Chapter 17
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
ZOE
I sit at the kitchen table in my mother’s house, where I’ve always come for comfort and advice. The warm aroma of tea fills the room, but today, it does little to ease the ache in my chest. I take a sip, trying to ground myself, but the familiar taste feels foreign against the backdrop of my current upheaval.
“Mom,” I begin, my voice wavering. “Did Dad ever mention anything about working with Steele Enterprises? Or about the Steeles’ deaths?”
Her reaction is immediate. Her hand freezes midair, and her eyes flick up to meet mine. There’s a flicker of something—guilt, fear—that sends a jolt of anxiety through me. My heart pounds in my chest, each beat a painful reminder of the secrets I’m trying to uncover.
“Zoe…” She sighs, her voice trembling. “There’s something you need to know. Your father… he wasn’t always the man you thought he was. He… he left something for you.”
I watch as she gets up and retrieves a small, weathered box from a cabinet. The room seems to grow colder as she places it on the table between us. Her hands shake slightly as she opens it, revealing a letter and a small USB drive.
“I found this after he passed,” she says, tears welling in her eyes. “I couldn’t bring myself to show you until now, but… you need to know the truth, Zoe.”
My fingers tremble as I take the letter and USB drive. The weight of them feels immense, like relics from a past I never fully understood.
“I need to know,” I whisper, more to myself than to her. “I have to understand.”
She nods silently, her expression one of deep regret.
The box in my bag feels like a ticking time bomb as I leave my mother’s house. My love for Caleb is now tangled with fear—fear of what I’m about to uncover and how it will change everything. Each step feels heavier than the last, the apprehension building within me almost unbearable.
Back at my apartment, I sit at my desk, staring at the USB in my hand. The letter from my father lies unopened beside me, a looming presence I’m not ready to face yet. My heart pounds as I turn the small device over in my fingers, feeling its weight. The room around me seems to fade away as I focus on the task ahead.
I plug the USB into my laptop and open the file contained within. My finger hovers over the play button, hesitation gripping me like a vice. Images of Caleb’s hurt and anger flash in my mind. With a deep breath, I press play.
My father’s face appears on the screen, older and more worn than I remember. His eyes are filled with a sadness that cuts through me. The man I once idolized looks like a stranger now.
"Zoe, if you’re watching this, then I’m no longer here to explain myself," he begins, his voice heavy with regret. "There are things I did… decisions I made… that I’m not proud of. And there’s something I need to confess, something that I’ve carried with me for years…"
My stomach twists into knots as he speaks. The warmth and safety I once associated with him begin to dissipate with every word. He talks about deals he made to secure funding for Archer Innovations, deals with dangerous people who didn’t hesitate to use threats and violence.
"I made deals with the wrong people, Zoe," he continues, his voice trembling. "When those deals fell apart, they went after Steele Enterprises. That was because of me, because I threw them under the bus to protect myself… to protect us. They threatened the CEO’s family, trying to extort money from them. They were trying to get somewhere safe… trying to run away from the mess I dragged them into. But they never made it.”
My breath catches in my throat as the reality of his words sinks in. These weren’t just disgruntled investors—they were dangerous individuals willing to do whatever it took to get their money back. Caleb’s parents had been caught in the crossfire.
"God, they had a son…" he says, tears welling up in his eyes. " They were running from the people I brought into their lives, and in the end, it cost them everything. Because of me, that boy lost both his parents."
His confession crashes down on me like a tidal wave. The accident that killed Caleb’s parents wasn’t just a tragic event—it was a direct result of my father’s actions.
"No… no, it can’t be true…" I whisper, choking back sobs.
My hands tremble as I close the laptop. Tears finally break free, streaming down my face as guilt and sorrow overwhelm me. The world I thought I knew has shattered.
I pace my apartment, the letter from my father clutched tightly in my hand. The walls seem to close in, the air growing thick with every step I take. My mind races, torn between reaching out to Caleb and fearing his response. The truth weighs on me like an anchor, dragging me down.
