{"id":7244,"date":"2026-10-21T20:20:03","date_gmt":"2026-10-21T20:20:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/?p=7244"},"modified":"2026-10-21T20:46:21","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T20:46:21","slug":"part-10-three-days-after-i-quietly-sold-my-farm-for-39-million","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/?p=7244","title":{"rendered":"PART 10: \u2013 \u201cThree days after I quietly sold my farm for $39 million,\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

PART 10 \u2014 THE MAN WHO KNEW WHERE LUCAS WAS
\n<\/span>Daniel stood in the doorway.
\n<\/span>For the first time in my life, I saw fear in his eyes.
\n<\/span>Not guilt.
\n<\/span>Not anger.
\n<\/span>Fear.
\n<\/span>He looked at Elias.
\n<\/span>Then Miriam.
\n<\/span>Then finally at me.
\n<\/span>\u201cYou shouldn’t have come here,\u201d he said.
\n<\/span>I stepped forward.
\n<\/span>\u201cYou know where Lucas is.\u201d
\n<\/span>Daniel’s jaw tightened.
\n<\/span>\u201cYes.\u201d
\n<\/span>The word echoed through the room.
\n<\/span>My heart pounded.
\n<\/span>\u201cWhere?\u201d
\n<\/span>\u201cFay\u2026\u201d
\n<\/span>\u201cWhere is my brother?\u201d
\n<\/span>He looked away.
\n<\/span>\u201cI can’t tell you.\u201d
\n<\/span>I laughed bitterly.
\n<\/span>\u201cYou’ve spent eighteen years keeping secrets from me. I’m done accepting that answer.\u201d
\n<\/span>Daniel looked at Elias.
\n<\/span>\u201cYou brought her here?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Elias answered:<\/p>\n

\u201cShe had a right to know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniel’s expression hardened.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don’t understand what you’ve started.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniel shook his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou understand the documents. You understand the money. You understand the farm.\u201d<\/p>\n

He looked directly at me.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you don’t understand Lucas.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen explain him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniel took a breath.<\/p>\n

\u201cLucas isn’t missing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe isn’t being held.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniel’s voice became quieter.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe left.\u201d<\/p>\n

I stared at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cLeft where?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOn his own.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat makes no sense.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will.\u201d<\/p>\n

He walked toward the desk.<\/p>\n

He picked up the photograph of Lucas.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou’ve been told that someone took him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMom’s journal said he was alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd that he disappeared three years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniel nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut she was wrong about why.\u201d<\/p>\n

I felt my anger rising.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniel looked at me.<\/p>\n

\u201cThree years ago, Lucas came back.\u201d<\/p>\n

My heart stopped.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe came back here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo this house?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid Dad see him?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause your father was already dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked at the timeline.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen who met him?\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniel didn’t answer.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n

Finally he said:<\/p>\n

\u201cYou.\u201d<\/p>\n

I froze.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou met Lucas three years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

I shook my head.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I didn’t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou did.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI would remember my own brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot if you didn’t know he was your brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

The room went silent.<\/p>\n

I stared at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you saying?\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniel reached into his coat.<\/p>\n

He pulled out a photograph.<\/p>\n

He placed it on the desk.<\/p>\n

It showed me standing beside a man.<\/p>\n

I recognized the location immediately.<\/p>\n

My farm.<\/p>\n

Three years earlier.<\/p>\n

The man beside me was wearing a baseball cap.<\/p>\n

I remembered him.<\/p>\n

I had met him once.<\/p>\n

A stranger who had come to inspect a damaged fence after a storm.<\/p>\n

He had introduced himself as Lucas Reed<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

I stared at the photograph.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniel nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was him.\u201d<\/p>\n

My hands began shaking.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou’re telling me I met Lucas?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I didn’t know?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy didn’t he tell me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause he wasn’t supposed to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho told him not to?\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniel looked at Elias.<\/p>\n

Elias lowered his eyes.<\/p>\n

I turned toward him.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou knew.\u201d<\/p>\n

He didn’t answer.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou knew I had met my brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI suspected.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou knew.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew someone had arranged the meeting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniel answered.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour father.\u201d<\/p>\n

I stepped backward.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy father arranged for Lucas to meet me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause he wanted to know whether Lucas would recognize you.\u201d<\/p>\n

