CHAPTER 6: THE ENEMY INSIDE MY HOUSE
CHAPTER 6: THE ENEMY INSIDE MY HOUSE
The broken metal piece sat in my palm.
A small fragment.
Almost meaningless.
But the symbol engraved on it meant everything.
The Brooks family crest.
My family.
My name.
My blood.
Someone was sending me a message.
They wanted me to know this was personal.
I stood outside the hospital room where Lucas was sleeping.
My son.
A child who had existed for five years without me.
A child who was almost taken from me the moment I found him.
I looked through the glass.
His tiny body rested beneath a blanket.
Machines monitored his heartbeat.
Every few seconds, the sound reminded me that he was still here.
Still fighting.
And I made a promise.
Not to the company.
Not to my father’s legacy.
Not to the Brooks name.
To him.
I would find whoever did this.
And I would make sure they never came near my family again.
“Still blaming yourself?”
Caroline’s voice came from behind me.
I turned.
She was standing there with two cups of coffee.
Her eyes were tired.
But there was something different.
Less distance.
Less anger.
Not forgiveness.
Not yet.
But something.
“I should have protected you.”
She looked at me.
“You didn’t even know we existed.”
The sentence was gentle.
But it hurt.
“I know.”
She handed me a coffee.
I looked surprised.
She noticed.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You look shocked.”
“I just didn’t expect you to give me anything.”
A small smile appeared.
The first one.
Barely there.
“You’re still impossible.”
For one second, I saw the Caroline I remembered.
Then it disappeared.
Because the past was still there.
“You said someone was trying to warn you,” she said.
I nodded.
“The symbol.”
She looked at it.
Her expression changed.
“You’ve seen this before?”
I frowned.
“What?”
She pointed at the piece of metal.
“Before today.”
I thought.
Then suddenly, I remembered.
A week before she disappeared.
Five years ago.
Caroline had come to my apartment late at night.
She looked nervous.
I had asked what was wrong.
She said:
“Someone followed me.”
I laughed.
I told her she was imagining things.
Because I was too busy.
Too focused.
Too arrogant.
The memory hit me like a punch.
“Caroline…”
She looked at me.
“What?”
“Did someone threaten you before you left?”
Her face went pale.
For a long moment, she said nothing.
Then:
“Yes.”
My heart sank.
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
“Tell me.”
She looked away.
“A man followed me for weeks.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
She laughed sadly.
“I did.”
The guilt returned.
“I thought you were stressed.”
Her eyes met mine.
“You said I was being dramatic.”
I closed my eyes.
Another failure.
Another moment where she needed me.
And I chose something else.
“What did he look like?”
She thought.
“Tall.”
“Anything else?”
“An old scar on his hand.”
I froze.
Because I knew someone with a scar.
Someone close to my family.
Someone who had worked for my father.
I grabbed my phone.
“Who are you calling?”
“My head of security.”
Caroline looked worried.
“Why?”
“Because if this person is who I think it is…”
I stopped.
“What?”
I looked at her.
“Then the enemy was never outside.”
Twenty minutes later, my security chief arrived.
Thomas Reed.
He had worked for the Brooks family for twenty years.
My father trusted him.
I trusted him.
Or at least I thought I did.
He entered the hospital room.
“Nathan.”
His eyes moved to Caroline.
A strange reaction.
A moment of recognition.
Too quick.
But I saw it.
“You know her.”
Thomas became still.
“What?”
I stepped closer.
“You recognized Caroline.”
“No.”
The answer came too fast.
I studied his face.
A liar always explains too much.
“Thomas.”
He sighed.
“I knew of her.”
My jaw tightened.
“How?”
He looked uncomfortable.
“Your father asked me to watch her.”
The room went silent.
My voice became dangerous.
“Watch her?”
He nodded.
“Five years ago.”
“Why?”
He hesitated.
Then:
“Because your father knew something was going to happen.”
My blood ran cold.
“What?”
Thomas looked at Caroline.
Then at me.
“He knew someone was trying to reach you.”
“Who?”
He didn’t answer.
“Who, Thomas?”
He lowered his voice.
“Michael Carter.”
The name again.
My biological father.
The ghost from my past.
“What does he have to do with Caroline?”
Thomas looked at me.
“Everything.”
My patience broke.
“Explain.”
He sat down.
“Five years ago, Michael came back.”
I froze.
“What?”
“Your father thought he was dead.”
Thomas looked at the floor.
“But he wasn’t.”
The room felt smaller.
“Where is he?”
“I don’t know.”
“Thomas.”
“I swear.”
I believed him.
Because fear was obvious in his eyes.
“What happened when he came back?”
Thomas swallowed.
“He contacted Caroline.”
My heart stopped.
“Why?”
“Because she was the only person close enough to you.”
My mind raced.
Michael wasn’t trying to hurt Caroline.
He was trying to reach me.
“But why?”
Thomas looked at me.
“Because he wanted to tell you the truth.”
“The truth about what?”
A long silence.
Then:
“Your father’s death.”
My body went cold.
“Are you saying my father was murdered?”
Thomas looked at the hospital room.
At my son.
Then back at me.
“I’m saying your father knew he was in danger.”
I remembered the notebook.
I remembered the missing pages.
I remembered the words.
He knows the truth about Michael Carter.
My father knew.
He knew something.
And someone killed him to keep it buried.
My phone suddenly rang.
Unknown number.
Again.
Everyone looked at me.
I answered.
“Who is this?”
A voice.
Older.
Tired.
But familiar.
A voice I had never heard before.
“Nathan.”
My entire body froze.
Because the man on the other end said:
“I’m your father.”
The hospital hallway disappeared.
My heart stopped.
That was impossible.
My father was dead.
I watched him buried.
I watched his coffin disappear.
“Who are you?”
The man breathed.
“Michael Carter.”
Caroline stepped back.
Thomas went pale.
I couldn’t move.
“Where are you?”
Silence.
Then:
“Far enough away that they can’t reach me.”
“Who?”
The answer came quietly.
“The same person who took your children.”
My blood turned cold.
“What are you talking about?”
Michael whispered:
“Nathan, listen carefully.”
A pause.
“Your mother didn’t steal Caroline’s letter.”
I frowned.
“What?”
“She was protecting you from someone worse.”
My entire body went still.
“Who?”
His answer was barely audible.
“The person you trust most.”
The call ended.
I stared at the phone.
Slowly, I looked around.
At Thomas.
At Caroline.
At the hospital.
At my life.
Because suddenly I understood something terrifying.
May you like
The person destroying my family…
Was someone who had been standing beside me all along.