I stop by the window, staring out at the city lights. The phone in my other hand feels heavy, each second of hesitation making the distance between Caleb and me grow wider. I bite my lip.
He was right. I want to tell him that I understand now, and how sorry I am. But what if he still won’t believe me? What if this is really the end?
My heart pounds as I dial his number, each ring echoing like a drumbeat in my ears. When he finally answers, his voice is cold and distant, nothing like the man I’ve come to know.
"Zoe. What do you want?"
"Caleb, please… I need to talk to you. There’s something I need to tell you… about my father. I know the truth now."
Silence stretches between us, each second a knife twisting deeper into my heart. When he finally speaks, his words are sharp and bitter.
"It won’t change anything, Zoe.”"
"I’m so sorry, Caleb. I never knew… I wish I could change things…"
His response is like ice—cold and detached.
"It’s over, Zoe. There’s nothing left between us."
The line goes dead. I drop the phone and collapse onto the couch as sobs wrack my body. The letter from my father lies unopened beside me, a symbol of the distance now between Caleb and me. Our love is in ruins, destroyed by the weight of my father’s sins.
I am left with nothing but the knowledge that I've lost everything—my untarnished memory of my father, my hope for saving my company, and the man I love.
My laptop screen glows in the darkness of my apartment, casting a harsh light on my face. I stare at the jumble of numbers and projections, willing them to make sense. But my mind refuses to focus.
"Dammit," I mutter, pushing away from the desk.
My chest aches with each breath. Caleb's words echo in my head, cold and final.
I stand and walk to the window, pressing my forehead against the cool glass. The city lights blur into a hazy glow, mirroring the chaos swirling inside me.
My father's face flashes in my mind, his eyes filled with regret as he confessed his role in the deaths of Caleb's parents. The burden of his sins presses down on me, threatening to crush what's left of my spirit.
"He's really gone," I whisper to the empty room. "I've lost him... and I don't know how to go on from here."
Tears spill down my cheeks, hot and relentless. I wrap my arms around myself, trying to hold the pieces together. But I'm falling apart, crumbling under the weight of my guilt and grief.
The future stretches out before me, bleak and empty without Caleb by my side. How can I save Archer Innovations now? How can I face each day knowing what my father did?
My gaze falls on the unopened letter from my father. With trembling hands, I reach for it, breaking the seal. As I unfold the paper, my father's familiar handwriting comes into view, and a fresh wave of emotion washes over me.
My dearest Zoe,
If you're reading this, I'm no longer there to hold you, to guide you, or to ask for your forgiveness in person. I know I've let you down as a father, and the weight of my actions will forever be a burden on our family's legacy.
I made terrible mistakes, putting business and profits before humanity. The consequences of my choices have caused unimaginable pain, not just to our family, but to others – especially to young Caleb Steele. He was just a child when this happened, and he never deserved the hand that life dealt him because of my actions.
I have a final request, my darling girl. Please, find Caleb. Make amends on my behalf. I know it's an enormous ask, but you have always had the strength and compassion that I lacked. He deserves to know the truth and to find peace, if possible.
And Zoe, please ask your mother to forgive me , I wanted to provide the best life for you both. She deserves the best, especially for putting up with me all these years. She has been my rock through thick and thin. Take care of her for me. She is my one true love, and it pains me deeply that we won't grow old together as we'd planned. She'll need you now more than ever.
I'm so sorry, my sweet girl. I hope that someday, you can find it in your heart to forgive me too.
All my love, Dad"
The letter falls from my hands as I sink to the floor. The raw emotion in my father's words, his plea for forgiveness, and his final request are a load I don’t know if I can carry. Through my tears, I see the impossible task before me—to make amends with a man whose life was shattered by my father's choices, a man who now wants nothing to do with me. Everything I’ve ever known has been turned upside down, and I’m now left adrift in a sea of heartache.