I stared at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cRecognize me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs his sister.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd did he?\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniel nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

I couldn’t breathe.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe recognized you immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen why didn’t he say anything?\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniel’s face changed.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause he was afraid.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf what?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf the same people who had been searching for him.\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked at Elias.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n

Elias finally spoke.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe people who controlled the original trust.\u201d<\/p>\n

I frowned.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou said you created the trust.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI created the financial structure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut someone else controlled it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n

Elias looked at Daniel.<\/p>\n

Daniel closed his eyes.<\/p>\n

Then he said:<\/p>\n

\u201cYour mother.\u201d<\/p>\n

I froze.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mother?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat makes no sense.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt does when you understand why.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen explain it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniel sat down.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour mother discovered the truth about the trust before you were born.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat truth?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat the money wasn’t Elias’s.\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked at Elias.<\/p>\n

He nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe money came from another investor.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n

Elias answered:<\/p>\n

\u201cA group of private investors.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople who wanted control of your father’s company.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd my father agreed?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAt first.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Mom?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe refused.\u201d<\/p>\n

I stared at them.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo Mom tried to stop the deal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe discovered there was another condition.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat condition?\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniel looked directly at me.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf your father failed to repay the debt, control of the trust would pass to the investors.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the farm?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWould become theirs.\u201d<\/p>\n

I suddenly understood.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe $39 million.\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniel nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe property was expected to become extremely valuable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow did they know?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause your father had access to development plans.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat development plans?\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniel hesitated.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlans for the entire surrounding area.\u201d<\/p>\n

I stared at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo they knew the farm would become valuable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey wanted it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut why did they need my name?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause the trust had to appear legitimate.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Lucas?\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniel’s expression changed.<\/p>\n

\u201cLucas was the second beneficiary.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo if they controlled the trust\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey controlled both children.\u201d<\/p>\n

My stomach turned.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Dad removed Lucas.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTemporarily.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe created a second document.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe one in Locker 214?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen where is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniel looked toward the wall.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour father hid it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cInside the farm.\u201d<\/p>\n

I stared at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe original trust document was hidden on your property.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause he knew the investors were searching the house.\u201d<\/p>\n

I thought about my farm.<\/p>\n

The old barn.<\/p>\n

The equipment shed.<\/p>\n

The farmhouse.<\/p>\n

The fields.<\/p>\n

All the places I had known since I was young.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou’re telling me the document that explains everything is still there?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniel looked at me.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnder the old oak.\u201d<\/p>\n

I remembered it.<\/p>\n

The enormous oak tree near the western field.<\/p>\n

Dad had always told me never to cut it down.<\/p>\n

He used to say it was older than the house.<\/p>\n

I looked at Elias.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou knew?\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cI suspected.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy didn’t you tell me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause the people searching for the document were watching the farm.\u201d<\/p>\n

I felt a chill.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre they still watching?\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniel answered:<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked at the dark windows.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen why did you come here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause they already know you’ve found the hidden room.\u201d<\/p>\n

My phone buzzed.<\/p>\n

Unknown number.<\/p>\n

One message.<\/p>\n

YOU HAVE TEN MINUTES.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Another arrived.<\/p>\n

LEAVE THE HOUSE.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Then a third.<\/p>\n

OR THE FARM BURNS.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I stared at the screen.<\/p>\n

Miriam gasped.<\/p>\n

Daniel immediately stood.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFay.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI’ve spent my entire life running from secrets.\u201d<\/p>\n

I picked up the photograph of Lucas.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’m going to the farm.\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniel shook his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is exactly what they want.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen they’ll finally come out of hiding.\u201d<\/p>\n

Elias stepped toward me.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don’t know what you’re doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked at the photograph again.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I know what I’m looking for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lucas.<\/p>\n

The original trust.<\/p>\n

The truth.<\/p>\n

And the people who had spent eighteen years making sure I never found any of them.<\/p>\n

\n
\n<\/div>\n

We reached the farm just after midnight.<\/p>\n

The property was completely dark.<\/p>\n

I turned off the headlights before entering the driveway.<\/p>\n

Daniel sat beside me.<\/p>\n

Elias and Miriam followed in another vehicle.<\/p>\n

Nobody spoke.<\/p>\n

The old oak stood at the edge of the field.<\/p>\n

Moonlight passed through the branches.<\/p>\n

I walked toward it.<\/p>\n

Daniel followed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere exactly?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNear the roots.\u201d<\/p>\n

