Married to my enemy's Brother

The Secret My Mother Kept

The darkness around me felt heavier than it should have.

I stood in the hallway, staring at the message on my phone.

ASK YOUR MOTHER WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT.

My fingers tightened around the phone.

For years, I had believed my mother was the one person in my family who had never lied to me.

My father had always been distant whenever I asked about the past.

But my mother had comforted me.

She had held me when our house was taken from us.

She had told me that everything would eventually be fine.

She had watched our family fall apart.

And now someone was telling me she had been hiding something.

I turned on the flashlight on my phone.

The hallway was empty.

Whoever had been outside my room was gone.

I slowly opened my bedroom door.

Nothing had been disturbed.

Except the envelope.

It was still on the table.

I walked toward it and picked up the photograph.

My father and William Carter.

Standing together.

On the exact day everything collapsed.

I stared at my father’s face.

He wasn't smiling.

Neither was William Carter.

They looked serious.

Almost as if they were discussing something important.

Something they didn't want anyone else to know.

I zoomed in on the photograph.

There was something in my father's hand.

A folder.

I hadn't noticed it before.

My heart began beating faster.

Why had he been carrying a folder?

And why had he met William Carter on that particular day?

I took another photograph of the image and sent it to my phone's private folder.

Then I heard footsteps.

I turned quickly.

Daniel stood at the end of the hallway.

He looked at me.

Then at the photograph in my hand.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

"You should be sleeping," he said.

"So should you."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"What happened?"

"Nothing."

"Sofia."

I looked away.

"I received another message."

Daniel's expression changed immediately.

"What message?"

I showed him.

His face became serious.

"Who sent this?"

"I don't know."

"Did you recognize the number?"

"No."

He took out his phone.

"Send it to me."

I did.

Daniel stared at the message for several seconds.

"Did you receive anything else?"

I hesitated.

"Yes."

"What?"

I looked at him.

"You shouldn't have married a Carter."

His expression hardened.

"Where did you hear that?"

"Someone said it inside my room."

Daniel stepped closer.

"Inside your room?"

"Yes."

"Was the person there?"

"I didn't see anyone."

His eyes moved toward my bedroom.

"Did they touch you?"

"No."

"Did they leave anything?"

"I don't know."

Daniel entered the room and looked around.

He checked the windows.

Then the balcony.

Then the closet.

Nothing.

When he returned, his expression was darker.

"This isn't safe."

"I know."

"You need to tell me everything that happened."

"I already told you."

"No."

He looked directly at me.

"You haven't."

I held his gaze.

"I think my mother knows something."

Daniel became still.

"Why?"

"Because of the message."

He said nothing.

"You knew my father," I continued. "You knew about the problems with his company before it collapsed. Your father knew mine. And now someone is telling me to ask my mother what happened that night."

Daniel rubbed his forehead.

"Sofia, there are things you don't understand."

"Then explain them."

"I can't."

"Again?"

"I need time."

"You've had years."

His eyes met mine.

"I wasn't investigating this for years."

"Then how long?"

"Long enough to know that someone wants you to uncover the wrong truth."

I frowned.

"What does that mean?"

"It means whoever is sending those messages may not want you to find the truth."

"Then what do they want?"

Daniel looked at the photograph.

"Maybe they want you to destroy your own family."

The words hit me harder than I expected.

I stepped backward.

"My own family?"

"Think about it."

"My mother?"

"Your father."

"My brother?"

"Anyone."

I shook my head.

"Peter would never—"

I stopped.

Daniel noticed.

"Peter?"

"My brother."

"I know."

"You know Peter?"

"I know of him."

"How?"

Daniel didn't answer.

My suspicion returned.

"What else do you know about my family?"

He looked away.

"Too much."

Before I could question him further, a sound came from downstairs.

Daniel turned toward the hallway.

"Stay here."

"I'm coming."

"No."

"Daniel—"

"Stay here, Sofia."

He walked away.

I waited three seconds.

Then followed him.

I wasn't about to let another person decide what I was allowed to know.

When I reached the staircase, I saw Richard standing near the entrance.

He looked at Daniel.

Then at me.

"You shouldn't be here," Richard said.

"I live here now."

Richard gave a faint smile.

"That's exactly what worries me."

Daniel stepped between us.

"Not tonight."

Richard's expression changed.

"Did she receive another message?"

Daniel looked at him.

"How did you know?"

Richard didn't answer.

I stared at him.

"You knew?"

Richard looked at me.

"I suspected."

"Why?"

"Because whoever is behind this has been watching the family for a long time."

My heart raced.

"What family?"

Richard's eyes remained on mine.

"Both of them."

He walked past us.

I turned to Daniel.

"What does that mean?"

Daniel didn't answer.

I followed Richard.

"Richard."

He stopped.

"You said someone has been watching both families."

"Yes."

"Who?"

"If I knew that, this would already be over."

"Then tell me what you do know."

Richard looked at Daniel.

"She deserves to know."

Daniel's voice was low.

"Not like this."

Richard sighed.

"That's always your excuse."

Then he walked away.

I turned back to Daniel.

"Why is everyone protecting me from the truth?"

"Because the truth isn't harmless."

"Neither is ignorance."

He looked at me for a long moment.

Then he said quietly, "Call your brother."

I stared at him.

"Peter?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Ask him what your father was doing the night before the company collapsed."

