Chapter Fifty Five

It seemed as though the air in the room was being pulled in by that image.

Emily noticed the unfamiliar man standing beside her parents.

Sophia moved nearer.

"Do you know him?" Sophia asked.

Emily shook her head from side to side.

"No," Emily replied. "I've never seen him before."

Ryan kept his gaze fixed on the picture and answered, "I have."

Emily turned sharply.

"Where?" Emily asked.

Ryan hesitated.

"I can't recall his name."

"That's not what I asked," Emily said.

Ryan stared at her.

"I met him once when I was younger. At my mom's house."

Sophia's expression grew hard.

"Margaret was acquainted with him?" Sophia asked.

Ryan answered, "I believe so."

"Do you think so?" Emily asked.

Ryan rubbed his forehead.

“She never gave any explanation for the people who came and went around my mother.”

Emily looked at the picture once more.

"Why would my parents be involved with this man?"

Ryan didn't have an answer.

Neither did Sophia.

For a moment, nobody spoke.

Then Emily noticed something.

"Wait a second."

She pointed at the image.

"Look at my dad's hand."

Sophia leaned in closer.

There was a small black mark on his finger.

Emily recalled it.

"That was his sign," Emily said.

"What type of sign is it?" Ryan asked.

"My father used it on documents to highlight how important they were."

Ryan grimaced.

"Have you seen it before?"

Emily replied, "No." "I was far too young."

Sophia was staring at Ryan.

"And this picture belonged to your mum?"

Ryan gave a nod.

"She kept hundreds of photos."

"Where is it located?" Emily asked.

"At home," he replied.

Emily's eyes grew narrow.

"Then let's go there."

Ryan hesitated.

"You shouldn't do that."

"Why not?" Emily asked.

"Because my mom never lets anything slip without a reason."

Emily glared at him.

"I don't either."

___

Margaret Carter had devoted most of her life to perfecting the skill of making others underestimate her.

Her family had once been wealthy, but a string of bad investments had left them with next to nothing.

Her father had taught her that money could disappear overnight while her mother had taught her something far more important; Never depend on anyone else to keep what belongs to you safe.

Margaret remembered both lessons.

After marrying into the Carter family at a young age, she soon discovered that information gave people control, even if wealth gave them power.

Emily's parents had passed away, and Margaret had not been the first choice to look after Emily.

But things changed when the person meant to handle Emily's affairs proved unable to do so, and Margaret offered to step in. That is how she became Emily's legal guardian.

That included authority over Emily's private inheritance trust while she was still a child.

Margaret knew precisely what that involved.

Years later, Emily believed her inheritance had simply been preserved.

Margaret knew better.

She had altered the money.

She had approved the transactions.

She had put her signature on documents.

And for years she had worked diligently to make sure no one looked too closely at things.

Yet Margaret had never thought of herself as a thief.

She viewed herself as someone who survived.

That afternoon, she was alone in her study when her phone began to ring.

She answered immediately.

"What happened?" Margaret asked.

A man's voice answered.

"The records were found."

Margaret froze.

"Which documents?" Margaret asked.

"The older ones."

She gripped the phone more tightly.

"Where?"

"At Ryan's former workplace."

Margaret closed her eyes.

"Then destroy everything else," Margaret added.

The man hesitated.

"All of it?"

"All of it," Margaret replied.

She hung up the phone.

For the first time in years, Margaret looked frightened.

___

Emily was still staring at the photograph in Sophia's office.

Near the window, Ryan stood looking up something in his phone.

"You're holding back what you know," Emily told him.

Ryan turned.

"I know my mother is capable of things I don't understand."

"That doesn't answer anything," Emily said.

"I know."

Emily stepped closer.

"Then tell me the truth."

He met her gaze.

"I've been trying to."

"You're still keeping her safe."

"No."

"Then why do you keep stopping?"

Ryan shifted his gaze.

"Because some truths don't just harm people."

Emily's voice grew gentler.

"They tear families apart."

Ryan gave a nod.

"Yeah."

Nobody said what they had meant to say.

Ryan wanted to let Emily know he still loved her.

Emily wanted to tell him that he would play no part in her future.

Neither of them did.

Sophia abruptly looked at the photograph again and exclaimed, "There!"

Emily turned around.

"What?" Emily asked.

Sophia was pointing at the man's wrist.

He was wearing a striking silver watch.

Ryan's expression changed.

"That watch, I've seen it before."

"Where?" Emily asked.

He took a quick look at her.

"At my mom's house."

Emily felt her stomach clench.

"Then that's where we're going."

Ryan moved his head from side to side.

"You're not understanding."

"What?" Emily asked.

"My mother isn't the kind of woman who leaves evidence behind."

Ryan stopped for a moment.

"She sets traps."

___

Margaret unlocked an old drawer that had been locked, all across the city.

Inside lay a photograph.

Emily had seen that very same picture just moments ago.

Margaret's shaking fingers brushed against the photo.

Then she turned it over.

On the back, five words had been written:

They were about to tell her.

Margaret mumbled under her breath.

"I ought to have gotten rid of this years ago."

Shortly after, she caught the sound of footsteps outside her study.

She quickly turned the key in the drawer.

The doorknob began to turn.

Margaret froze in place.

Someone was coming.