𝐕𝐞𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

Chapter 33 : The Unraveling

Alexander

The city that had always been a source of comfort now seemed foreign, its bright lights and bustling streets mocking the turmoil inside me. Scarlett’s silence was like a blade twisting in my gut, and every passing hour without hearing from her deepened my dread. I knew she was hurt — beyond anything I could easily repair. But I also knew that before I could even think of making things right, I had to face the dark truths that had been hidden in the shadows of my life for too long.

The investigator I had called was already at work, and the more I thought about what he might uncover, the more I felt the weight of everything I had never questioned. My father’s death had always been a raw wound, a scar that time had never really healed. It was supposed to be an accident — a tragic, unforeseen event that had ripped him from our lives. But now, with everything coming to light, I couldn't help but wonder if that "accident" was something much more sinister.

I poured myself a glass of scotch, hoping the burn would calm my nerves, but it did little to dull the sharp edge of my thoughts. I knew there was something dark buried in my family’s past — something Vivian had kept hidden from me all these years. As I sipped the amber liquid, my mind began to piece together the fragments of memories I had tried to forget.

Vivian had always been cold, calculating, and obsessed with control. But why had she been so determined to keep me in line, to mold me into the perfect heir? Was it just about power, or was there something more? I had always assumed that her need to control everything was just part of her nature, but now I was beginning to see it as something far more calculated.

My father’s death had been the catalyst that allowed her to seize control of the family empire. With him gone, there was no one to challenge her, no one to stand in her way. And I… I had been too young, too naive, and too grief-stricken to see the truth. But as I thought back to those days, a disturbing pattern began to emerge.

There had been whispers in the months before my father’s death —rumors of tension between him and Vivian, of heated arguments behind closed doors. I had dismissed them at the time, convinced that they were nothing more than the usual strains of a high-pressure marriage. But what if those arguments had been about more than just business or family? What if my father had discovered something that threatened Vivian’s carefully constructed world?

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that my father had been different in those final weeks. He had been distracted, preoccupied with something he never shared with me. I had assumed it was the pressure of work, the demands of running an empire. But now, I wondered if it was something far more dangerous —something that had cost him his life.

I drained my glass and set it down, my mind racing. I had to find out the truth, no matter how painful it might be. If Vivian had orchestrated my father’s death, if she had arranged for that “accident,” then everything I had believed about my family was a lie. And if she was capable of that, then what else was she hiding?

I grabbed my phone and called the investigator again. When he answered, I could hear the urgency in his voice.

“I’ve found something, Mr. Blackwood,” he said. “It’s… complicated, but I think you need to see this for yourself.”

“I’m on my way,” I replied, already grabbing my keys and heading for the door.

The drive to the investigator’s office was a blur, my mind a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. By the time I arrived, my hands were trembling, but I forced myself to stay calm. Whatever he had found, I needed to face it head-on.

The investigator was waiting for me in his small, cluttered office. He had a file open on his desk, and as I sat down, he slid it across to me.

“These are the details of the car accident that killed your father,” he said, his voice low and steady. “But there’s more to it than that.”

I opened the file, my heart pounding as I scanned the documents inside. At first glance, it looked like a typical accident report — weather conditions, witness statements, the usual details. But as I looked closer, I noticed discrepancies, things that didn’t add up.

“There were no skid marks,” the investigator said, pointing to one of the reports. “No sign that your father tried to brake or avoid the collision. And the autopsy report… well, take a look.”

I flipped to the autopsy report, my stomach clenching as I read the findings. My father had sustained head trauma in the crash, but there was also evidence of a prior injury — a blunt force trauma to the back of his head, something that couldn’t have been caused by the accident itself.

“What are you saying?” I asked, my voice tight with fear.

“I’m saying that your father was likely unconscious before the crash,” the investigator replied. “He was hit on the head, knocked out, and then the car was sent over the edge.”

The room seemed to spin around me as the implications of his words sank in. My father hadn’t just died in an accident — he had been murdered. And if that was true, then Vivian had to be involved. She had the most to gain from his death, and she had the resources to make it happen.

“Who else knew about this?” I asked, my voice shaking.

“The report was buried,” the investigator said. “It was filed away, never officially closed. But there’s more. I found records of a large payment made to a man named Michael Delaney just a few days after your father’s death. Delaney was the lead investigator on the case, and he disappeared shortly after the accident.”

I clenched my fists, trying to control the rage building inside me. Vivian had paid off the investigator, covered up the murder, and then taken control of the family business as if nothing had happened. She had manipulated me, used me, and now she was trying to destroy the one thing I cared about — Scarlett.

“Where is Delaney now?” I asked, my voice cold and hard.

“He’s in hiding,” the investigator said. “But I have a lead. He’s been living under an assumed name in a small town upstate. If you want, I can arrange a meeting.”

I nodded, my mind already racing ahead. I needed to confront Delaney, to get the truth from him, no matter what it took. And once I had that truth, I would bring Vivian down, no matter the cost.

As I left the office, my thoughts turned to Scarlett. She didn’t know any of this, and I wasn’t sure how she would react when she found out. But I couldn’t keep it from her. She deserved to know the truth, even if it tore us apart.

I drove back to my apartment, the weight of everything pressing down on me. I knew that once I started down this path, there would be no turning back. But I had no choice. Vivian had gone too far, and it was time to bring her reign of terror to an end.

When I got back, I sat down and tried calling Scarlett again, but once more, there was no answer. The silence was like a knife in my heart, but I couldn’t blame her for it. She had been caught in the crossfire of a war she didn’t even know existed, and I was the one who had dragged her into it.

But I would make it right. I would uncover the truth, expose Vivian for what she really was, and protect Scarlett from the darkness that had consumed my family for too long.

As I stared out at the city, I knew that the road ahead would be dangerous, that I would be facing enemies I had never even imagined. But I also knew that I couldn’t do it alone. I needed Scarlett by my side, and I would do whatever it took to win back her trust.

Because without her, I was nothing but a man trapped in the shadows of a legacy I no longer believed in. And with her… with her, I could finally find the light.