Chapter 6 - THE HUSBAND I NEVER KNEW
I turned toward Marcus.
“You were working for my father?”
He nodded.
“Before we met.”
“Why?”
“To protect you.”
I laughed bitterly.
“You protected me by cheating on me?”
“No.”
“By forging my signature?”
“No.”
“By trying to take my house?”
“I never intended to keep it.”
I stared at him.
“Then what was the plan?”
Marcus looked exhausted.
“I was supposed to identify who was inside Blackwood.”
“And?”
“I did.”
“Who?”
He looked at Camille.
“She was.”
Camille suddenly lunged toward the door.
Daniel stopped her.
She screamed.
“Get away from me!”
Evelyn stepped forward.
“You're not leaving.”
Camille looked at Marcus.
“You promised me.”
Marcus shook his head.
“I promised Naomi.”
Camille laughed.
“You never loved her.”
Marcus looked at me.
“I did.”
Camille's expression twisted.
“You were supposed to divorce her.”
“I couldn't.”
“So you chose her over everything?”
Marcus looked at me.
“Yes.”
My heart hurt.
Not because I trusted him.
Because part of me realized he had been fighting something I never knew existed.
But then I remembered the robe.
The forged papers.
The lies.
“You still betrayed me.”
Marcus nodded.
“I know.”
Daniel opened another box.
Inside was a series of photographs.
Blackwood executives.
Camille.
Marcus.
And one more person.
My father.
But the photograph was dated after the supposed date of his death.
I stared.
“That's impossible.”
Evelyn looked at the date.
“He was alive.”
Marcus whispered:
“He never died.”
I looked at him.
“What?”
“Your father disappeared.”
“He staged his death?”
Marcus nodded.
“And he's been watching you ever since.”
My hands shook.
“Where is he?”
No one answered.
Then the lights above us flickered.
A phone rang.
Evelyn answered.
She listened.
Then looked at me.
“Your father wants to speak to you.”
I took the phone.
“Dad?”
Silence.
Then a familiar voice.
“Naomi.”
I couldn't speak.
He whispered:
“I am sorry.”
I began crying.
“Where are you?”
“Close.”
“Why did you lie to me?”
“Because if Blackwood knew I was alive, they would come for you.”
“Why now?”
His voice became quiet.
May you like
“Because they already have.”
The line went dead.
