Against the window, the glass exploded.
Pieces fell to the floor of my office, and I jumped back. A rock had been thrown from the street below.
Damien took hold of my arm and dragged me toward the rear of my office, saying, "Isabella, get away from there!"
My heart was pounding. "What's happening?"
Damien locked the door to my office and said, "Protesters. They read the newspaper story about you and Kieran." "They believe you are betraying the family that harmed your father."
I could hear shouting outside. Words like "TRAITOR" and "CHEN BETRAYER" were displayed on signs waving in the air.
"This is crazy," I muttered. "The entire story is unknown to them."
"Do you?" Damien questioned sternly.
I gazed at him. "What do you mean?"
"Maybe it's time you found out the truth about your dad's true fate."
I felt sick to my stomach. "I am aware that stress caused him to have a heart attack."
"That's not what happened, Isabella."
I had never seen Damien's face so dark. Although we had been friends since college, he appeared to be a complete stranger at the moment.
I said, "You're frightening me."
"Well, perhaps fear will keep you alive."
Someone knocked on my office door before I could find out what he meant.
Kieran's voice said, "Isabella! Open up!"
"Don't answer that," said Damien hastily.
"Why not?"
"Because he's here to tidy up his family's mess, not to assist you."
The hammering increased in volume. "We need to discuss Lena's accusations, Isabella. I know you're in there."
I gave Damien a perplexed look. "What accusations?"
Damien took out his phone and asked, "You didn't let her finish yesterday, did you?" "Observe this."
He played a news video for me. Lena was chatting with reporters outside the Hawthorne building.
Lena spoke into the microphone, "Kieran Hawthorne has been lying to Isabella Chen from day one." "In order to gain her trust and get her to sign contracts that would benefit their family, his mother sent him to get close to her."
My blood became icy. "That isn't possible."
"Remain vigilant," said Damien somberly.
Lena went on, "The Hawthorne family was aware that Isabella's father had concealed records pertaining to their illicit business dealings." "Kieran was supposed to locate and destroy those documents, but they believe Isabella knows where they are."
I dropped the phone.
Kieran continued to bang on the door, "Isabella!" "It's not what you think! Let me explain!"
"Don't listen to him," said Damien. "You must leave this place."
"This is my office, my business, and I can't leave."
"If you're dead, your business won't matter."
"Dead? You're being dramatic, Damien."
He took hold of my shoulders and asked, "Am I?" "Your father did not pass away from a heart attack, Isabella."
The room began to spin. "What are you talking about?"
"I witnessed the actual events that night because I was there."
"Where were you? You didn't tell me you were with my dad before he passed away."
Damien's hands were shaking as he said, "Because you were just a kid. I was trying to protect you." "Your dad called me that night and said he was afraid that someone was pursuing him."
I slumped in my seat. "Why am I following him?"
"Because he discovered evidence that the Hawthorne family was marketing lethal goods."
"However, I was already informed about that by Richard Hawthorne, who claimed that they had struck a deal with my father."
"Your father was going to turn them in to the police, Isabella, so there was no deal."
My mind was racing. "Then why didn't he?"
"Because they stopped him."
Someone tried to pry open the office door, and it rattled.
Kieran called out, "Isabella!" "Come with me now, because the protesters are becoming violent!"
I glanced back at Damien and then toward the door. "Tell me the rest."
"That evening, I met your father at his office. He had a briefcase full of documents, evidence of all the wrongdoings committed by the Hawthornes."
"What kind of proof?"
"Test results demonstrating the weakness of their building materials; reports they concealed from safety inspectors; and lists of individuals harmed by their products."
"Oh my God."
"Your father was courageous, Isabella. He knew that exposing them would destroy his own business, but he did it because it was the right thing to do."
My face began to well up with tears. "What happened next?"
"The briefcase was sought by three men who entered his office and claimed to be from the Hawthorne family."
"Did my father give it to them?"
Damien's voice broke as he said, "He tried to run. But they caught him." "He struggled back, hitting his head on the desk in the process, even though they didn't mean to hurt him."
I was having trouble breathing. "He didn't have a heart attack?"
"He passed away en route to the hospital due to brain hemorrhage from the head injury."
Except for the sound of protesters outside and Kieran's continued attempts to enter, the room was quiet.
I muttered, "Why didn't you tell the police?"
"I tried, but when the three men saw me there, they threatened to kill you and Sophie if I spoke."
"So you've been keeping this secret for years?"
"I've been keeping you safe for years."
I got up on wobbly legs. "Where's the briefcase now?"
"Your father was clever; he made copies of everything, but the men took it."
"Copies? Where?"
"The Hawthorne family is attempting to learn that, which is why Kieran became close to you."
At last, the door exploded open. Two security officers trailed behind Kieran as he staggered inside.
He hurried over to me, but I stopped him with my hand, saying, "Isabella, thank God."
"Avoid touching me."
"I can explain everything. You're upset about Lena's interview."
"Can you tell me why my father was killed by your family?"
Kieran stopped. "What?"
"Damien told me the truth about my father's actual death, the briefcase, and the three men."
"Whatever Damien said, Isabella, it's not..."
"It's not what?" I said loudly. "Untrue? Will you deceive me once more?"
"I never told you lies."
"You simply didn't give me the whole truth?"
Kieran gave Damien a terrified look. "What did you tell her exactly?"
"Everything," Damien stated icily.
"Everything? Including your part in it?"
I glanced between them. "What does that mean?"
Kieran said cautiously, "Damien didn't tell you the whole story."
"What did he omit?"
"Tell her, Damien," Kieran said. "Explain to her why you were actually at her father's workplace that evening."
Damien's face turned white. "Don't do this, Kieran."
"Explain to her how you anticipated the arrival of the three men."
"Stop," said Damien.
"Tell her who sent them."
My blood froze. "Damien? What's he talking about?"
Damien was unable to look me in the eye. "You must realize that I was young and in need of money, Isabella."
"What did you do?"
"When your father would be at his office by himself, I told them he had the documents."
I had the impression that a truck had struck me. "My father was set up by you?"
"I assumed they would simply take the briefcase and go, not realizing they would harm him!"
I yelled, "You got him killed!"
"Please, Isabella..."
I moved away from them both. "Despite knowing that you assisted in my father's murder, you have been posing as my friend for years."
"I've been shielding you from them, and I've been trying to put things right."
"Are you protecting me or ensuring that I never learned about what you did?"
I slapped Damien's hand away as he reached for me.
"Get out," I said softly.
"Isabella..."
"GET OUT!"
Damien didn't say anything more.
Kieran was still standing by the door when I turned to face him.
I said, "Did you know?"
"Not until yesterday. Lena found old phone records and found that on the night your dad died, Damien called my father's security team."
"Your father's security team?"
"Isabella, the three men weren't just any thugs; they were employed by my family."
I took a deep seat in my chair. I was mistaken about everything I believed to be true about my life.
"So you are aware of my father's killer."
"Yes. And you need to know something else, Isabella."
"What now?"
Kieran inhaled deeply. "We located the copies of the documents your father created."
"Where?"
"What Marcus really wanted when he broke in was hidden in your apartment."
"You've had them all along?"
"After you visited the hospital yesterday, we discovered them."
"What do they say?"
"They prove something else, but they also prove everything your father suspected."
"What?"
Kieran looked directly into my eyes. "They prove that your father's death was ordered by my father."