His face was thinner than Whitney expected.
But his eyes—
She knew those eyes.
Whitney stopped.
The man stared at her.
Neither spoke.
Victor quietly stepped away.
The old man took one step forward.
“Whitney.”
Her throat tightened.
“How do you know my name?”
The man smiled sadly.
“I've known your name since the day you were born.”
Whitney stared at him.
“Who are you?”
The man swallowed.
“My name is David Sawyer.”
Whitney's knees nearly gave out.
She grabbed the edge of a bookshelf.
“You're my father.”
David nodded.
“Yes.”
For a moment, Whitney couldn't breathe.
Then anger replaced shock.
“You're alive.”
“Yes.”
“You've been alive this entire time.”
“Yes.”
“And you never came back.”
David lowered his eyes.
“I couldn't.”
“You couldn't?”
Whitney's voice cracked.
“My grandmother told me you were dead.”
“I know.”
“She cried when she talked about you.”
David closed his eyes.
“I know.”
“You let her believe you were dead?”
“I had to.”
Whitney stepped toward him.
“You had to?”
David's voice trembled.
“If I came back, you would have died.”
Whitney froze.
“What?”
“The people who killed Li Wei were looking for me.”
“Why?”
“Because I had the ledger.”
Whitney held up the metal box.
“I found this.”
David stared at it.
“That isn't the ledger.”
“No.”
“But it belonged to your grandmother.”
David nodded.
“She kept the key.”
Whitney opened the box.
She showed him the documents.
David looked through them.
His hands trembled.
“She kept everything.”
“She wanted me to know.”
“No.”
David looked at Whitney.
“She wanted you to choose.”
“Choose what?”
“Whether to expose the truth.”
Whitney looked confused.
“Why wouldn't I?”
David smiled sadly.
“Because the truth doesn't only destroy guilty people.”
“What do you mean?”
“It destroys everyone standing near them.”
Victor stepped forward.
“David.”
David looked at him.
“You brought her.”
“Yes.”
“Then you know what happens next.”
Victor nodded.
Whitney turned toward them.
“What happens next?”
David walked toward an old desk.
He opened a drawer.
Inside was the leather ledger.
Whitney recognized it immediately.
She stepped closer.
“That is it.”
David nodded.
“The original ledger.”
Whitney reached for it.
David stopped her.
“Before you open it, you need to know something.”
“What?”
“This ledger doesn't just contain names.”
He looked at Victor.
“It contains payments.”
Whitney frowned.
“Payments to whom?”
David's expression became grim.
“Police officers.”
“Lawyers.”
“Judges.”
Whitney's heart sank.
“Politicians.”
Victor nodded.
“And witnesses.”
Whitney stared at him.
“Witnesses?”
David nodded.
“People were paid to disappear.”
Whitney looked at the ledger.
“How many?”
David whispered:
“Twenty-three.”
Whitney felt sick.
“And Li Wei?”
David looked away.
“Li Wei was number twenty-four.”
Whitney opened the ledger.
The pages were filled with handwritten notes.
Dates.
Amounts.
Initials.
Locations.
Then she saw the final entry.
Her grandmother's handwriting.
October 14 — Li Wei — $0 — refused payment.
Whitney looked up.
“Why does it say zero?”
David answered.
“Because he refused to take the money.”
“Who offered it?”
David hesitated.
Then:
“Gerald.”
Whitney's stomach dropped.
“Gerald tried to pay Li Wei?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To make him disappear.”
Whitney looked at Victor.
Victor nodded.
“That is what happened.”
She turned another page.
There was another entry.
October 17 — Evelyn Sawyer — $50,000 — refused.
Whitney stared.
“My grandmother was offered money?”
“Yes.”
“By Gerald?”
David nodded.
“She refused.”
Whitney continued reading.
Then she saw something unexpected.
The next entry was not Gerald.
It was Victor.
October 18 — Victor Hale — $100,000 — accepted.
Whitney froze.
She looked at Victor.
He said nothing.
“Is this you?”
Victor looked at the page.
“Yes.”
Whitney's heart sank.
“You took money from them.”
Victor nodded.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
He didn't answer.
Whitney stepped closer.
“You told me not to trust anyone.”
Victor remained silent.
“You've been telling me Gerald is corrupt.”
“He is.”
“And you took his money.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Victor finally looked at her.
“Because that money saved your life.”
Whitney stared.
“What?”
Victor's voice was quiet.
“Your grandmother refused the money.”
“Then what?”
“They came after your family.”
Whitney's face went pale.
“Who?”
Victor looked at David.
David lowered his head.
“Your father disappeared.”
Victor continued.
“Your grandmother changed her name.”
Whitney's voice trembled.
“And me?”
Victor looked at her.
“You were moved.”
“Where?”
“Your grandmother took you away from everyone connected to the case.”
Whitney swallowed.
“You mean my whole childhood…”
“Yes.”
“…was built around hiding me?”
Victor nodded.
She looked down at the ledger.
The truth was becoming unbearable.
Then she noticed something.
A page had been torn out.
She looked at David.
“What's missing?”
David's expression changed.
“The most important page.”
“What was on it?”
David hesitated.
“Li Wei's final payment.”
“Who received it?”
He didn't answer.
Whitney looked toward Victor.
Victor's face was pale.
“Victor?”
He looked away.
Whitney's heart began pounding.
“Who?”
Victor finally spoke.
“Your father.”
Whitney turned toward David.
“You?”
David shook his head.
“No.”
“Then why does Victor say that?”
David looked terrified.
“Because he thinks I took the money.”
Victor's eyes hardened.
“Did you?”
“No.”
“Then who did?”
David's voice dropped.
“I don't know.”
Whitney looked between them.
Someone was lying.
Or someone had been framed.
Then the bookstore's front door suddenly rattled.
All three froze.
Another sound.
Someone trying to force the lock.
Victor reached inside his jacket.
David grabbed the ledger.
Whitney stepped backward.