CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 7
RICHARD'S SECRET
"I know who my real father is."
Sophie looked at Richard.
The basement became completely silent.
Ethan stared at his daughter.
Then at Richard.
Then back at Sophie.
"No."
His voice was barely audible.
"Sophie, don't."
The little girl tightened her grip on Elena's hand.
Richard smiled.
Not proudly.
Not lovingly.
It was the smile of a man who had finally heard the words he had been waiting for.
Ethan stepped toward him.
"You told her."
Richard raised an eyebrow.
"Told her what?"
"Whatever you've been putting into her head."
"I didn't have to."
Ethan stopped.
Richard pointed toward Sophie.
"She remembers."
Ethan felt a chill.
"She's six."
"Six-year-olds remember more than adults think."
Sophie began crying.
"Daddy, I didn't want to lie."
Ethan immediately turned toward her.
"You're not lying."
Richard laughed.
"She isn't."
Ethan glared at him.
"Shut up."
Richard's smile disappeared.
"You really don't remember me, do you?"
Ethan stared.
"What are you talking about?"
"We met long before Anna."
"No."
"Long before Celeste."
"Stop."
"Long before Sophie."
Ethan's heart began pounding.
Richard stepped closer.
"You were seventeen."
Ethan frowned.
"You came to Lisbon."
"I've never been to Lisbon."
Richard smiled.
"That's what they made you believe."
Ethan's head throbbed.
A flash.
A street.
Rain.
A hotel.
A young man standing beside him.
Richard.
Then darkness.
Ethan grabbed the wall.
"Sir?"
Marcus moved toward him.
"I'm fine."
He wasn't.
Richard watched carefully.
"Memory is a strange thing."
Ethan looked at him.
"What happened in Lisbon?"
Richard's smile returned.
"You met my sister."
Ethan froze.
"Your sister?"
"Elena."
Everyone looked at Elena.
She lowered her eyes.
Ethan turned toward her.
"You're his sister?"
Elena shook her head.
"No."
Richard laughed.
"She doesn't know."
Elena looked at him.
"You said you'd never tell him."
"Things changed."
"What changed?"
Richard looked at Ethan.
"Everything."
Richard's secret began twenty years earlier.
His father had been a powerful banker.
His mother had worked as a translator.
They lived in Lisbon.
Richard grew up surrounded by money.
But money wasn't what controlled the family.
Information was.
His father kept records.
Names.
Accounts.
Photographs.
Secrets.
Every powerful person who owed him something was recorded.
Politicians.
Executives.
Judges.
Lawyers.
Even members of wealthy families.
The records were called the Black Ledger.
And one name appeared more often than any other.
Carter.
Ethan's father.
Richard's father had done business with him for years.
Then something went wrong.
Money disappeared.
People disappeared.
And Richard's father died.
Officially, suicide.
Richard never believed it.
He spent years searching.
Then he found the truth.
His father had been murdered because he wanted to expose Ethan's father.
But the Black Ledger disappeared.
Everyone assumed it was destroyed.
It wasn't.
Anna found it.
And Richard found Anna.
Back in the basement, Ethan stared at Richard.
"What does this have to do with Sophie?"
Richard's expression became serious.
"Everything."
"Tell me."
Richard looked at Elena.
"You should tell him."
Elena shook her head.
"No."
Richard pulled out his phone.
He pressed play.
A recording filled the basement.
Anna's voice.
"If you're hearing this, Richard has found us."
Ethan froze.
Anna continued.
"Do not trust him."
Richard's face tightened.
The recording continued.
"Richard believes Sophie is his daughter."
Ethan looked at Richard.
Richard said nothing.
Anna's voice continued.
"He is wrong."
Ethan's heart raced.
"But he has convinced himself that she is."
The recording stopped.
Ethan looked at Richard.
"You lied."
Richard's jaw tightened.
"I didn't."
"Anna just said you weren't Sophie's father."
"She was protecting you."
"From what?"
Richard looked at Sophie.
"From the truth."
Ethan stepped toward him.
"Then tell me."
Richard sighed.
"You want the truth?"
"Yes."
"You really want it?"
"Yes."
Richard looked at Celeste.
"Tell him."
Celeste shook her head.
"No."
Richard smiled.
"Fine."
