CHAPTER 4 — The Man Behind Lauren's Anger
CHAPTER 4 — The Man Behind Lauren's Anger
My father did not sleep that night.
Neither did I.
Neither did James.
We remained in the living room long after midnight, sitting beneath the dim yellow light while Emma slept upstairs.
The name Daniel Reeves seemed to hang over us like a storm.
My father had known his father.
Daniel knew about our family.
Lauren knew Daniel.
And somehow, all of those pieces had found their way into our lives on the same Christmas night.
I looked at my father.
"You said his father believed our family stole something."
My father nodded.
"What?"
He rubbed both hands over his face.
"I don't know if I should tell you."
James answered before I could.
"You should."
My father looked at him.
"This is my family."
"And someone is threatening your granddaughter."
Silence.
James's voice remained controlled.
"That makes it everyone's problem."
My father lowered his eyes.
He knew James was right.
Finally, he stood.
"Come with me."
My father's study had not changed in twenty years.
Dark wooden shelves.
Old books.
A brass desk lamp.
Photographs from my childhood.
Photographs of my grandparents.
Photographs of Lauren and me standing beneath the same Christmas tree every year.
I had spent countless afternoons in that room as a child.
But I'd never noticed the small painting above the fireplace.
My father removed it.
Behind it was a safe.
He entered a code.
The lock clicked.
He opened the door.
Inside were folders.
Old photographs.
Letters.
A small black notebook.
My father took out the notebook.
"This belonged to your grandfather."
He placed it on the desk.
I stared at the worn leather cover.
"What's inside?"
"Things I wish I'd never learned."
James stood beside me.
"Then let's learn them now."
My father opened the notebook.
The first pages contained financial records.
Names.
Dates.
Companies.
Transfers.
Then I saw it.
Reeves Holdings.
My stomach tightened.
My father turned the page.
"This was twenty-two years ago."
"What happened?"
"Your grandfather owned a small investment company."
He paused.
"Reeves Holdings was one of his biggest competitors."
James looked at the records.
"Competitor?"
"At first."
My father turned another page.
"Then Daniel's father accused your grandfather of stealing proprietary information."
"Did he?"
My father hesitated.
"No."
James asked:
"Are you certain?"
My father looked at him.
"Your grandfather was many things."
His voice lowered.
"But he wasn't a thief."
I didn't know whether to believe him.
My father continued.
"Daniel's father eventually went bankrupt."
"Because of us?"
"No."
He shook his head.
"Because of decisions he made himself."
"Then why blame our family?"
"Because blaming someone else was easier than accepting responsibility."
I looked at the notebook.
"And Daniel?"
My father closed it.
"Daniel grew up hearing a different story."
The next morning, James found Lauren.
She was sitting alone in a coffee shop three miles from my parents' house.
Her eyes were swollen.
She looked like she hadn't slept.
When she saw us, she immediately stood.
"Evelyn."
I stopped.
For the first time since Christmas, I didn't know what to say to her.
James pulled out a chair.
"Sit."
Lauren obeyed.
I sat opposite her.
She looked at me.
"I'm sorry."
I didn't respond.
She lowered her eyes.
"I know that doesn't fix anything."
"No."
"I know."
"Then why say it?"
"Because I don't know what else to say."
I took a breath.
"Tell me about Daniel."
Lauren's face tightened.
"I don't know much."
"Start with what you do know."
She looked at James.
He remained silent.
Finally she spoke.
"I met him eight months ago."
"At the charity event?"
"Yes."
"What happened?"
"He approached me."
"Why?"
"I don't know."
James interrupted.
"Try again."
Lauren looked at him.
"He knew who I was."
My skin prickled.
"He knew you?"
"He knew my name."
"How?"
"He said he'd heard about my family."
I stared at her.
"What exactly did he say?"
Lauren thought for a moment.
"He said my sister had everything."
My heart sank.
"What else?"
"He said you had married a powerful man."
I glanced at James.
Lauren continued.
"He said you had the perfect life."
I almost laughed.
Perfect.
The word felt absurd.
"You believed him?"
"At first, no."
"Then?"
"He kept showing up."
"Where?"
"Restaurants. Events. My office."
"Coincidence?"
Lauren shook her head.
"No."
James leaned forward.
"Why didn't you tell anyone?"
"Because..."
She stopped.
"Because what?"
Lauren looked at me.
"I liked being noticed."
That answer hurt.
But it was honest.
"I was always the difficult daughter."
She wiped her eyes.
"You were the responsible one."
I said nothing.
"Mom trusted you."
She looked at me.
"Dad defended you."
"And James..."
She glanced at him.
"James loved you."
I swallowed.
"And you thought that made me the enemy."
Lauren nodded.
"Daniel told me that."
"What else?"
"He said your family had stolen opportunities from me."
