Chapter 9: The Truth Buried With Elena
Nobody spoke after the message appeared.
The backyard lights continued shining.
The empty champagne glasses remained on the tables.
The dirty plates Maya had been forced to carry were still stacked nearby.
A reminder of how this night started.
But nobody cared about the party anymore.
Marcus stared at the message.
His hands tightened.
“This is a threat.””
Mr. Cole nodded.
“Yes.””
Maya looked at her father.
“Why would they mention Mom?””
Nobody answered.
That silence was the answer.
Her stomach dropped.
“You know something.””
Marcus looked at her.
“Maya…”
“No.””
Her voice shook.
“You all keep doing this.””
She pointed between them.
“You look at each other like you know something I don’t.””
Marcus swallowed.
“I wanted to protect you.””
“I know.””
The pain in her voice was worse than anger.
“But I don’t know if I can hear that anymore.””
Marcus looked away.
Because he understood.
Protection had become a wall.
And Maya had been trapped behind it.
Vanessa stood slowly.
“I should tell you something.””
Marcus looked at her.
“What?””
Vanessa hesitated.
Then walked toward the table.
“When Elena got sick, she asked me for help.””
Maya stared.
“You helped my mom?””
“Yes.””
“Then why did you treat me like that?””
Vanessa’s face fell.
“Because I was scared.””
“Of what?””
Vanessa looked at Marcus.
“Of what would happen if the truth came out.””
Marcus’s expression hardened.
“What truth?””
Vanessa reached into her purse again.
This time, she removed a photograph.
Old.
Faded.
She placed it on the table.
Maya looked down.
The picture showed her mother.
Young.
Smiling.
Standing beside two people.
Marcus.
And another man.
Maya recognized him.
Her uncle.
But there was something else.
A woman beside them.
Someone Maya had never seen.
“Who is she?””
Vanessa looked at the picture.
“That woman was the reason Elena stopped trusting everyone.””
Marcus picked it up.
His face changed.
“I haven’t seen this.””
“I know.””
“Why?””
“Because Elena hid it.””
Maya looked closer.
On the back of the photograph was writing.
Her mother’s handwriting.
Marcus read it aloud.
“‘If anything happens to me, find the person who knows the truth.’”
A chill moved through the group.
Maya whispered:
“Who knows the truth?””
Vanessa looked at Marcus.
“You.””
Marcus shook his head.
“No.””
“Yes.””
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.””
Vanessa stepped closer.
“You were there.””
Maya looked at her father.
“Where?””
Vanessa’s eyes softened.
“The night your mother died.””
Marcus froze.
Maya immediately noticed.
“Dad?””
He looked away.
And that was enough.
“You lied.””
Marcus closed his eyes.
“I didn’t lie.””
“You never told me you were there.””
“I was.””
“Why?””
The question broke him.
“Because Elena called me.””
Maya waited.
“She said she needed to tell me something.””
“What?””
Marcus looked at the ground.
“She said someone was trying to take control of the estate.””
Mr. Cole looked shocked.
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
Marcus looked at him.
“Because Elena made me promise.””
Maya’s voice was barely there.
“She made you promise?””
“Yes.””
“What did she say?””
Marcus remembered every word.
“She said if Maya knew the truth too early, the wrong person would use her emotions against her.””
Maya wiped her tears.
“So she knew.””
Marcus nodded.
“She knew someone close to us was dangerous.””
Vanessa whispered:
“And she knew it wasn’t who everyone thought.””
Everyone looked at her.
Marcus frowned.
“What does that mean?””
Vanessa looked at Maya.
“It means Elena was not afraid of your uncle.””
A pause.
“She was afraid of someone else.””
The words settled heavily.
Marcus looked around the backyard.
At the people who had been invited.
At the people who had access.
At the people who knew their family.
Then his phone rang.
Unknown number.
Everyone froze.
Marcus answered.
“Hello?””
No one spoke.
Then a voice came through.
A voice older.
Calm.
Familiar.
Marcus’s face changed instantly.
Maya saw it.
“Dad?””
He couldn’t respond.
The voice on the other end spoke again.
“You should have left the house alone, Marcus.””
Marcus gripped the phone.
“Who is this?””
A pause.
Then:
“You really don’t recognize my voice?””
Marcus went pale.
Because he did.
He knew exactly who it was.
May you like
And before the call ended, the person said one final sentence:
“Ask Maya why her mother never told her who her real father was.””
