LOGINJessica left the hospital an hour after her shift ended.Instead of walking toward the bus stop, she crossed the road.A taxi slowed beside her."Where to?" She opened the note on her phone.Makadi Street.Daniel Osei.Dad's case. She looked at the names for one last second before locking her phone."The City Records Office."The driver nodded and pulled into traffic.—The building looked older than she expected.Paint peeled from the walls.The sign above the entrance had faded years ago.Inside, the air smelled of paper and dust.An elderly woman sat behind a high counter, reading over a stack of files.Jessica waited until the woman looked up."Can I help you?" "I hope so."The woman smiled politely. "What are you looking for?"Jessica opened her mouth.Nothing came out."I'm looking for…” "I'm trying to find information about an old property company." "What company?" She pressed her lips together. "I only have one name." "Let's start there." "Daniel Osei."The woman reached for a keyboard.Her
His grip on the paper hardened."I should've seen this sooner."The lawyer didn't speak.Michael reached for his phone. His father's number. The line rang..No answer.The call dropped into voicemail. Michael lowered the phone without leaving a message.The office was silent.The lawyer glanced at the file on the desk."Do you want me to keep these?"Michael looked down at the copies.The paper was brittle.The edges had yellowed.Someone had folded those pages so many times the creases were beginning to tear."No."He stacked the papers together and slipped them back into the brown file. "I'm taking them." The lawyer studied him. "You think you'll find something?"Michael fastened the file and picked it up."I missed it once."He looked at the note one last time. "I'm not missing it again."Without another word, he turned and walked out.The lawyer watched the office door close.A second later, the sound of Michael's footsteps disappeared down the hallway.___An hour laterJessica almost wal
She stood outside the front door for a moment. Her fingers tightened around the keys before she unlocked it.The house was so quiet the click of the door echoed behind her.She slipped off her shoes."Jessica.” She looked up.His jacket was gone. His sleeves were rolled to his forearms, but the creases from the day were still there.For a second, neither of them moved."Come with me.” he said.Jessica held his gaze. Nothing.Not even the smallest crack in the face she had spent a year trying to read.His expression didn't change.The shadows beneath his eyes were darker tonight."You said we needed to talk," she said quietly. "I know."He nodded toward the study."Come in."She hesitated only a moment before following him.The room smelled faintly of coffee.The curtains were still open, letting the last light of evening spill across the floor. Jessica remained near the door.Michael stood beside his desk.Michael ran a thumb over the edge of the desk.Jessica shifted her weight and stared at t
Jessica had planned to visit her father on Sunday. That was what she told herself. But Wednesday afternoon came, her shift ended earlier than expected, and before she had even fully decided what she was doing, she found herself turning into the hospital entrance.She never really planned every visit with him. Some days she came because she had something to say. Other days, she came because she couldn't explain why she needed to see him.And sometimes because seeing him reminded her that, no matter how complicated everything had become, he was still her father. Room 206 was quiet when she opened the door. He was asleep.Jessica stayed there for a moment, her hand still resting on the handle. But asleep, he didn't have to pretend. When she visited, he always found a way to smile. he asked about her day, complained about the hospital food, and acted like everything was normal. But now, while he slept, there was no pretending. She walked inside and closed the door gently behind her. Th
Michael hadn't slept much. He was pouring himself another cup of coffee when his phone rang.He glanced at the screen.Grace Osei.He answered at once. "Ms. Osei." "Good morning, Mr. Carter." "You said you remembered something.” There was a brief pause before she spoke."I did."Michael waited. "When we met, I told you my brother found documents connected to Makadi Street." "You did." "But I left something out."He straightened in his seat. "What was it?"Grace took a slow breath. "The moment Daniel realized what those documents were, he became careful. He stopped leaving anything where people could find it.” Michael went still. "What did he do?""He made copies."Neither of them spoke. "Copies?" Michael sat up straighter. "Yes. He was afraid the originals would disappear." For a moment, Michael said nothing.For the first time in years, Michael wondered how much his father had hidden from him.Michael stood and walked toward the window. "Did he tell you where he kept them?""No.""Did
Jessica folded her arms.For a heartbeat, neither of them spoke. Sarah lowered her eyes, tracing the rim of the mug between her hands."I shouldn't have said that," she murmured. Jessica took a step closer. "You already did." Sarah closed her eyes for a moment before looking up again. "What do you want to know?" Jessica gave a bitter laugh."I don't even know where to start anymore."She looked around the apartment.The cracked picture frame. The repaired lock.The scratches carved into the doorframe.When she walked in, she had seen proof of betrayal. Now she wasn't sure what she was looking at.Her gaze returned to Sarah."You said Michael made you a promise." Sarah nodded. "He did.""What promise?"Sarah lowered her eyes. Her fingers kept circling the mug, holding onto it like it was the only thing keeping her steady."He promised that my child would never grow up wondering whether his father cared.”Jessica swallowed. "And?""He gave me his word he would never walk away." The only
The elevator doors closed.Jessica stared straight ahead. She could see both their reflections in the polished doors, her standing slightly to the left, him behind her. She didn't turn around, even though she felt him behind her like heat she shouldn't acknowledge The elevator hummed softly behind
Jessica had worked at Boston General for three years.Long enough to memorise the smell of disinfectant. Long enough to survive a night shift without coffee.Long enough for the hospital to feel more like home than the mansion in Kensington ever did.Here, at least, people talked to her. Here, she
Jessica woke up before her alarm. The thin morning light spilled into her room, She lay there a moment letting herself breath, Then dragged herself out of the bed and stepped into the shower the warm water helped shake off the heaviest in her chest, Though the thoughts of last night still lingered.
Jessica hand trembled as she held the hospital bill, The numbers blurring together under the weight of her panic. Her father's illiness had drained what little saving they had and every month brought another letter from the creditors. The phone calls never stopped, Each one was a reminder that were







