The police assumed he had fled. The media portrayed him as a runaway heir. But Arthur never believed it.
For ten years, he searched.
“Two months ago,” Arthur whispered, “we found that video on an encrypted disk. Ryan recorded it just days before he died.”
“D-died?” I gasped.
Arthur nodded, pain blurring his eyes.
“He escaped once… but his injuries were too severe. They covered everything up to protect the family’s reputation. I only learned the truth last year, when I finally regained control of the company.”
Tears burned my cheeks.
I had spent ten years hating Ryan; hating a man who had fought for us until his last breath.
Arthur then handed me a sealed envelope.
Inside was Ryan’s handwriting.
Emily, if you’re reading this, know that I never stopped loving you. I thought I could fix what my family broke, but I was wrong. Protect our son. Tell him I wanted him more than anything. —Ryan
The words blurred through my tears.
Arthur stayed for hours, talking about justice, scholarships, a foundation in Ryan’s name.
Before leaving, he said,
“I’ll take you both to Seattle tomorrow. You deserve to see what Ryan left behind.”
I didn’t know if I trusted him…
But the story clearly wasn’t over.
The next morning, Ethan and I sat in the back of a sleek black Mercedes, heading for Seattle.
For the first time in a decade, I felt terrified… and free.
The Caldwell estate wasn’t a mansion. It was a fortress: glass walls, manicured gardens, a world away from Maple Hollow.
Inside, portraits of Ryan adorned a long hallway: smiling, hopeful, oblivious to what awaited him.
Arthur took us to meet the board of directors and then the woman who had concealed the truth: Clara Hensley, the family lawyer.
Haar gezicht werd bleek toen ze me zag.
Arthurs toon was ijzig.
« Vertel hem wat je me vorige week hebt verteld, Clara. »
Ze friemelde nerveus aan haar parels.
« Ik… Ik kreeg opdracht het politierapport te wijzigen. Je zoon is niet weggelopen. Hij is ontvoerd. Ik heb uit angst documenten vernietigd. Het spijt me zo. »
Mijn handen trilden.
Arthur bleef staan.
« Ze hebben mijn zoon vermoord. En ze zullen ervoor betalen. »
Toen draaide hij zich naar mij toe.
« Emily, Ryan heeft een deel van het bedrijf en de hele stichting aan jou en Ethan nagelaten. »
Ik schudde mijn hoofd.