He looked at Ethan.
"Sophie is not your daughter."
Ethan's entire body went cold.
"No."
"She isn't."
"DNA proves it."
Richard laughed.
"Does it?"
Ethan looked at Celeste.
"She showed me the test."
"Of course."
"The test said she was mine."
Richard nodded.
"Who performed the test?"
Ethan didn't answer.
"Exactly."
Richard stepped closer.
"Your doctor."
Ethan's face changed.
"Dr. Bennett."
"Yes."
"He's been our family doctor for fifteen years."
"And he was paid."
"By whom?"
Richard smiled.
"That's the question."
Ethan looked at Jonathan.
Jonathan closed his eyes.
Ethan's voice became louder.
"Who paid him?"
Jonathan whispered:
"Your father."
Silence.
Ethan stared at him.
"My father has been dead for ten years."
"I know."
"Then how?"
Jonathan didn't answer.
Richard did.
"Because your father's network never died."
Sophie suddenly screamed.
"Stop!"
Everyone turned.
She covered her ears.
"I don't want to hear anymore!"
Ethan immediately dropped beside her.
"It's okay."
"No!"
She began shaking.
"Mommy said never talk about the room."
Ethan froze.
"What room?"
Sophie looked at Elena.
"The room where Mommy cried."
Elena's face went pale.
Richard stopped smiling.
"She remembers."
Ethan looked at Sophie.
"What room?"
Sophie whispered:
"Room seventeen."
Ethan closed his eyes.
The same number.
Again.
Always seventeen.
He looked at Elena.
"You took her there."
Elena shook her head.
"No."
"Then who did?"
Sophie answered.
"Mr. Richard."
Richard's expression changed.
"Sophie..."
"You told me not to tell Daddy."
Ethan stood.
"You took my daughter to Room 17?"
Richard shook his head.
"Not like that."
"What did you do?"
"I showed her something."
"What?"
Richard looked at Sophie.
"Her mother's photograph."
Ethan's heart pounded.
"Why?"
"Because Anna left something for her."
"What?"
"A message."
Richard pulled a small envelope from his coat.
Ethan recognized the handwriting.
Anna.
He reached for it.
Richard pulled it back.
"Not yet."
"Give it to me."
"It's not for you."
"Then who?"
Richard looked at Sophie.
"Her."
Ethan's voice became cold.
"She's six."
"She's old enough to know the truth."
"What truth?"
Richard crouched down.
"Sophie."
The girl looked at him.
"Do you remember what your mother told you?"
Sophie nodded.
"She said Daddy must never know."
Ethan's blood ran cold.
"What?"
Richard looked at Ethan.
"That's the secret."
Ethan grabbed Richard by the collar.
"What did Anna tell my daughter?"
Richard didn't resist.
"She told Sophie who really caused the crash."
Ethan froze.
"Who?"
Richard whispered:
"You."
Ethan released him.
"No."
"You were driving."
"I know."
"You were angry."
"No."
"You argued with Anna."
"No."
"You took the gun."
Ethan's eyes widened.
"What gun?"
Richard smiled.
"Now you're remembering."
A flash.
The car.
Rain.
Anna screaming.
Ethan holding something.
A gun.
Someone behind them.
A child crying.
Then—
a different memory.
Sophie.
But Sophie was not six.
She was a baby.
Ethan saw himself holding her.
Anna stood beside him.
And Richard was there.
Ethan stumbled backward.
"No..."
Marcus caught him.
"What happened?"
Ethan whispered:
"I saw her."
"Who?"
"My daughter."
Richard smiled.
"She's always been there."
Ethan looked at Sophie.
She was staring at him.
"Daddy?"
Ethan dropped to his knees.
"Sophie..."
She ran into his arms.
He held her tightly.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
"No matter what anyone says."
Richard watched them.
Then he said quietly:
"That's exactly what Anna wanted."
Ethan looked up.
"What?"
"She knew one day they would try to convince you that Sophie wasn't yours."
"Why?"
"Because Sophie is the only thing they can't control."
Ethan frowned.
"What makes her so important?"
Richard looked at Celeste.
Celeste looked away.
"Tell him."
Celeste remained silent.
Richard laughed.
"Fine."
He pulled out another document.
"This is the original birth certificate."
