Chapter 13: The Betrayal Inside the House
Darius stared at the security monitor.
He didn’t blink.
He didn’t breathe.
Because the person standing inside his office wasn’t a stranger.
It wasn’t someone from Simone’s past.
It wasn’t someone connected to the mystery surrounding his sister.
It was someone who had sat at his family table.
Someone who had hugged Ava.
Someone who had looked him in the eyes tonight and pretended to be shocked.
His own blood.
“Uncle Raymond…”
The name left Darius’s mouth like a whisper.
The room fell silent.
Everyone looked toward the screen.
Raymond Carter stood inside the office, calmly removing documents from the hidden box.
The same box that had been protected for years.
The same box that contained the answers Darius had spent years searching for.
Nia covered her mouth.
“No.””
Marcus looked down.
Darius immediately turned toward him.
“You knew.””
Marcus looked up.
“What?””
“You knew he was involved.””
Marcus shook his head.
“No.””
“Then why do you look like you expected this?””
Marcus didn’t answer.
And Darius was done accepting silence.
“Enough.””
His voice cut through the room.
“No more protecting people.””
He pointed toward the screen.
“That man is in my house stealing evidence about my sister.””
Then he looked at everyone.
“And somehow, every person in this room knew more about my life than I did.””
Simone stepped closer.
“Darius, please listen.””
He looked at her.
“Why?””
She stopped.
“Because this time, I’m telling the truth.””
The sentence hurt because he knew she meant it.
But he also knew it came too late.
Darius turned toward the hallway.
“Security.””
The guards moved immediately.
“Lock every exit.””
Raymond was still inside the office.
He had not realized they were watching.
Or maybe he had.
Darius couldn’t tell anymore.
The guards reached the office door.
Darius followed.
He needed to see Raymond’s face.
He needed to ask the question that had haunted him for years.
Why?
The door opened.
Raymond stood frozen.
The documents were still in his hand.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then Raymond sighed.
Almost like he was tired of pretending.
“I was wondering when you would finally find out.””
Darius stared.
“You were there.””
Raymond looked at him.
“What?””
“The night she disappeared.””
The room became quiet.
Raymond’s expression changed slightly.
Just enough.
Darius saw it.
The guilt.
The fear.
The memory.
“You were there.””
Raymond lowered the documents.
“Darius…”
“No.””
His voice shook.
“You don’t get to say my name like you’re family.””
The words hit Raymond.
Because they were true.
Raymond had been family.
That was what made it worse.
“You have no idea what happened.””
Darius laughed bitterly.
“Everyone says that.””
He stepped closer.
“Everyone says I don’t understand.””
Raymond looked down.
“Because you don’t.””
“Then explain.””
Raymond looked at the documents.
“I was trying to protect this family.””
Darius stared.
“By hiding the truth?””
“By preventing something worse.””
Simone stepped forward.
“You don’t get to say that.””
Raymond looked at her.
“You knew your role.””
“And I regret it every day.””
The words surprised Darius.
Simone continued.
“I thought I was helping his sister.””
She looked at Raymond.
“I didn’t know what you were planning.””
Darius turned.
“What was he planning?””
Nobody answered.
Raymond looked toward the window.
Then he said quietly:
“Your sister discovered something about the company.””
Darius frowned.
“What?””
“Money was being moved.””
“By who?””
Raymond stayed silent.
Darius’s expression hardened.
“By you?””
Raymond looked at him.
That was enough.
The room erupted.
Nia stepped back.
Marcus shook his head.
“No…”
Raymond looked tired.
“I didn’t start it.””
Darius stared.
“Start what?””
Raymond looked around.
“At first, it was supposed to be temporary.””
“Temporary?””
“Yes.””
He swallowed.
“Your father left behind problems before he died.””
Darius froze.
His father.
Another name from his past.
Another secret.
Raymond continued.
“Your sister found records she wasn’t supposed to see.””
“And you tried to stop her.””
Raymond didn’t answer.
Darius felt the truth before hearing it.
“What happened that night?””
Raymond looked at him.
“I tried to convince her to give me the files.””
“And?””
“She refused.””
The room became colder.
Darius stepped forward.
“Did you hurt her?””
Raymond looked away.
That was the answer.
“No.””
The word came from Simone.
Everyone looked at her.
She stepped between them.
“No.””
Darius stared.
“You know?””
Simone nodded.
“I know what happened.””
“Then tell me.””
Her voice shook.
“Your sister escaped.””
Darius waited.
“She wasn’t taken.””
A painful silence.
“She left because she knew Raymond would never stop looking for those files.””
Darius looked at the documents in Raymond’s hand.
“Where is my sister?””
Nobody answered.
Then Raymond whispered:
“She’s closer than you think.””
Darius froze.
“What does that mean?””
Raymond looked at the doorway.
Everyone followed his gaze.
A woman stood there.
Older.
Different.
But familiar.
Darius stopped breathing.
Because he knew that face.
A face he had spent years believing he would never see again.
May you like
His sister.
Alive.
