Chapter 2 - The Island Lie
The silent room felt like all the oxygen had been instantly sucked out of it.
I stared at the photograph of my mother, my mind completely unable to process the impossible truth.
"She is supposed to be in that wooden box in the ground," I whispered loudly.
Emilio rubbed his red cheek and finally looked directly at our furious father.
"Clarissa and I flew to the island because Mom sent us a coded message three days ago," Emilio confessed.
Dad signaled his guards to lock the heavy double doors of the reception hall.
"My wife has been dead for two weeks, so do not lie to me," Dad threatened in a lethal tone.
Clarissa stepped forward, her hands shaking as she pulled a burner phone from her purse.
"She is absolutely alive, and she is hiding from the cartel that you do business with," Clarissa revealed.
Dad's right-hand man, Silvio, suddenly tensed up near the main exit.
Emilio explained that the clinic on the island was not treating Mom for cancer like we were told.
They were holding her hostage to force her to sign away the family's massive offshore trust funds.
"We saw the local doctor who signed her fake death certificate handing stacks of cash to armed mercenaries," Emilio continued.
Dad slowly turned his terrifying gaze toward Silvio.
"Silvio, you were the one who personally arranged for her medical transport to that specific island," Dad said coldly.
Silvio took a very slow, calculated step backward toward the locked doors.
"I did what had to be done to protect this syndicate from a federal indictment," Silvio argued nervously.
Dad reached into his tailored suit jacket for his silver handgun.
But Silvio was much faster and instantly drew his own weapon.
He aimed the loaded gun directly at my father's chest.
"Nobody moves a single muscle, or the old man dies right here," Silvio shouted aggressively.
The loyal guards raised their rifles, but they were afraid to shoot and hit my father.
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Silvio grabbed Clarissa roughly by the arm and pulled her backward as a human shield.
"If you want to know what is really in that coffin, you should dig it up," Silvio sneered maliciously before kicking the doors open.
