Married to my enemy's Brother

The Door

The warehouse stood at the end of an abandoned road.

Tall weeds covered the broken pavement, and the old building looked almost forgotten beneath the gray morning sky.

Almost.

Because someone had been here recently.

I saw the tire marks before we even stopped the car.

Fresh.

Deep.

Leading directly toward the warehouse.

Peter noticed them too.

"Someone has been here."

Elena looked through the windshield.

"Then we're not the first."

I reached into my bag and touched the small key.

My heart was beating faster.

Somewhere inside that building was an answer.

Maybe the answer to what happened to my father.

Maybe the answer to why the Carters and the Hayes family had become enemies.

Or maybe another lie was waiting for me.

Peter turned toward me.

"Sofia, we can still leave."

I looked at him.

"Can we?"

He didn't answer.

Elena stepped out of the car.

"We're already here."

I followed her.

Peter sighed and came after us.

The warehouse was larger than I expected.

Its walls were covered in faded paint, and several of the windows were broken. A large metal door stood at the front.

It was locked.

I pulled the key from my pocket.

Peter immediately caught my wrist.

"Wait."

I looked at him.

"What?"

He pointed toward the ground.

There were footprints in the dirt.

Several pairs.

Some were old.

Others were fresh.

Someone had walked through here recently.

"Maybe we should call Daniel," Elena said.

"No."

The answer came from behind us.

We turned.

Daniel stood several feet away.

My heart jumped.

"Daniel?"

He walked toward us.

Peter immediately moved between us.

"What are you doing here?"

Daniel looked at him.

"The same thing you are."

Peter's expression hardened.

"You followed her."

"Yes."

I stepped forward.

"Why?"

Daniel looked at me.

"Because I knew you would come."

"You could have told me."

"You wouldn't have listened."

"You're right."

He gave a faint smile.

"I know."

Peter stepped closer.

"You need to leave."

Daniel looked at him.

"This concerns my family too."

"It concerns my family more."

"Maybe."

The two men stared at each other.

I stepped between them.

"Enough."

Both turned toward me.

"I'm not here to watch you two argue."

I looked at the warehouse.

"I'm here for the truth."

Daniel nodded.

"Then let's find it."

I inserted the key into the lock.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then I turned it.

Click.

The lock opened.

The metal door groaned as I pushed it.

A cold smell filled the air.

Dust.

Old wood.

And something else.

Something metallic.

We stepped inside.

The warehouse was enormous.

Rows of old shelves stood against the walls.

Broken furniture was scattered across the floor.

Several large wooden crates were stacked near the back.

But there was something strange.

The warehouse didn't look completely abandoned.

There were fresh footprints.

A chair had recently been moved.

And on one of the tables was a glass of water.

I stared at it.

"Someone was here."

Daniel nodded.

"Recently."

Peter looked around.

"Then whoever sent the messages knows we're coming."

Elena pointed toward the back.

"Look."

A narrow hallway led away from the main room.

At the end was a single metal door.

Daniel walked toward it.

"Stay behind me."

I followed him.

The door had no handle.

Only a keypad.

Daniel stopped.

"What is it?"

He studied it.

"A security lock."

"Can you open it?"

"Maybe."

Peter looked around.

"Try."

Daniel examined the keypad.

Then he looked at me.

"Your key."

I frowned.

"What about it?"

"Give it to me."

I handed it over.

He turned it over in his hand.

There was a small number engraved on the side.

"Three-seven-one."

He entered the numbers.

Nothing happened.

"Maybe it's wrong," Elena said.

Daniel shook his head.

"No."

He looked at the photograph I had brought.

The symbol on the building was visible in the corner.

He compared it to the door.

Then he noticed something.

"Move the photograph closer."

I did.

He pointed at the symbol.

"Look."

The silver circle wasn't just a symbol.

There were three tiny numbers hidden beneath it.

Three.

Seven.

One.

I stared.

"The key."