Ethan took it.
He read it.
His eyes widened.
Mother:
Anna Carter.
Father:
Ethan Carter.
He looked at Richard.
"Then why did you say she wasn't my daughter?"
"Because I needed you to doubt everything."
"Why?"
"Because you're getting close."
"Close to what?"
Richard leaned toward him.
"The person who ordered the crash."
Ethan stared.
"Celeste?"
Richard shook his head.
"No."
"My aunt?"
"No."
"Your father?"
"Dead."
"Then who?"
Richard looked at Jonathan.
Jonathan's face changed.
Richard smiled.
"Ask your lawyer."
Ethan slowly turned.
"Jonathan."
Jonathan didn't answer.
"Did you order the crash?"
"No."
"Then what did you do?"
Jonathan looked at the floor.
"I helped arrange it."
Ethan's face went white.
"What?"
"I didn't know they were going to kill Anna."
"But you knew about the plan."
"Yes."
"You knew about Richard."
"Yes."
"You knew about Celeste."
"Yes."
"And you erased my memory."
Jonathan nodded.
"Yes."
Ethan walked toward him.
"Why?"
"Because you asked me to."
"Stop saying that."
"It's true."
"I never asked you to erase my memory."
Jonathan looked directly into his eyes.
"You did."
"Why would I?"
"Because you killed someone."
Ethan froze.
"Who?"
Jonathan's eyes filled with tears.
"Your father."
Silence.
Ethan stared.
"What?"
"Your father didn't die naturally."
"I was told he had a heart attack."
"He was murdered."
"By whom?"
Jonathan swallowed.
"By you."
Ethan stepped backward.
"No."
"You were there."
"I was seventeen."
"You were twenty-eight."
Ethan's breathing stopped.
Something was wrong.
He looked at Marcus.
"How old am I?"
Marcus stared at him.
"Forty-three."
Ethan shook his head.
"No."
He looked at his hands.
His memories were collapsing.
The accident.
Lisbon.
Anna.
His father.
Sophie.
Everything was becoming disconnected.
Then he remembered something.
A birthday.
A cake.
Sophie was holding it.
Anna was standing beside her.
Richard was behind them.
But the date on the cake was wrong.
Ethan whispered:
"Sophie isn't six."
Everyone froze.
Ethan looked at his daughter.
"How old are you?"
Sophie looked confused.
"Six."
"No."
Ethan stared.
"I remember."
"What?"
"You were born nine years ago."
Elena covered her mouth.
Richard looked shocked.
Jonathan closed his eyes.
Ethan's voice trembled.
"Sophie is nine."
Sophie looked at him.
"But Daddy..."
Ethan backed away.
"Why have I been made to believe she's six?"
Richard whispered:
"Because the last three years were never real."
The basement fell silent.
Ethan stared at him.
"What do you mean?"
Richard took one final photograph from his pocket.
He handed it to Ethan.
It showed Ethan standing beside Sophie.
She looked exactly as she did now.
But the date on the photograph was three years earlier.
Ethan's face went completely white.
On the back, written in Anna's handwriting:
ETHAN, IF YOU ARE READING THIS, YOU HAVE ALREADY LOST THREE YEARS.
Ethan turned the photograph over.
Below that sentence was another.
THE MAN WHO ERASED YOUR MEMORY DID NOT DO IT TO PROTECT YOU.
And beneath it:
HE DID IT BECAUSE YOU WERE ABOUT TO REMEMBER WHAT YOU DID TO RICHARD'S FAMILY.
Ethan looked at Richard.
Richard's eyes were filled with hatred.
"Now you know my secret."
Ethan whispered:
"What did I do?"
Richard stepped closer.
"You killed my father."
Ethan shook his head.
"I couldn't."
"You did."
"I was seventeen."
Richard stared at him.
"No."
He leaned closer.
"You were thirty-nine."
Ethan's heart stopped.
The lights suddenly went out.
Sophie screamed.
Then a voice came through the darkness.
A woman's voice.
Anna's voice.
But Anna was dead.
And the voice whispered:
"Ethan..."
"Don't trust Richard."
A gunshot exploded.
Someone screamed.
And when the emergency lights finally came on—
May you like
Richard was gone.
And Sophie was missing.
