Chapter 7: The Lie Buried With the Past
For the rest of the night, I couldn’t sleep.
David Walker’s words kept replaying in my head.
Ask him who really caused your biological father’s death.
It was a cruel sentence.
A carefully chosen one.
Because David knew exactly where to strike.
He knew that after everything I had learned, I was still holding onto one simple truth.
Arthur Bennett chose me.
Arthur Bennett raised me.
Arthur Bennett loved me.
But now David wanted me to question even that.
And the worst part?
A small part of me was afraid.
I found my father sitting alone in the backyard before sunrise.
He had a cup of coffee in his hand.
The same way he used to sit every morning when I was a kid.
For a second, I almost turned around.
Because some conversations are easier to avoid.
But I had spent my entire life surrounded by unanswered questions.
I was tired of running into walls built from secrets.
“Dad.””
He looked up.
He already knew something was wrong.
“What happened?””
I sat across from him.
“David called me.””
The color left his face.
“What did he say?””
I stared at him.
“He asked me who really caused my biological father’s death.””
My father became completely still.
Not surprised.
Not confused.
Still.
That told me everything.
“Dad.””
He looked down.
“Marcus…”
“No.””
My voice was quiet.
But firm.
“Don’t protect me from the truth anymore.””
For years, he had done exactly that.
Protected me.
But I was not the little boy who needed his father to make the monsters disappear.
I was a grown man.
And I needed the truth.
My father placed his coffee down.
“Your biological father’s name was James Carter.””
I nodded.
“My mother told me.””
He looked away.
“James was a good man.””
The sadness in his voice surprised me.
“You knew him?””
“Yes.””
I frowned.
“How?””
My father took a deep breath.
“Because before I became your father, I was his friend.””
The world seemed to shift.
“You knew him?””
“Yes.””
“And you never told me?””
He looked at me.
“Because I was afraid.””
That answer hurt.
But this time, I listened.
“James worked with Bennett Global before David became my partner. He was one of the first people who believed in my vision.””
My father rubbed his hands together.
“He was also one of the first people to suspect David was stealing.””
I felt my stomach tighten.
“What happened?””
“James started investigating.””
A pause.
“And David found out.””
My father’s voice became heavier.
“James was planning to expose him.””
The morning air felt colder.
“And then he died.””
My father nodded.
“But not because of me.””
I studied his face.
“David said—”
“I know what David said.””
For the first time, I saw anger in my father’s eyes.
Real anger.
“He is trying to poison you against me because he knows he is losing.””
I didn’t respond.
Because I wanted to believe him.
I did.
But I needed more.
My mother walked outside.
She had heard enough.
“Marcus.””
I looked at her.
“She’s telling the truth,” she said.
My father looked at her.
She nodded.
“James died trying to protect us.””
She sat beside me.
“The night before he died, he gave me information about David. He knew David was dangerous.””
My mother’s eyes filled with tears.
“James knew he might not survive.””
The pain in her voice was different.
Not fresh.
Old.
A wound that never closed.
“He asked Arthur to protect you if something happened.””
I looked at my father.
“He asked you?””
My father nodded.
“He told me, ‘If I don’t make it, don’t let my son grow up without someone fighting for him.’”
My chest tightened.
“And you did.””
My father looked down.
“I tried.””
That answer confused me.
“You tried?””
He nodded.
“Because I failed him.””
“No.””
“Yes.””
His voice cracked.
“I couldn’t save James.””
He looked at me.
“So I promised myself I would save you.””
That was the moment I understood.
My father wasn’t hiding the truth because he was guilty.
He was hiding it because he had been carrying grief.
The kind that never leaves.
The kind that becomes part of your identity.
Before I could say anything, Evelyn rushed outside holding a tablet.
“We have a problem.””
Everyone turned.
“What happened?”” my father asked.
She hesitated.
“David released a statement.””
She handed him the tablet.
The headline made my heart drop.
FORMER BENNETT EXECUTIVE CLAIMS ARTHUR BENNETT HIDES DARK FAMILY SECRETS.
I read the article.
It painted my father as a manipulator.
A man who built his empire through deception.
A man who erased James Carter’s name.
A man who stole his own son’s identity.
The lies were carefully mixed with pieces of truth.
That was what made them dangerous.
“He’s trying to control the story,” my mother said.
My father nodded.
“He knows he’s cornered.””
Then another notification appeared.
A video.
From David.
My father hesitated.
I knew he didn’t want to watch.
But I pressed play.
David appeared on the screen.
Older.
Tired.
But still arrogant.
“Arthur Bennett has spent years pretending to be a hero.””
He smiled.
“But heroes don’t hide secrets.””
My hands tightened.
“I have proof that Arthur Bennett was involved in James Carter’s death.””
My father closed his eyes.
David continued.
“And soon, Marcus Bennett will learn who his father really was.””
The video ended.
Nobody spoke.
Then my father stood.
“We’re going public.””
I looked at him.
“With everything?””
He nodded.
“No more hiding.””
My mother reached for his hand.
“Are you ready?””
My father looked at me.
And smiled.
“I’ve been ready for twelve years.””
But before we could move forward, Evelyn’s phone rang.
She answered.
Her face changed.
“What?””
A pause.
Then she looked at me.
“Marcus.””
My heart sank.
“What?””
She swallowed.
“They found David Walker.””
A moment passed.
“Where?””
She looked at my father.
“He turned himself in.””
That didn’t make sense.
May you like
A man who spent years hiding didn’t suddenly surrender.
Unless he had one more move.