Daniel entered 371 again.

This time, the keypad beeped.

The door unlocked.

Everyone went silent.

Peter whispered, "What is this place?"

Daniel pushed the door open.

Inside was a small office.

Unlike the rest of the warehouse, this room was clean.

Very clean.

A desk stood in the center.

There were shelves filled with files.

A computer sat against the wall.

And on the desk was a black folder.

My breath caught.

I knew that folder.

It was the same kind my father had been holding in the photograph.

I walked toward it.

Daniel grabbed my arm.

"Wait."

I looked at him.

"Why?"

"There could be something dangerous inside."

I pulled my arm away.

"We've come too far."

I opened the folder.

Inside were documents.

Financial statements.

Contracts.

Bank records.

Names.

Dates.

Companies.

My eyes moved across the pages.

Then I saw it.

**HAYES ENTERPRISES.**

My hands began to shake.

Peter stepped closer.

"What is it?"

I handed him one of the documents.

He read it.

His expression changed.

"What?"

Elena asked.

Peter looked at me.

"This isn't possible."

"What?"

"The company didn't collapse because of debt."

I stared at him.

"What are you saying?"

He pointed at the document.

"These accounts show that someone transferred a huge amount of money out of Dad's company."

"Who?"

Peter turned the page.

The name wasn't there.

Only an account number.

Daniel took another document.

"This transfer happened three days before the collapse."

I looked at him.

"Who authorized it?"

He studied the signature.

Then his face changed.

"What?"

He didn't answer.

"Daniel."

He slowly turned the document toward me.

There was a signature at the bottom.

**THOMAS HAYES.**

My father's signature.

I stared at it.

"No."

Peter shook his head.

"That's impossible."

"Maybe Dad authorized it," Elena said.

I looked at her.

"My father would never steal from his own company."

"I'm not saying he did."

"Then what are you saying?"

"I'm saying someone may have used his signature."

Daniel examined the document.

"That's possible."

I looked at him.

"Can you tell?"

He nodded.

"My father used to deal with financial documents. There are ways to verify signatures."

"Then verify it."

Daniel took out his phone and photographed the document.

"I'll send it to someone I trust."

Peter shook his head.

"No."

Daniel looked at him.

"Why?"

"Because if someone created these records, sending them electronically could expose us."

Daniel paused.

Peter was right.

We all knew it.

Then Elena noticed something.

"There's another file."

She pointed toward the bottom shelf.

I pulled it out.

The label read:

**CARTER — HAYES**

My heart raced.

I opened it.

Inside were documents from years ago.

Partnership agreements.

Property records.

Letters.

Photographs.

Everything suggested that the Carter and Hayes families had once worked together.

I looked at Daniel.

"Your family knew mine."

"Yes."

"But not like this."

He took one of the documents.

"This is an old business partnership."

Peter stared at him.

"Why didn't anyone tell us?"

Daniel shook his head.

"I didn't know about this."

I found another document.

This one was dated fifteen years earlier.

At the bottom were two signatures.

William Carter.

Thomas Hayes.

And beneath them was a handwritten sentence.

**THE AGREEMENT MUST REMAIN SECRET.**

I felt a chill.

"Why would they hide a partnership?"

Daniel didn't answer.

Peter took the document.

"Maybe because someone wanted them to become enemies."

I looked at him.

"Who?"

Before he could answer, the computer screen suddenly turned on.

We all froze.

The screen was black.

Then white letters appeared.

**WELCOME, SOFIA HAYES.**

My blood ran cold.

Elena stepped backward.

"How did it turn on?"

Daniel moved toward the computer.

"Don't touch it."

Another line appeared.

**YOU CAME LOOKING FOR YOUR FATHER.**

Then another.

**BUT YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR THE MAN WHO BETRAYED HIM.**

I stared at the screen.

"Who are you?"

The letters disappeared.

A video began playing.

The image was blurry at first.

Then it became clearer.

