Chapter 8: The Sin Of The Ashford Name
Nobody spoke.
The frozen image on the screen seemed impossible.
Adrian stared at the face caught in the corner of the video.
His father.
Richard Ashford.
A man who had built the Ashford empire from nothing.
A man Adrian spent his entire life trying to impress.
A man who taught him one lesson above all others:
Power means never showing weakness.
But now that same man was standing in a video connected to Evelyn’s death.
Adrian slowly sat down.
“No.”
It was barely a whisper.
Mateo watched him carefully.
“Adrian…”
“No.”
His voice became stronger.
“My father was many things. Cold. Ruthless. Difficult.”
He looked at the screen.
“But he would never hurt Evelyn.”
Clara said nothing.
She understood something Adrian did not.
Sometimes the hardest truth was not discovering that someone was evil.
It was discovering that someone you loved had been broken by their own choices.
The video continued.
Evelyn was holding the folder tightly.
“Richard, you need to tell Adrian the truth.”
Richard’s face remained hidden in the shadows.
“You don’t understand what you found.”
“I understand everything.”
Evelyn’s voice shook.
“You built this company on lies.”
Richard stepped closer.
“Careful, Evelyn.”
“You’re protecting Daniel.”
A silence followed.
Then Evelyn said something that made Adrian freeze.
“You know he was responsible for the money laundering.”
Daniel looked away.
Vanessa looked terrified.
The truth was finally exposing itself.
Richard had not murdered Evelyn.
But he had protected the person who did.
The video ended.
Adrian closed his eyes.
His whole life felt like a building collapsing around him.
“My father knew.”
Clara walked closer.
“I think he tried to fix it.”
Adrian looked at her.
“Why would you say that?”
“Because your father hid evidence.”
Mateo frowned.
“What evidence?”
Clara reached into her bag.
She pulled out an old envelope.
“I found this in the attic months ago.”
Adrian stared.
“Why didn’t you give it to me?”
Clara swallowed.
“Because I didn’t know who to trust.”
Inside the envelope was a letter.
Written by Richard Ashford.
The first line made Adrian’s heart stop.
Adrian, if you are reading this, it means I failed to protect Evelyn and I failed to protect you.
He continued reading.
Daniel Cross was never your friend. He came into this family to destroy everything we built.
Adrian’s hands trembled.
Then came the final sentence.
But the person who helped him hide the truth is still living inside this house.
Everyone looked around.
Slowly.
Suspiciously.
Vanessa stepped back.
Daniel’s expression changed.
And then Clara noticed something.
Someone was missing.
The person who had been standing beside Adrian moments earlier.
The person who knew every secret in the mansion.
The person who had disappeared before anyone noticed.
May you like
The head of security.
Mateo Reyes.
