Mask Fully Torn

Naomi stood at the edge of the gravel path, her shoes crunching lightly as she stared at the old barn before her.

The sun had barely begun to rise but her breath misted faintly in the cold air.

Standing inside the barn, was the man her father trusted the most. Reed.

The old man was by the barn door, a worn straw hat pulled low over his silver hair. He was moving sacks of feed patiently, humming a song to himself.

For a while, Naomi just watched. The last time she'd seen him was at the hospital and he was worried sick for her safety. She wasn't in the mental space to fully grasp what had become of her fathers right hand man.

He hadn’t changed much. He was still tall despite his age, still with that unhurried calm about him. He was almost like her father in every way..

She exhaled slowly, the ache in her chest twisting tighter. She hadn’t meant to come here.

Sleep had been impossible the night before. After Damon’s confession, her mind had turned over every word, unable to keep her curiosity out.

It was past three am in the morning when she decided to give up on sleep. By five, she was in her car, driving toward the only person who could give her answers she could trust.

Now, here she was, standing r9ght outside Reed’s barn.

The old man looked up, squinting against the light. A slow smile crossed his face as he straightened.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” he said, his voice carrying the same warmth it always had. “Naomi Pearl. Or do I call you Mrs. Sinclair, now?”

Naomi gave a faint, tired smile. “Naomi’s fine.”

He chuckled, brushing his hands on his faded jeans as he walked toward her.

“You look better than you did at the hospital. I was worried sick, child.”

Naomi smiled, not sure if mentioning that a USB had blew up in her face a few days ago, was enough to give him a heart attack.

“I'm fine, Reed. I promise.”

He nods, a smile replacing his concern.

“You didn’t drive all the way here just to exchange pleasantries, did you?”

“What if I did?” She smiled.

Reed shook his head. “I know you didn't. You’ve grown up just like your father said you would. Smart eyes, stubborn mouth. He always said you’d get that from him.”

Her throat tightened. “I’m not sure that’s a compliment.”

Reed studied her for a second, his expression softening. “What is the matter, Ms Naomi?”

Naomi hesitated.

“I... I needed to talk to you.”

He nodded toward the barn. “Come on then. I’ll make us some coffee. You look like you haven’t slept.”

She didn’t argue.

Inside the barn, the smell of hay was stronger, mixed with the faint earthy scent of animals and wood polish.

A kettle sat on a small gas stove in the corner beside a makeshift table.

Reed poured her a mug and handed it over. “Now,” he said, sitting across from her, “what’s got you driving down here before sunrise?”

Naomi wrapped her hands around the mug, letting the warmth steady her. “Damon said something. About my father. About… an arrangement he had with dad.”

His eyes flickered and a sigh escaped his lips. He leaned back slightly. “I figured this day would come sooner or later.”

She frowned. “You knew?”

Of course he did! He was her father's most trusted companion.

“I knew everything your father planned,” Reed said. “He trusted me to handle the paperwork and the execution. What did Damon tell you?”

Naomi hesitated. “That my father gave him the Pearl assets because he thought I’d be targeted if they were in my name. That he made Damon marry me to make his claim make sense. And that… he stayed away because of Aunt Clara…And that Uncle Jack is also not a friend.”

She couldn't bring herself to tell him she'd been meeting up both Jack and that almost got her killed. No. It was unnecessary.

Reed was quiet for a long while. The only sound came from the creak of wood and the faint chirping outside.

Finally, he nodded. “That sounds about right.”

Naomi blinked. “That’s it? You’re saying it’s all true?”

Reed’s gaze lifted to hers. “Naomi, your father was dying, and he knew it. He’d seen what greed did to his family long before you were old enough to notice it. Clara, Mark, Lucas. Even Jack. They were vultures. The moment he fell sick, it started to unfold.”

Her fingers tightened around the mug. “I remember.” She had thought her father's sickness was treatable. It was only after his death she found out it wasn't and it had gotten worse right after her wedding.

“I was seventeen when his coughing started. Aunt came to the house every day pretending to care. I used to think she loved him.”

After Aaron died, she knew Aunt Clara didn't care about anyone but herself. Hell, her fathers side of the family were all greedy old bastards!

Reed gave a humorless laugh. “Clara doesn’t love anyone but herself. When your father’s health started declining, he knew his siblings would find ways to twist the will. Either by bribing lawyers or forcing you to sign over the estate. So he came to me one evening, told me his plan.”

