The Letter He Was Never Supposed to Read
Chapter 02 - The Letter He Was Never Supposed to Read
Daniel tore the envelope open with shaking fingers.
Inside was a single folded sheet of paper.
No photograph. No legal document. No proof.
Just a letter.
Danny,
If Ellie is standing in front of you, please listen before you decide what kind of person I am.
Daniel stopped breathing.
No one had called him Danny since Rachel disappeared.
He looked at the girl.
“Ellie?”
She nodded.
He forced himself to keep reading.
I know what Dad told you. I know what you signed. I know you believed I stole from the company.
I did not.
I also know that after twelve years, asking you to believe me is almost ridiculous.
But Ellie has nothing to do with what happened between us. If I cannot come back for her, keep her away from Dad until you understand why.
Daniel read the final line twice.
Then a third time.
Please, Danny. Don’t fail her the way you failed me.
His jaw tightened.
The old anger arrived before the grief could.
Rachel had always known exactly where to cut him.
“What does she mean by ‘come back’?” he asked.
Ellie rubbed her palms against the front of her jacket.
“She went to meet somebody.”
“Who?”
“She didn’t say.”
“When?”
“Three nights ago.”
Daniel stared.
“Where have you been since then?”
“At the motel.”
“By yourself?”
Ellie looked down.
Daniel felt something inside him crack.
He pressed the intercom again, but this time his voice was different.
“Cancel every meeting I have today.”
His assistant hesitated.
“Mr. Mercer, your father is already on his way up. The board review is at eleven.”
Daniel looked at the child.
“Cancel it.”
The office door opened before the assistant could answer.
Charles Mercer entered without knocking.
At sixty-eight, he still carried himself like the company belonged to him, even though Daniel had been CEO for four years. Silver hair. Charcoal suit. A gaze that could make grown men rethink entire careers.
Charles looked at Daniel.
Then at the girl.
And stopped.
It lasted less than a second.
But Daniel saw it.
Recognition.
Charles recovered quickly.
“What is this?”
Daniel folded the letter.
“That’s what I’m trying to find out.”
Charles looked at the child again.
His face hardened.
“Ellie, you should not be here.”
Silence dropped across the room.
May you like
Daniel slowly turned toward his father.
He had never told him the girl’s name.
