Chapter 9 - MY SISTER'S SECRET
My sister was found at 4:30 a.m.
Alive.
Terrified.
But alive.
Luke hadn't taken her.
He had left a message.
A threat.
And something else.
A flash drive.
My sister handed it to Detective Morgan.
“I found this in my mailbox.”
The detective examined it.
“What is it?”
My sister looked at me.
“Everything.”
She knew.
She had known for months.
She had investigated Luke herself.
She had discovered the shell companies.
The missing women.
The financial transfers.
And the trust.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“I tried.”
I looked away.
“I didn't believe you.”
“I know.”
She sat beside me.
“I thought if I pushed too hard, Luke would hurt you.”
My eyes filled with tears.
“You were right.”
She shook her head.
“No.”
She looked at my broken leg.
“I was too late.”
The flash drive contained emails.
Luke had been communicating with Celina.
But one name appeared repeatedly.
Barron.
I stared at it.
“Why is my father-in-law in these messages?”
Detective Morgan frowned.
“Let's see.”
The emails revealed something shocking.
Barron had been secretly sabotaging Luke's plans for years.
He had returned money to several women.
He had warned others.
He had anonymously contacted banks.
He had tried to protect Lauren.
But he had failed.
Until me.
Then we found the most important message.
From Barron to Luke.
I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
Luke's response:
THEN YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU INTERFERE.
Barron's reply:
SHE IS NOT YOUR PROPERTY.
Luke:
SHE WILL BE.
I stared at the screen.
My father-in-law had been fighting his son from inside the family.
And Luke had threatened him.
Suddenly, everything made sense.
The hesitation.
The fear.
The phone call.
Barron hadn't been innocent.
But he wasn't the mastermind either.
He had been trapped.
Just like everyone else.
Then Detective Morgan found one final email.
It was from Celina.
She had written:
THE GIRL WILL BE BROKEN BY CHRISTMAS.
I stared at the date.
Three days before my injury.
My blood went cold.
They had planned it.
The argument about the stew.
The confrontation.
The broken leg.
Everything.
Detective Morgan looked at me.
“This is premeditation.”
Daniel nodded.
“Now we have motive, planning, financial fraud, forgery, conspiracy, and aggravated assault.”
I stared at the screen.
“Then why is he still free?”
Detective Morgan's expression hardened.
“He won't be for long.”
Then the door opened.
An officer rushed inside.
“Detective.”
“What?”
“We found Luke.”
Everyone froze.
“Where?”
The officer looked at me.
“He's at the courthouse.”
My heart stopped.
“Why?”
“He filed an emergency petition.”
“For what?”
May you like
The officer swallowed.
“Control of your medical decisions.”
