Chapter 1 - The Envelope
I gripped the steering wheel of my old truck tightly as we drove away from the cemetery.
The rain had started to fall, washing away the mud from our shoes but not the heavy grief in our hearts.
In the rearview mirror, I could see my three granddaughters huddled together in the backseat.
Lucy still had her arms wrapped protectively around her mother’s framed photograph.
Rachel was staring out the window, her small face pale and expressionless.
April was curled up against her sister, finally exhausted from crying.
I locked the front door as soon as we stepped inside my house.
I closed all the curtains, making sure nobody had followed us from the funeral.
Lucy gently placed the photograph of Rose on my kitchen table.
She reached behind the cardboard backing of the frame and pulled out a thick, sealed envelope.
I poured us all a glass of water and sat down across from her.
My hands shook as I took the envelope and tore open the top.
Inside, I found a small brass key, a black USB flash drive, and a letter written in my daughter’s familiar handwriting.
The letter was dated three weeks before her death.
I read the words out loud, my voice cracking with every syllable.
"Dad, if you are reading this, it means Arthur’s plan finally worked."
"He didn't just want a divorce; he wanted the life insurance and the company I built."
"His new fiancée, Elena, isn't just some woman he met at a coffee shop."
"She is dangerous, and they have been planning my death for months."
"Protect my girls at all costs, because they are the only witnesses to what he did."
Before I could process the horrifying truth of her words, a loud, violent pounding echoed through the house.
Someone was smashing their fists against my front door.
April screamed and hid under the table.
May you like
A deep, unfamiliar voice yelled from the porch.
"Open the door, Charles, or I'll break it down!"