Naomi leaned forward. “To give everything to Damon.”

“Yes.” Reed’s tone was grave. “He’d already met Damon by then, years back. The boy had just started handling his late father’s business, and your father saw something in him. Loyalty, mostly and that quiet strength. Damon didn't speak much back then but when he does. Aaron said he reminded him of himself at that age. Too stubborn to quit, too proud to ask for help.”

Naomi chuckled.“That sounds like both of them.”

Reed’s eyes softened. “Your father took a liking to him. Took him under his wing, helped him expand his company, mentored him like a son. By the time Aaron got sick, Damon was family in every way but name. So when the question of inheritance came up, it wasn’t a hard choice for him.”

Naomi’s chest ached. “But why marriage? Why tie me into that?”

“Because he needed a safeguard,” Reed explained. “If the assets were under Damon’s name alone, your uncles and aunt would’ve dragged it to court. But if Damon was married to you, his ownership would have been legitimate. Both by blood and by law. No one could contest it without exposing themselves.”

Naomi’s brows furrowed. “That’s insane. All this…for what?”

Reed nodded slowly. “He did what he thought he had to. You were eighteen, too young to handle what was coming, and he knew Clara and Jack were watching you. So he trusted Dapm to keep you safe, alive.”

Naomi’s stomach twisted. “ But Aunt threatened Damon.”

“She did worse than threaten,” Reed said darkly. “There was a night, before your father died, when Clara cornered Damon at the hospital parking lot. Told him she knew what Aaron was planning. Told him if he didn’t stay away from you after the marriage, she’d make sure you never lived to enjoy the inheritance.”

Naomi’s heart lurched. “She… what? Why?”

Reed nodded gravely. “Damon didn’t tell you that part, did he?”

She blinked hard, struggling to process the words. “So all this time… she’s been..”

“It's clearly out of spite,” Reed finished quietly.

Naomi was quiet, eyes scanning the ground as her mind raced.

“After Aaron passed, she realized Damon’s name secured everything. Killing you wouldn’t change the ownership, but divorcing you would. The moment that paper’s signed, Damon’s claim weakens and the Pearl empire becomes open territory again.”

Naomi pressed a hand to her chest. Her pulse thundered painfully. “That’s why she threatened him to stay away, knowing I'd one day try to cut him off for his absence..”

Reed nodded. “Exactly. It’s why he was absent. Though, God knows, that man’s been haunted by you since the day you married.”

Naomi looked up sharply. “Haunted?”

Reed nodded. “Damon was miserable when Aaron died . He thought marrying you ruined your life. Said you were just a girl who didn’t deserve to be tied down to a man like him. He used to visit me, sometimes, after you left for college. He would stand right where you’re standing now, talking about you but never reaching out.”

Naomi’s throat tightened, tears threatening. “He thought staying away was protecting me…”

“He was wrong,” Reed said softly. “And I told him it was silly. Stupid maybe.”

The silence that followed was heavy. Naomi turned her gaze to the window, the open fields beyond the barn stretching endlessly beneath a rising sun. It was beautiful, quiet even.

She swallowed hard. “So, all these years, I hated him for something that wasn’t entirely his fault.”

Reed sighed. “Sometimes love looks like sacrifice, Naomi. And sometimes it’s just foolishness in disguise.”

She smiled faintly at that. “He’s both.”

Reed chuckled. “That he is.”

Naomi set her mug down, her mind spinning with every revelation. “Reed… if what you’re saying is true, then Aunt Clara and Jack are still dangerous.”

“They are.” Reed said, leaning forward. “And now that Damon’s fighting to keep his position, they will move faster. The only thing holding them back is the fact that Clara knows Damon would burn the world to the ground before letting her touch you.”

Naomi looked down at her hands. Despite her anger and hurt, she knew that was true.

Reed’s expression softened. “What are you going to do now?”

Naomi took a deep breath, pushing herself to her feet. The morning light had turned warmer now. “I don’t know,” she admitted quietly.

Reed studied her for a long moment, then nodded slowly. “Take your time.”

Naomi smiled faintly, she will.

She turned toward the barn doors. The fields outside glowed under the full light of morning. No wonder he lived her, ot was so beautiful.

She turned back to him, her throat tight. “Thank you, Reed. For everything.”

He gave her a small smile. “I’m just glad to see some of Aaron’s fire still burning.”

Naomi stepped out into the sunlight, her heart heavy. She didn’t know exactly what she was going to do next.

And she needed to find out.