Chapter 10: The Confession

The words echoed through the office.

"William Carter was not the victim in this story."

Sophia stood frozen at the doorway.

For several seconds, she couldn't move.

She couldn't breathe.

Her father.

The man who raised her.

The man who taught her right from wrong.

The man she trusted more than anyone.

Was he really hiding something?

"No."

Her voice was barely a whisper.

Victoria turned toward her.

"Sophia..."

"No."

Sophia stepped into the room.

"You don't get to say things like that and walk away."

Her eyes were filled with anger and confusion.

"If my father did something wrong, prove it."

Victoria looked at her calmly.

"You want proof?"

"Yes."

"Even if it destroys the image you have of him?"

Sophia clenched her fists.

"I want the truth."

Alexander watched her carefully.

He could see the pain behind her anger.

He knew that feeling.

The feeling of discovering everything you believed might be a lie.

Victoria reached into her handbag and pulled out an old document.

She placed it on the table.

"This belonged to your mother."

Sophia walked closer.

Her hands shook as she picked it up.

The document was old.

The paper had yellowed with time.

At the top was a company name.

Blackwood International.

Sophia looked confused.

"My mother worked for Blackwood?"

Victoria nodded.

"Before she married your father."

Alexander frowned.

"That was never mentioned in her records."

"Because someone removed it."

Sophia continued reading.

The document showed financial transfers.

Large amounts of money moving between different accounts.

Her eyes widened.

"What is this?"

Victoria looked at her.

"Evidence."

"Evidence of what?"

"Your father stealing from Blackwood International."

Sophia shook her head.

"No."

Victoria sighed.

"I knew you wouldn't believe me."

"Because you have spent my entire life trying to make me believe my father is a monster."

The room became quiet.

Alexander looked at Victoria.

"Where did you get this?"

Victoria didn't answer.

That was suspicious.

Sophia noticed too.

"How do we know you didn't create this?"

Victoria looked at her.

For the first time, her expression softened.

"Because your mother gave it to me."

Sophia froze.

"My mother?"

"Yes."

"Why would my mother give you evidence against my father?"

Victoria looked away.

"Because Isabella discovered the truth too late."

---

Sophia left the office.

She needed air.

She walked through the mansion until she reached the garden.

Her mind was a mess.

Every person she trusted had a different version of the truth.

Her father said he was innocent.

Victoria said he was guilty.

Alexander didn't know what to believe.

And her mother...

Her mother had left behind secrets instead of answers.

"Sophia."

She turned.

Alexander stood behind her.

"I know what you're thinking."

She looked at him.

"Do you?"

"You're wondering if your father lied to you."

Sophia looked away.

"I don't know what to believe anymore."

Alexander walked closer.

"When I discovered my family might have lied to me, I felt the same."

She looked at him.

"You did?"

He nodded.

"I spent years believing one story. Now I don't know if any of it was true."

Sophia was quiet.

For the first time, she realized they weren't enemies.

They were both trapped by the mistakes of the people before them.

"I just want my father to be innocent."

Alexander looked at her.

"And if he isn't?"

She didn't answer.

Because she didn't know.

---

That evening, Sophia returned to the hospital.

She needed to hear the truth from her father.

William Carter was awake when she entered.

He smiled.

"You came."

Sophia sat down.

"Dad."

Something in her voice made him worried.

"What happened?"

She placed the document on the table.

The moment William saw it, his face changed.

Sophia noticed.

"You know this."

Her father looked away.

"I was hoping you would never see it."

Her heart sank.

"Dad..."

"I can explain."

"Then explain."

William closed his eyes.

For a long moment, he said nothing.

Then he finally spoke.

"Your mother was the first person who discovered what was happening."

"What was happening?"

"Someone was using Blackwood International to move illegal money."

Sophia stared at him.

"Who?"

William looked at her.

"Someone inside the company."

"Who?"

He hesitated.

Then said:

"Alexander's father."

Silence.

Sophia felt like the world stopped.

"What?"

"Your mother's investigation discovered that he was secretly taking money from the company."

William's voice became filled with regret.

"She wanted to expose him."

"Then why did everyone think you betrayed them?"

"Because when I tried to help her, someone changed the evidence."

Sophia listened carefully.

"Who?"

"I don't know."

William looked at her.

"But that person wanted both families to destroy each other."

---

Back at the mansion, Alexander received a call.

It was Daniel.

"Mr. Black, I found something."

Alexander immediately became alert.

"What?"

"The person who accessed the old Blackwood property."

"Who was it?"

Daniel hesitated.

"Someone using a company security code."

"Whose code?"

A pause.

Then:

"Yours."

Alexander froze.

"What?"

"The system shows your personal authorization."

Impossible.

Someone had used his identity.

Someone was trying to make it look like he was involved.

"Find out who did this."

"I will."

Alexander ended the call.

But before he could think further, his phone received a message.

Unknown number.

One sentence.

"You are looking in the wrong direction, Alexander."

A picture was attached.

His eyes widened.

It was a photograph of Sophia's mother.

Taken the day she died.

And standing beside her...

Was Alexander's father.