
“You still don’t understand.””
“Understand what?””
“That your father didn’t trust Liam.””
The room went silent.
I looked at Liam.
Victor smiled.
“He trusted me.””
Nobody spoke.
Even Liam looked surprised.
Victor held the letter tighter.
“Daniel knew Liam would come looking for the truth someday.””
He looked at the jacket.
“At the person wearing his old colors.””
Then Victor looked back at me.
“But he never told you the biggest secret.””
My heart pounded.
“What secret?””
Victor took one step closer.
“Your father wasn’t hiding from me.””
A pause.
“He was hiding something from Liam.””
The words struck harder than they should have.
I looked at Liam.
His face was unreadable.
And that scared me more than anything.
Because for the first time that night…
I wondered if Victor was lying.
Or if Liam Henderson really had been keeping a secret from me.
Victor smiled.
Then he opened my father’s letter.
And read the first line aloud.
“Dear Clara…”
His eyes lifted.
“Before you hate Liam Henderson, you need to know what he did.””
The entire diner went silent.
Liam’s expression changed.
“Don’t.””
Victor smiled.
“Oh, she deserves to know.””
He looked directly at me.
“Your father’s last words were about the man standing right behind you.””
I turned slowly toward Liam.
May you like
And for the first time since meeting him…
I wondered if the person protecting me was also the person I should have feared.
