Chapter 6: The Man Who Lied at the Funeral
For three seconds, nobody moved.
Not Marcus.
Not Colleen.
Not me.
The only sound in the hidden room was the slow drip of water somewhere behind the concrete wall.
Then Marcus took another step forward.
"Meredith.""
I tightened my grip around the folder.
"Don't come closer.""
Something flashed across his face.
Pain.
Not anger.
Not guilt.
Pain.
And somehow that made it worse.
Because monsters were supposed to look like monsters.
They weren't supposed to look like someone who had held your hand while you buried the person you loved.
"Listen to me," Marcus said.
I laughed quietly.
"That's funny.""
"What?""
"You've been listening to me lie to myself for three months.""
His jaw tightened.
"I never wanted this.""
"No?""
I looked at Colleen.
"Did you want this?""
She shook her head.
"No.""
"Did Adrian want this?""
The room went silent.
Marcus looked away.
That was the answer.
My chest tightened.
"You know what hurts the most?""
Marcus didn't speak.
"I spent three months thinking the worst thing that happened to me was losing Adrian.""
I swallowed.
"But the worst thing was finding out everyone around me knew something I didn't.""
Colleen lowered her eyes.
Marcus looked at her.
"You should have stayed quiet.""
She stared back.
"I stayed quiet because Adrian asked me to.""
That made Marcus freeze.
I looked between them.
"Adrian asked you?""
Colleen nodded slowly.
"The night before he died.""
Marcus's expression changed.
"Don't.""
"She deserves to know.""
"No.""
"She deserves the truth.""
Marcus stepped forward.
"Colleen, you have no idea what you're doing.""
She laughed bitterly.
"I know exactly what I'm doing.""
The hidden room suddenly felt smaller.
I looked at Marcus.
"What did Adrian ask her to do?""
Neither answered.
"Tell me.""
Marcus rubbed his face.
For a moment, he looked exhausted.
Not dangerous.
Just tired.
Then he said,
"Adrian asked everyone around him to lie.""
I stared.
"What?""
"He thought if we knew less, we'd be safer.""
"Safer from who?""
Marcus didn't answer.
I took a step closer.
"Who killed him?""
His eyes met mine.
And for the first time, I saw fear.
Not in Colleen.
Not in Marcus.
In the space between them.
"Meredith—"
"No.""
My voice shook.
"No more half-truths.""
I held up the folder.
"I have his documents. I have his video. I know about the accounts.""
Marcus looked at the folder.
"You opened them?""
"Yes.""
His face changed.
"What did you see?""
"Enough.""
"That means nothing.""
"It means Adrian was trying to expose someone.""
Marcus looked at Colleen.
"You gave her the files.""
"Yes.""
"Why?""
"Because you failed him.""
The words hit harder than a scream.
Marcus went completely still.
I looked at him.
"What does that mean?""
Colleen's eyes filled with tears.
"Marcus was supposed to protect Adrian.""
Marcus closed his eyes.
"Stop.""
"No.""
Her voice became stronger.
"You promised him.""
I felt my heartbeat rising.
"Promised him what?""
Marcus looked at the ground.
"To keep Meredith away from this.""
I stared.
"Why?""
"Because Adrian knew if you found out, you'd investigate.""
I almost smiled.
"He's right.""
Marcus looked at me.
"He knew you.""
"Apparently better than everyone else.""
The man in the gray jacket shifted behind Marcus.
I noticed him for the first time since Marcus entered.
He wasn't looking at me.
He was watching Marcus.
Like he was waiting for permission.
That scared me more.
Because Marcus wasn't the person in control.
"Who is he?"" I asked.
Nobody answered.
I looked at Marcus.
"Who is he?""
Marcus's face hardened.
"Someone who works for Daniel.""
"Daniel Reeves?""
He nodded.
"The man in the photograph.""
My stomach turned.
"Where is he?""
Marcus didn't answer.
The man behind him smiled slightly.
"You ask a lot of questions.""
I looked at him.
"And you break into houses.""
His smile disappeared.
Marcus turned.
"Enough.""
The man's expression changed.
"You don't give orders anymore.""
A silence followed.
Marcus looked at him.
Then back at me.
And I understood.
Marcus wasn't their leader.
He was trapped too.
"Marcus," I whispered.
His eyes flicked toward me.
"Are you afraid of them?""
He didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
The man in the gray jacket stepped forward.
"Give me the folder.""
I moved backward.
"No.""
"Meredith.""
"No.""
Marcus suddenly said,
"Take her.""
The words cut through the room.
I stared at him.
My body went cold.
"Marcus?""
His face was unreadable.
"Give them the folder.""
I shook my head.
"You just said you wanted to protect me.""
"I did.""
"Then why?""
"Because you don't understand what you're holding.""
"Then explain.""
"I can't.""
"Of course you can't.""
My voice broke.
"Nobody can ever explain anything.""
Marcus looked away.
The man in the gray jacket moved toward me.
I stepped back.
My heel hit something on the floor.
A metal pipe.
Without thinking, I grabbed it.
The man laughed.
"Really?""
"Try me.""
For a second, nobody moved.
Then Marcus did something I didn't expect.
He stepped between us.
"Stop.""
The man looked annoyed.
"Move.""
"No.""
"Marcus.""
"I said no.""
The room went silent.
The man stared at him.
"You still think you have a choice?""
Marcus didn't answer.
The man reached inside his jacket.
I froze.
Then Marcus grabbed my arm.
"Run.""
Everything happened at once.
The lights above us flickered.
Colleen shoved a box into the man's path.
Marcus pushed me toward a narrow doorway behind the filing cabinets.
"Go!""
I didn't question it.
I ran.
The passage was dark and narrow.
Behind me, I heard shouting.
A crash.
Colleen yelling.
Marcus yelling something I couldn't understand.
I kept moving.
The tunnel smelled like dirt and old concrete.
After what felt like forever, I reached a metal door.
It opened into the backyard.
Cold rain hit my face.
I stumbled outside.
Then I heard footsteps behind me.
I turned.
Marcus stood in the doorway.
Alone.
Blood ran from a cut above his eyebrow.
"Where's Colleen?""
His expression changed.
"She didn't make it out.""
My heart dropped.
"What?""
"Meredith, listen.""
"No.""
He grabbed my shoulders.
"You need to go.""
"Where is she?""
"She's buying us time.""
I pushed him away.
"Us?""
His eyes met mine.
For a moment, he looked like the Marcus I remembered.
The man who had brought Adrian coffee during late nights.
The man who had helped us move apartments.
The man who had danced terribly at our engagement party.
Then that man disappeared.
"I need to tell you something.""
I stepped back.
"What?""
"Adrian didn't die because he discovered the money.""
I stared.
"Then why?""
Marcus swallowed.
"He discovered who was receiving it.""
"Who?""
He looked toward the house.
Then whispered,
"Someone inside his family.""
My skin prickled.
"Julian?""
Marcus didn't answer.
"Is it Julian?""
"No.""
Relief came for half a second.
Then Marcus continued.
"It's worse.""
"What does that mean?""
He looked directly at me.
"It means Adrian found proof that the person controlling everything wasn't Julian.""
"Then who?""
Marcus opened his mouth.
Before he could speak, a gunshot echoed from inside the house.
I screamed.
Marcus grabbed my hand.
"Run.""
We ran across the yard.
My mind was spinning.
The money.
The accounts.
The lies.
The crash.
The person inside Adrian's family.
I couldn't make sense of any of it.
Then Marcus stopped suddenly.
"What?""
He looked at me.
"Your phone.""
"What about it?""
"Give it to me.""
"Why?""
"Because they can track it.""
I pulled it from my pocket.
Before I could hand it over, the screen lit up.
A new message.
Unknown number.
Marcus saw it.
His face changed.
"What does it say?""
I looked down.
Five words.
*Ask Marcus why Adrian called him.*
I slowly looked up.
Marcus was staring at the message.
Like he had just seen a ghost.
"Why did Adrian call you?"" I whispered.
Marcus didn't answer.
He looked toward the dark road.
Then he said,
"Because he knew he was going to die.""
My blood ran cold.
"What?""
Marcus's voice cracked.
"And because he knew exactly who would kill him.""
I stepped closer.
"Who?""
Marcus looked at me.
His eyes filled with regret.
Then he said the words that changed everything.
"Meredith, Adrian wasn't trying to expose someone.""
A pause.
"He was trying to protect someone.""
"Who?""
Marcus looked toward Colleen's house.
May you like
Then whispered,
"You.""