My heart skipped.

"Peter knows?"

"I think he does."

"How do you know?"

Daniel didn't answer.

That was becoming his favorite response.

I walked back to my room and closed the door.

I immediately called Peter.

He answered after the third ring.

"Sofia?"

His voice was sleepy.

"Where are you?"

"At home."

"Are you alone?"

A pause.

"Why?"

"Just answer me."

"Yes."

I sat on the edge of the bed.

"Peter, I need you to tell me something."

"What happened?"

"Do you remember the night before Dad's company collapsed?"

The silence on the other end was immediate.

Too immediate.

"Why are you asking?"

"Just answer me."

"Sofia, where did you hear about that?"

My heart began racing.

"So you do remember."

"Of course I remember."

"You never told me anything."

"Because Dad told me not to."

I froze.

"What?"

Peter exhaled.

"Forget I said that."

"No."

"Sofia—"

"What did Dad tell you?"

"Nothing important."

"Peter."

Another silence.

Then he said, "You need to come home."

"Why?"

"Because I can't talk about this over the phone."

My pulse quickened.

"Peter, tell me now."

"I said come home."

"Peter."

"Tomorrow morning."

The call ended.

I stared at the screen.

My brother had never sounded afraid before.

Not like that.

I immediately opened my contacts and called Elena.

She answered almost instantly.

"Sofia?"

"Elena, are you awake?"

"Yes. What happened?"

"I need your help."

Her voice became serious.

"Where are you?"

"At the Carter mansion."

There was a pause.

"You sound scared."

"I'm not scared."

"Sofia."

I closed my eyes.

"Okay. Maybe I am."

"Tell me."

I explained everything.

The photograph.

The messages.

My conversation with Daniel.

Richard's warning.

And Peter's reaction.

Elena remained silent until I finished.

Then she said, "Something doesn't make sense."

"What?"

"If your father and Daniel's father were together on the day the company collapsed, then the Carter family couldn't have simply attacked your father from a distance."

"What do you mean?"

"They were together."

I looked at the photograph.

"Exactly."

"So why would your father meet the man you believe destroyed him?"

"I don't know."

"Maybe your father wasn't meeting him because of the business."

I frowned.

"Then why?"

"That's what you need to find out."

I sat in silence.

Elena continued.

"And Sofia?"

"Yes?"

"Don't trust everyone in that house."

I looked toward my bedroom door.

"Even Daniel?"

"Especially people who have reasons to keep secrets."

I couldn't answer.

Because I knew she was right.

But something about Daniel still confused me.

He had lied to me.

He had hidden things.

Yet when danger appeared, he was always the first person to protect me.

I didn't know whether that made him trustworthy or more dangerous.

"Elena."

"Yes?"

"I want you to find something for me."

"What?"

"The building in this photograph."

I sent her the picture.

"Find out where it is."

She was quiet for a moment.

"I'll try."

"And don't tell anyone."

"You know me."

"I do."

She paused.

"Sofia?"

"Yes?"

"Be careful."

The call ended.

I looked at the photograph again.

My father.

William Carter.

The mysterious building.

The date.

Everything was connected.

I just didn't know how.

A soft knock sounded on my door.

I quickly put the photograph inside the envelope.

"Who is it?"

Daniel.

I opened the door.

He stood there holding something in his hand.

A small key.

"What is that?"

"My father gave this to me years ago."

I stared at it.

"Why are you showing me?"

"Because I think it belongs to your family."

My heart stopped.

"What?"

Daniel held out the key.

"It was found among your father's belongings after his company collapsed."

I stared at it without touching it.

"Why didn't you give it to me before?"

"Because I didn't know what it opened."

"And now?"

"Now I think I do."

I slowly took the key.

"What does it open?"

Daniel looked at me.

"The building in that photograph."

My blood ran cold.

"You knew?"

"I suspected."

"How?"

"Because I've seen that symbol before."

I looked down at the photograph.

The silver circle.

Three black lines.

"Where?"

Daniel's voice became quieter.

"At a property my father owned."

I looked at him.

"What property?"

"The old Carter warehouse."

"Where is it?"

He hesitated.

"About an hour from here."

I tightened my grip on the key.

"Take me there."

"No."

"Daniel."

"It's dangerous."

"I don't care."

"I do."

"Why?"

He looked at me.

"Because if that building contains what I think it does, we may finally discover why our families became enemies."

I stared at him.

"And if it doesn't?"

"Then we'll know someone is lying to us."

I looked at the photograph one last time.

For years, I had wanted revenge.

Now I wanted something more dangerous.

The truth.

I placed the photograph inside the envelope.

Then I looked at Daniel.

"Take me to the warehouse."

He didn't answer immediately.

Finally, he nodded.

"Tomorrow."

I turned away.

But before I could take another step, my phone vibrated.

A new message.

I opened it.

My blood ran cold.

It contained only one sentence.

**DON'T GO TO THE WAREHOUSE, SOFIA.**

A second message appeared.

**YOUR FATHER WENT THERE THE NIGHT HE DISAPPEARED.**

I slowly raised my eyes toward Daniel.

He was staring at my phone.

Neither of us spoke.

Because we both understood what that message meant.

The mystery was no longer about what happened to my father's company.

It was about what happened to my father.

And someone was desperate to make sure I never found out.