Cage

Chapter 105

My mom’s handwriting was elegant yet bold, a testament to her strength in script. I ran my fingers over her diary, feeling the lump in my throat grow as tears threatened to spill.

But as I flipped through the pages, I was stunned by the revelations inside.

“Several of our projects were undercut at the last minute. There’s a mole. The cash flow crisis has something to do with Galen, but he’s vanished.”

“The night before Leon died, he received a message from Galen Brown, claiming he wasn’t the one who embezzled company funds and wanted to meet to explain. That very night, Leon got hit by a semi–truck.”

“The truck driver, Malcom, was diagnosed with terminal kidney failure just days before his accident, and oddly, he divorced his wife, leaving her everything right before the crash.”

Each entry was brief, but the implications were terrifying.

I had always suspected something was amiss with the family business, but being away at college, I was out of the loop. Then my dad passed, and I was in surgery in Country Aurorea.

returned home, believing it was all a tragic accident.

Yet, my mom’s diary painted a sinister picture of a conspiracy in the shadows, threatening to strangle the life out of the Crawford family. The mention of someone tailing Mom sent

shivers down my spine.

Standing beside me, Jade was speechless as we digested the details.

As a listed company, the Crawford family’s business, though not a giant like Patterson Group or Aspire World, was nevertheless prosperous. We were sitting ducks if someone had their sights on us.

“Melanie, didn’t Talbot end up buying out your company?” Jade finally broke the silence. “Haven’t you been in touch over the years?”

Her reminder sparked a realization. The Crawford family business wasn’t gone. It just wasn’t ours anymore. After drowning in debt, Talbot, who hadn’t been in touch for years, acquired the company.

Thinking of Talbot and Crawford Group, my memories grew foggy. Talbot was my dad’s half–brother, making our relationship distant at best. Family gatherings ceased after Grandpa’s passing, leaving us estranged. I didn’t know much about the disputes among the elders, only that our fortunes never seemed to intertwine after our rise to prosperity.

“Didn’t see his family at your Mom’s funeral, right?” Jade asked, recalling the day she rushed back from an overseas project to attend.

Aside from me, there was no other family present.

But if my memory served right, Talbot’s business dealings were thriving, even partnering with

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Chapter 105

the Patterson Group.

I asked, “Jade, remember our accountant, Galen Brown?”

Mom never discussed these matters with me. Galen had been with the company for long and was older than my father, always treating me kindly. And I always liked him as a family friend. It was hard to believe he could get involved in the company’s financial troubles.

Yet, when tragedy struck my parents, Galen was conspicuously absent.

Jade thought it over. “The bald man? The one who always brought you snacks?”

I nodded.

Jade looked surprised. “He was Galen Brown?”

Another nod followed by silence.

He was the man from Mom’s diary, a family friend for over two decades. Galen often picked me up from school, always with snacks for me and my dorm mates.

“Good people can hide dark secrets,” Jade said, her voice tinged with difficulty.

Her words pierced the bubble of denial I had been living in. It broke my heart to accept that someone we trusted for so long could betray us.

“People scatter when the tree falls,” she continued. “Remember how companies rallied to help when your dad wanted to donate to the school?”

“But when your dad had his accident, where were they? I thought your dad was well–liked.”

Jade voiced my doubts. Dad was renowned for his integrity and charity work. Our family’s reputation should have garnered support during our crisis. Yet, when we needed it most, we were alone.

After Jade left, Mom’s diary entries haunted me. I dug out my uncle Talbot’s contact from my phone, a number I hadn’t dialed in years. Feeling like he was a stranger, I hesitated before making the call.

After a few rings, a confused voice answered, “Melanie? Is that you?”

Clearing my throat, I replied, “Uncle Talbot, how have you been?”