A man stood inside the same warehouse.

My father.

I covered my mouth.

Peter stepped closer.

"Dad."

My father looked younger.

Tired.

Afraid.

And he wasn't alone.

Standing across from him was William Carter.

Daniel moved toward the screen.

"My father."

The two men appeared to be arguing.

The audio was faint, but we could hear pieces of the conversation.

"You promised me."

William's voice.

"I had no choice."

My father's voice.

"You always have a choice."

Then my father said something that made my blood run cold.

"They'll come after our children."

The video stopped.

The screen went black.

Nobody moved.

Peter whispered, "Our children?"

Daniel stared at the screen.

"What were they talking about?"

I shook my head.

"I don't know."

Then the computer displayed another message.

**ASK YOUR MOTHER.**

My heart dropped.

Again.

My mother.

Before I could say anything, another message appeared.

**SHE KNOWS WHY THEY BECAME ENEMIES.**

Peter looked at me.

"Sofia..."

I couldn't move.

The warehouse suddenly felt smaller.

The air felt heavier.

My mother knew.

There was no longer any reason to doubt it.

She knew.

But why had she lied to me?

A loud crash came from the main warehouse.

Everyone turned.

Daniel immediately moved toward the door.

"Stay here."

Peter followed him.

"No."

Elena grabbed my arm.

"Sofia, don't."

But I couldn't stay behind.

We followed them.

When we reached the main room, the front door was wide open.

Someone had entered.

Or someone had escaped.

Daniel looked around.

"Who was here?"

Nobody answered.

Then Peter pointed toward the floor.

There was a phone lying near the entrance.

A cheap black phone.

It was still recording.

Daniel picked it up.

The screen showed a live video.

Our faces appeared on it.

Someone had been watching us.

My stomach turned.

Then the phone rang.

Everyone froze.

Daniel answered.

"Who is this?"

Silence.

Then a distorted voice spoke.

"You should have left the warehouse."

Daniel's expression hardened.

"Who are you?"

The voice laughed softly.

"Ask Sofia's mother."

I stepped forward.

"What do you want from me?"

The voice became serious.

"Your revenge."

I froze.

"What?"

"You wanted revenge against the Carter family."

The voice continued.

"Now you have it."

"Who are you?"

"You married the enemy's brother because you wanted to destroy his family."

My blood ran cold.

The voice knew everything.

"Maybe you should ask yourself why Daniel married you."

I looked at Daniel.

His expression had changed.

"Don't listen to this."

The voice laughed.

"Daniel knows."

I stared at him.

"Knows what?"

Daniel said nothing.

The voice continued.

"Ask him about the night his father disappeared."

My heart stopped.

"His father disappeared?"

Daniel's face went pale.

The call ended.

Silence filled the warehouse.

I turned toward Daniel.

"What did he mean?"

Daniel didn't answer.

"Daniel."

He looked at me.

"My father didn't disappear."

"Then why did that person say he did?"

He remained silent.

Peter stepped closer.

"Daniel, what aren't you telling her?"

Daniel looked at him.

Then at me.

"I thought my father died."

I stared.

"What?"

"He disappeared when I was younger."

Richard's warning suddenly came back to me.

Daniel's father.

My father.

The warehouse.

The secret partnership.

The night everything collapsed.

None of it was separate.

It was one story.

And we had just opened the door to it.

Then Elena screamed.

We turned.

She was standing beside the desk.

In her hands was another photograph.

She looked at me.

"Sofia."

I walked toward her.

"What?"

She handed me the photograph.

I looked at it.

My heart stopped.

It showed my father.

William Carter.

And a third person.

A woman.

My mother.

They were standing together outside the warehouse.

And on the back of the photograph were five words.

**YOUR MOTHER STARTED THE WAR.**

I stared at the photograph.

For the first time in my life, I didn't know whether I wanted the truth anymore.

Because if the message was true...

The person I had trusted most might have been the person who started everything.