Lila stared at Adrian.
"What do you mean your father investigated me?"
Adrian couldn't answer.
His fingers tightened around the letter until the paper crumpled slightly.
Daniel stepped forward.
"Adrian, let her see it."
Adrian slowly handed the letter to Lila.
She unfolded it.
There were only a few paragraphs, but the words made her stomach twist.
Her name appeared twice.
Lila Okafor.
Below it was a list of details about her life.
Her workplace.
Her family background.
The neighborhood where she grew up.
Even the date she had started working at the media company.
Someone had been watching her.
But why?
Lila looked up.
"Why would your father care about me before you even brought me into this family?"
Adrian's mother lowered her eyes.
That silence was an answer by itself.
Adrian turned toward her.
"Mum, you knew."
"I knew there was an investigation," she whispered.
"And you said nothing?"
"I didn't know why he was interested in her."
Daniel scoffed.
"You knew enough to be afraid."
Adrian's eyes hardened.
"Daniel, what are you saying?"
Daniel walked toward the window.
"When I discovered Dad's financial records, I also found a list of people he had been investigating."
He turned around.
"Lila was one of them."
Lila's heart pounded.
"I'm not part of your father's business."
"I know," Daniel replied. "That's what makes it strange."
Adrian moved closer to her.
"Lila, did you ever meet my father before?"
"No."
"Did anyone from my family ever contact you?"
She shook her head.
"No."
Daniel looked at the letter again.
"Then there's only one explanation."
Adrian stared at him.
"What?"
Daniel's voice dropped.
"She may have been connected to someone your father was afraid of."
Lila frowned.
"Connected to who?"
Daniel didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he reached into the envelope and pulled out another document.
"This name appeared beside yours."
He placed it on the table.
Lila looked down.
Her breath caught.
The name was familiar.
Too familiar.
Her fingers trembled.
"No…"
Adrian looked at her.
"You know this person?"
Lila couldn't speak.
Memories began rushing through her mind.
A man she had heard about as a child.
A name her mother had always refused to discuss.
A name she had assumed belonged to a part of her family's past that had died years ago.
Her lips parted.
"My father."
Adrian froze.
Daniel slowly nodded.
"That's exactly what I thought."
Lila looked at him in disbelief.
"My father died when I was nine."
"I know."
"Then why would your father investigate him?"
Daniel's expression became grim.
"Because your father didn't die because of an accident."
The room fell completely silent.
Lila's knees weakened.
Adrian immediately caught her before she fell.
She looked up at him, her eyes filled with confusion and fear.
"What are you saying?"
Daniel took a deep breath.
"Your father was connected to our family long before you ever met Adrian."
Adrian held Lila tighter.
"Daniel…"
Daniel looked directly at his brother.
"Your father didn't just investigate Lila."
He paused.
"He was looking for her because he believed she was the daughter of the man who betrayed him."
Lila's face went pale.
And suddenly, the love story she thought she was building with Adrian felt like it had been standing on top of a secret neither of them had known existed.