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Chapter 5: The Secret From Twenty Years Ago
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2026-07-08 20:09:24Sophia Carter stared at the photograph in her hands.
The picture was old. The edges were worn out, and the colors had faded with time. But the people in it were clear. Her father. William Carter. And Alexander Black's grandfather. They were standing together. Not as enemies. Not as rivals. But as friends. Sophia looked at the man who gave her the photograph. "Where did you get this?" The man looked nervous. "My name is Michael. I used to work for both families." Alexander stepped forward. "You worked for my grandfather?" Michael nodded. "Yes." Alexander's eyes narrowed. "Why have I never heard of you?" "Because after that incident, everyone connected to the truth was removed." Sophia felt a chill. "What truth?" Michael looked around the hospital hallway before lowering his voice. "The truth about what really happened twenty years ago." Alexander crossed his arms. "You are saying the betrayal was not caused by William Carter?" Michael looked at him seriously. "No." Silence. Sophia felt her heartbeat increase. For years, the Blackwood family had believed her father destroyed them. But now a stranger was saying everything they knew was a lie. "Then who did it?" Alexander asked. Michael hesitated. "Someone close to both families." "Who?" "I don't have enough proof." Alexander's expression hardened. "Then why come now?" Michael looked at Sophia. "Because your father is in danger." Sophia immediately stepped forward. "What do you mean?" Michael looked at her with sympathy. "Your father has been carrying this secret for twenty years. He stayed silent because he was protecting someone." "Who?" Michael didn't answer. Instead, he looked at Alexander. "You need to ask your grandfather's old records." Alexander frowned. "My grandfather is dead." "Not everything he left behind died with him." --- Inside the hospital room, Sophia sat beside her father. William Carter looked weaker than she remembered. The strong man who had always protected her now looked fragile. "Dad..." His eyes slowly opened. "Sophia?" She held his hand. "I'm here." A small smile appeared on his face. "You shouldn't be worrying about me." She tried to smile. "You always say that." A quiet moment passed. Then Sophia looked at him carefully. "Dad, I need to ask you something." His expression changed slightly. "What is it?" "Did you know Alexander Black's family?" The room became silent. Her father's hand became still. That reaction told Sophia everything. "You did know them." William looked away. "Sophia..." "Please tell me the truth." He closed his eyes. "I wanted to protect you." "Protect me from what?" "From the Blackwood family." Sophia was confused. "Why?" Her father took a deep breath. "Because they believe I destroyed their family." "And did you?" The question was painful. William looked at his daughter. "No." The answer was immediate. "I never betrayed them." Sophia felt tears forming. "Then why didn't you tell anyone?" "Because the person who framed me had power." "Who?" Her father looked toward the door. Sophia followed his eyes. Alexander stood there. He had heard everything. William's face changed. "You..." Alexander walked inside slowly. "Mr. Carter." The room became tense. Sophia stood between them. "Alexander, my father is telling the truth." Alexander looked at William. "I want to believe that." William looked at him sadly. "Your grandfather and I were friends." Alexander remained silent. "We built businesses together. We trusted each other." "Then what happened?" William looked down. "Someone wanted us to destroy each other." "Who?" William's face became filled with fear. But before he could answer, a loud sound came from outside. The hospital lights suddenly went off. Everyone froze. Emergency lights turned on. Sophia immediately felt something was wrong. Alexander moved closer to her. "Stay behind me." The same words he had said before. The same protective instinct. Even though they were only pretending to be married. A nurse rushed into the room. "Security has detected someone entering the restricted area." Alexander's expression became cold. "Who?" The nurse looked frightened. "We don't know." Then Sophia's phone vibrated. Another unknown message. She opened it. Her face turned pale. Alexander noticed. "What happened?" She slowly turned the phone toward him. The message said: "Stop searching for the truth, or your father will not survive the next time." Alexander's eyes became dark. Someone was threatening Sophia. Someone who knew everything. Someone who was watching them. He looked at William. Then at Sophia. "We need to leave." Sophia shook her head. "I'm not leaving my father." "I didn't say we are abandoning him." "Then what?" Alexander looked at her seriously. "We protect him." For the first time, Sophia saw something different in Alexander. Not the cold billionaire. Not the ruthless CEO. A man who genuinely cared. --- Later that night, Alexander moved Sophia and her father to a private medical facility owned by Blackwood International. Sophia watched as security surrounded the building. "You already had a plan." Alexander looked at the documents in his hand. "I always have a plan." "Do you always save people you don't trust?" He looked at her. "I trust you." The answer surprised her. "Why?" Alexander was silent. Because he didn't know. Every logical part of his mind told him to be careful. But every instinct told him Sophia was someone important. Someone he had lost before. "I don't know," he finally admitted. Sophia looked away. For some reason, that honest answer affected her. --- At midnight, Alexander sat alone in his office. He opened an old box he had found hidden in his grandfather's study. Inside was a letter. A letter with his name on it. The handwriting was familiar. His grandfather's. He opened it. The first sentence made his entire body freeze. "Alexander, if you are reading this, it means the person who betrayed us is still alive." His eyes moved down the page. Then he saw the name. The name of the person his grandfather believed was responsible. Alexander stood up in shock. Because the person mentioned was not William Carter. It was someone much closer. Someone living inside the Blackwood family. Someone he had trusted his entire life.
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