Chapter Fifty Six

Despite surviving too many secrets, Margaret was afraid of opening a mere door. Her hands trembled at the sound of footsteps outside of her study.

She inserted the photo into the drawer, secured it, and then the door opened.

Behold, it was Ryan.

For a while, mother and son gazed at one another in silence.

Margaret was the first to regain her composure.

"You should have knocked, Ryan," Margaret commented.

"You should have picked up your phone," Ryan said in response.

"I've been occupied."

"What are you busy with?"

Margaret raised an eyebrow.

"Must I explain my daily schedule to my own son?"

"No. However, perhaps you should explain how a photo of Emily's parents is hidden in your house."

Margaret's face went white.

just for a second.

She smiled after that.

"Isn't it true that Emily has been asking questions once again?" Margaret inquired.

"What bothers you about it?"

"I know how readily old family matters can be misinterpreted."

He gave her a thorough examination.

"Some kind of family matters, is that what this is?"

"Of course," replied Margaret.

"If that is the case, you won't mind letting me know who is in that photo."

Margaret headed to her workstation.

"I don't remember everyone your father and I knew."

"You remembered him well enough to keep his picture."

Her smile disappeared.

"Ryan, be careful."

He was on the verge of laughing.

"Everybody keeps telling me that."

Margaret observed something she hadn't seen in years as she watched her son. She noticed he had really changed, he was no longer the child who took her explanations at face value.

"You have no idea how expensive your inquiries might be for this family," Margaret stated.

Ryan's expression became harsh.

"Which family, Mother? Yours or mine?"

Margaret kept quiet for a while.

Ryan turned toward the door.

I'm going to find out what happened," he said.

"You were always your father's son," Margaret said.

He halted.

"What does that imply?"

Margaret quickly concealed a flash of sorrow that appeared in her eyes.

"I was simply remembering something."

Ryan waited patiently.

She didn't offer any justification.

He left with more questions than he had originally had, and Margaret locked the study door behind him.

She opened the drawer again then.

The photograph was under an old envelope.

Inside the envelope was a document with her signature, which was dated shortly after Emily's parents passed away.

Margaret remembered that day quite clearly.

She had arrived at the Carter residence believing she would assist in settling an estate. Rather, she had discovered that Emily's parents had left behind documents that could expose individuals who were far more influential than she was.

She had been young enough to fear losing everything and ambitious enough to believe she could manage the damage.

Margaret had volunteered when Emily needed a guardian. She persuaded herself that she was protecting a youngster who had already suffered great loss.

She had truly thought that at first.

However, money always has a way of shifting good intentions.

Margaret had access to money through her authority to administer Emily's inheritance, and she had no intention of letting it go. She signed off on transactions, signed papers, and convinced herself that she could replace anything she took before anyone noticed.

After that, it became harder to defend the deals.

And it became more challenging to reject those to whom they were attached.

Margaret had never anticipated the past catching up to her in the present.

Ryan was asking questions again, records Emily had thought were lost were reappearing, and she was regaining power over her legacy.

As she held the envelope, she checked and saw that the last page had a name she had hoped she wouldn't see again. Thomas Reed.

Slowly, Margaret slumped into a seat.

She thought back to the warning he had given her a long time ago.

The girl should never know what we discovered if anything ever happens to them.

Margaret had convinced herself for years that the caution was meaningless.

She wasn't so confident anymore.

She heard her phone ringing again.

This time, she immediately got it.

"Tell me you've taken care of it," Margaret replied.

The individual on the opposite side of the phone remained silent.

"Have you?" Margaret asked insistently.

"No," he retorted. "There's an issue."

Margaret clung to her phone by tightening her grip on it.

"What kind of issue?" She asked.

"Ryan has taken the picture."

Her chair scraped against the floor as she got up so quickly.

"What?"

"Prior to his departure, he photographed it. He has already shown Emily."

Margaret's throat closed up and she couldn't breathe.

"Does he have any knowledge of the document?"

"No."

She looked down at the name of Thomas Reed.

"Then make sure he doesn't find it," Margaret said.

The man stopped.

"Margaret, there's more."

"What?"

"Thomas Reed is still alive."

All sensation left Margaret's fingers.

She had previously believed that Thomas had vanished someplace no one could locate him.

The past had returned, bringing with it a name, a face, and unresolved business.

"Where is he?" she said quietly.

The man replied.

Finally, Margaret understood that the danger was not coming from Emily or Ryan.

But from the one person who really knew what she had done.