Chương 8
"No."
Daniel shook his head.
"For the first time, I understand everything."
Richard looked at him carefully.
"What do you think you understand?"
Daniel glanced at the necklace.
"I understand why my father was afraid of you."
A small change appeared on Richard's face.
The first sign of discomfort.
Daniel noticed.
He continued.
"I understand why my mother left messages."
"I understand why Emma disappeared."
"And I understand why you spent years trying to keep me away from my own daughter."
Richard remained silent.
That silence was enough.
Daniel had found the truth.
"You knew about her from the beginning."
Richard looked at Emma.
"She was never supposed to keep the child."
Emma's expression changed.
Daniel felt his anger rise.
"She is not an object."
Richard looked back at him.
"You don't understand what is at stake."
Daniel stepped forward.
"No."
His voice became colder.
"You don't understand what you took from me."
Richard studied him.
"You were given everything."
Daniel shook his head.
"I had everything except the truth."
The room became silent.
Richard looked at the baby again.
"That child changes everything."
Daniel tightened his hold.
"She is my daughter."
Richard's eyes narrowed slightly.
"And that is exactly the problem."
Daniel felt a cold feeling.
"What does that mean?"
Richard walked closer.
"Your father wanted to destroy everything he built."
Daniel frowned.
"My father wanted to fix his mistakes."
Richard gave a small smile.
"You believe that because you only know half the story."
Emma looked nervous.
Daniel noticed.
"What are you hiding now?"
Richard looked at him.
"The reason your father hid Lily was not because of me."
Daniel waited.
"It was because of what she knew."
Emma whispered, "Richard, stop."
He ignored her.
"Lily discovered your father's biggest secret."
Daniel looked confused.
"What secret?"
Richard's expression became serious.
"The company was never built the way you were told."
Daniel stared at him.
"What are you talking about?"
Richard looked around the apartment.
"Your grandfather created the company with money that belonged to someone else."
Daniel felt his confusion deepen.
"What?"
"Your family empire was built on stolen assets."
Emma looked shocked.
"That's not true."
Richard turned toward her.
"You don't know everything either."
Daniel looked at the letter on the table.
His father's words suddenly felt heavier.
There was always another secret.
Another hidden truth.
"Why would Lily expose it?"
Richard answered immediately.
"Because she believed the truth mattered more than the family name."
Daniel understood.
"She wanted to reveal everything."
Richard nodded.
"Yes."
"And you stopped her."
Richard did not deny it.
Daniel's eyes became colder.
"You ruined her life because you wanted to protect money."
Richard looked almost disappointed.
"I protected thousands of employees."
"No."
Daniel shook his head.
"You protected yourself."
Richard stepped closer.
"You think you are different from me."
Daniel looked at him.
"But you are not."
"You built your life on the same company."
"You benefited from the same decisions."
Daniel felt the words hit him because there was a small piece of truth inside them.
His father.
His mother.
His uncle.
Everyone had been connected to the same system of silence.
But there was one difference.
Daniel was willing to break it.
"I was never given a choice."
Richard looked at him.
"Everyone has a choice."
Daniel glanced at his daughter.
"And I choose her."
For the first time, Richard looked genuinely angry.
"You have no idea what you are risking."
Daniel stepped closer.
"I risked nothing."
"I already lost five years."
"I lost my daughter growing up."
"I lost the woman I loved."
"I lost the family I thought I had."
His voice remained controlled.
"But I am done losing."
Emma looked at him.
A mixture of sadness and hope appeared in her eyes.
Richard watched them both.
"You think this ends with me?"
Daniel said nothing.
Richard continued.
"There are people far more powerful than me who do not want that child to exist."
Daniel felt his stomach tighten.
"Who?"
Richard looked toward the window.
"The people who helped your father build everything."
Daniel remembered Victor Hale.
Another name.
Another shadow.
"Victor."
Richard looked at him.
"So you know."
Daniel's expression changed.
"Where is he?"
Richard smiled faintly.
"Closer than you think."
The lights flickered again.
This time, the apartment became completely dark.
Emma immediately moved closer to Daniel.
The baby began to cry softly.
Daniel held her carefully.
A second later, emergency lights turned on.
But Richard was no longer standing near the door.
He had moved toward the hallway.
Daniel looked at him.
"What are you doing?"
Richard stopped.
"I came here to give you a warning."
Daniel stared.
"Not a threat?"
Richard looked back.
"Warnings and threats look the same when people refuse to listen."
Daniel did not move.
"What do you want?"
Richard looked at the baby.
"I want you to understand one thing."
"Everything your father hid."
"Everything your mother protected."
"Everything Emma sacrificed."
"It all leads back to one night."
Daniel felt a chill.
"What night?"
Richard's face became unreadable.
"The night your father died."
Daniel froze.
The room became silent.
Because everyone knew the official story.
His father died in an accident.
A tragic accident.
But now Daniel realized nobody had ever explained the details.
Richard walked toward the door.
"Ask yourself why your mother never believed it was an accident."
Daniel stared at him.
"What are you saying?"
Richard opened the door.
"I'm saying the man you spent your life mourning may not have died the way you were told."
Then he walked out.
The door closed behind him.
Daniel stood there holding his daughter, unable to move.
Emma looked at him.
And from the expression on her face, he knew.
She already knew the truth.
"Emma."
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Yes."
Daniel's voice became quiet.
"My father was murdered, wasn't he?"
Emma looked away.
And that was the answer.
Emma remained silent.
May you like
Daniel did not need her to say the words again.
The truth was already written across her face.