"Which opportunities?"
"Everything."
I stared at her.
"That's not an answer."
"I know."
She covered her face.
"I don't know when I started believing him."
James said quietly:
"That's how manipulation works."
Lauren looked at him.
"He never ordered me to hurt Emma."
My blood ran cold.
"You gave him information."
"I know."
"You told him about our home."
"I know."
"You told him about James's schedule."
"I know."
"And you still say he never asked you to hurt Emma?"
Lauren shook her head.
"I thought he wanted information."
"For what?"
"I don't know."
James looked at her.
"That's the part you need to remember."
Lauren frowned.
"Remember what?"
"You didn't have to know the plan to become part of it."
That afternoon, James and I drove home.
The house felt different.
Every window looked exposed.
Every shadow looked suspicious.
I walked into the nursery.
Emma was sitting on the floor surrounded by soft toys.
She smiled when she saw me.
My heart broke.
I picked her up.
"I've got you."
James stood in the doorway.
He didn't say anything.
I knew what he was thinking.
"What if someone comes back?"
"We'll be ready."
"What if it's Daniel?"
"We'll deal with him."
"What if it's Lauren?"
He paused.
"We'll deal with that too."
I looked at him.
"You don't trust her."
"I don't trust what she's capable of when she's being manipulated."
"She's my sister."
"I know."
"She made a terrible mistake."
"I know."
"She isn't a monster."
James nodded.
"No."
He looked toward the window.
"But sometimes ordinary people can do terrible things when someone convinces them they're justified."
I hugged Emma tighter.
That evening, an envelope arrived.
No stamp.
No return address.
It had been left beneath our front door.
James opened it carefully.
Inside was a photograph.
Lauren.
Daniel.
Standing together at a restaurant.
The photograph had been taken from across the street.
On the back was a sentence.
YOU THINK SHE WAS THE PROBLEM.
James turned the photograph over.
There was another line.
SHE WAS ONLY THE DOOR.
I felt a chill.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
James didn't answer.
He studied the photograph.
Then noticed something in the background.
A man.
Sitting several tables behind Lauren and Daniel.
He zoomed in on the image.
His expression changed.
"What?"
He handed me the photograph.
I stared.
The man in the background was my uncle Daniel.
Not Daniel Reeves.
My father's younger brother.
My uncle Daniel Carter.
The same man who had sat at our Christmas table.
The same man who had watched Lauren strike my daughter.
The same man who had said nothing.
I looked at James.
"That's impossible."
He didn't respond.
I called my father.
He answered immediately.
"What happened?"
I sent him the photograph.
Several seconds passed.
Then I heard him whisper:
"No."
"What?"
"That can't be."
"Do you know why Uncle Daniel was meeting him?"
My father didn't answer.
"Dad."
Silence.
Then:
"Don't confront your uncle."
My heart began pounding.
"Why?"
"Because if he's involved..."
My father stopped.
"Then what?"
His voice dropped.
"Then the person we've been looking for isn't Daniel Reeves."
I felt the room spin.
"Who is it?"
My father whispered:
"Someone inside our family."
That night, Lauren called me.
Her voice was barely audible.
"Evelyn."
"What?"
"I know who Daniel is working for."
My heart stopped.
"Who?"
"I can't say over the phone."
"Lauren, just tell me."
"I made a mistake."
"What mistake?"
"I thought Daniel was using me."
She began crying.
"But he wasn't."
"What do you mean?"
"He was using someone else."
"Who?"
A long silence.
Then Lauren whispered:
"I saw them together."
"Who?"
"Daniel Reeves..."
Her breathing became uneven.
"...and your uncle."
I closed my eyes.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I don't know."
"What were they talking about?"
Lauren hesitated.
Then she said:
"They were talking about Emma."
My blood went cold.
"Why?"
"I don't know."
"Lauren, what did they say?"
She started crying.
"I only heard one sentence."
"What sentence?"
Her voice broke.
"The baby is the leverage."
The call ended.
I stared at the phone.
James was already standing.
He had heard everything.
His expression was no longer calm.
He reached for his jacket.
I grabbed his arm.
"Where are you going?"
"To find your uncle."
"James—"
He looked at me.
"We've been looking in the wrong direction."
He picked up his phone.
"We thought Lauren opened the door."
I swallowed.
"She did."
James shook his head.
"No."
He looked toward the nursery.
"Someone else told her which door to open."
Outside, headlights appeared briefly through the curtains.
Then disappeared.
A phone vibrated on the table.
Unknown number.
One message.
You finally understand.
A second message appeared.
But you're already too late.
I stared at the screen.
Then came the final message.
Tomorrow, your uncle will ask to see Emma.
And suddenly, I understood.
The Christmas slap had never been the beginning.
May you like
It had been a test.
And someone had been watching to see exactly how we would respond.
