Chapter 8 - THE BOYFRIEND WHO WAS NEVER MINE
David hadn't met me by accident.
That was the truth waiting inside my mother's recovered notes.
He had been paid to enter my life.
Not to love me.
Not to protect me.
But to watch me.
I sat beside Mom's hospital bed, staring at the photograph.
"When was this taken?"
"Two years ago," she replied.
My stomach twisted.
David and I had started dating eleven months earlier.
"What was he doing with you?"
Mom closed her eyes.
"He worked for one of Whitlock's security contractors. Samuel discovered he was being paid to identify my relatives."
Roman stood near the doorway.
"Did he know Claire was your daughter?"
"Yes."
I felt physically sick.
Every dinner.
Every affectionate message.
Every time he asked about my family.
It had all been calculated.
"He used me," I whispered.
Mom reached for my hand.
"I'm so sorry."
I shook my head.
"You didn't know."
Roman's phone vibrated.
Vincent had an update.
"David agreed to speak with investigators."
Roman turned on the speaker.
"What did he say?"
"He's claiming Whitlock threatened him."
I laughed bitterly.
"Of course he is."
Vincent continued.
"He admitted receiving payments for information about Claire."
Detective Hart joined us.
"We'll verify his statement and examine the financial records."
I looked at her.
"Can he be charged?"
"If the evidence supports criminal offenses, yes."
For the first time, I wasn't thinking about how David would react if I left.
I was thinking about what I wanted.
And I wanted my life back.
That evening, Mom asked to speak privately with Roman.
I stayed nearby at her request.
"Your father wasn't always a bad man," she told him.
Roman's expression tightened.
"He made his choices."
"He did. But Samuel believed you were different."
Roman looked surprised.
"Samuel said that?"
Mom nodded.
"He kept records of the money Patrick and Whitlock stole. He thought you'd help expose them once you were free of your father's influence."
Roman looked toward the window.
"I inherited the business after Patrick died."
"I know."
"And I've spent years trying to untangle what he left behind."
Mom smiled sadly.
"Then perhaps Samuel was right."
She reached beneath her pillow.
A folded letter rested there.
"Samuel asked me to give you this if you ever came looking."
Roman opened it.
His eyes moved across the page.
Then he sat down abruptly.
"What does it say?" I asked.
His voice was barely audible.
"Samuel says our father didn't die of natural causes."
I stared at him.
May you like
Roman looked up.
"He says Arthur Whitlock killed him."