I knelt.<\/p>\n

The soil was hard.<\/p>\n

I began digging.<\/p>\n

Nothing.<\/p>\n

I moved several feet.<\/p>\n

Still nothing.<\/p>\n

Then my shovel struck metal.<\/p>\n

I stopped.<\/p>\n

Daniel crouched beside me.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat’s it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Together we cleared the dirt.<\/p>\n

A metal box appeared.<\/p>\n

It was old.<\/p>\n

Rusty.<\/p>\n

But still sealed.<\/p>\n

My heart raced.<\/p>\n

I opened it.<\/p>\n

Inside were three documents.<\/p>\n

A trust agreement.<\/p>\n

A property deed.<\/p>\n

And a letter.<\/p>\n

I opened the trust agreement first.<\/p>\n

The beneficiary section contained two names.<\/p>\n

Mine.<\/p>\n

And Lucas’s.<\/p>\n

But there was something different from the copy in Locker 214.<\/p>\n

There was an additional clause.<\/p>\n

I read it slowly.<\/p>\n

Neither beneficiary may sell, transfer, pledge, or otherwise encumber the property without the written consent of the other.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I looked at Daniel.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat does this mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

He stared at the page.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt means\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

He stopped.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe $39 million sale shouldn’t have been possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

My heart stopped.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause you couldn’t legally sell the farm without Lucas’s consent.\u201d<\/p>\n

I stared at the document.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut the sale happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen someone forged Lucas’s signature.\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniel nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cExactly.\u201d<\/p>\n

I opened the property deed.<\/p>\n

There it was.<\/p>\n

The sale agreement.<\/p>\n

The buyer.<\/p>\n

The amount.<\/p>\n

$39,000,000.<\/strong><\/p>\n

And beneath it were two signatures.<\/p>\n

Mine.<\/p>\n

And Lucas’s.<\/p>\n

I stared at the second signature.<\/p>\n

It looked real.<\/p>\n

Too real.<\/p>\n

But then I noticed something.<\/p>\n

The date.<\/p>\n

Lucas’s signature had been dated three days before I met the stranger on my farm.<\/p>\n

Three days before I supposedly met him.<\/p>\n

Three days before the sale paperwork was finalized.<\/p>\n

I looked at Daniel.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis signature was already there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo Lucas signed before meeting me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniel didn’t answer.<\/p>\n

I turned to Elias.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

He looked away.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause Lucas wasn’t trying to stop the sale.\u201d<\/p>\n

My blood ran cold.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe wanted the sale to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

I stared at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy would my brother want our farm sold?\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniel stepped closer.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause he believed the sale would expose the people behind the trust.\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked at the $39 million figure.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo Lucas allowed them to buy the farm.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo trap them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked at the documents.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did he know?\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniel took a breath.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe knew about the investors.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe trust?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDaniel?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy parents?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cElias?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniel looked directly at me.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe knew you were the only person he could trust.\u201d<\/p>\n

My eyes filled with tears.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen why didn’t he tell me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniel’s expression became painful.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause he wanted you to hate him.\u201d<\/p>\n

I stared at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo if something happened to him, you wouldn’t go looking for him.\u201d<\/p>\n

I couldn’t speak.<\/p>\n

Then a sound came from the field.<\/p>\n

A branch breaking.<\/p>\n

Everyone turned.<\/p>\n

Daniel immediately raised his hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone’s here.\u201d<\/p>\n

We stood still.<\/p>\n

Another sound.<\/p>\n

Footsteps.<\/p>\n

Coming from the direction of the barn.<\/p>\n

Then a figure appeared.<\/p>\n

A man stepped out of the darkness.<\/p>\n

He was wearing a dark jacket.<\/p>\n

His face was partially hidden.<\/p>\n

He stopped several yards away.<\/p>\n

I couldn’t see him clearly.<\/p>\n

Then he removed his cap.<\/p>\n

My heart stopped.<\/p>\n

I knew that face.<\/p>\n

Not from a photograph.<\/p>\n

Not from an old memory.<\/p>\n

From three years ago.<\/p>\n

The stranger who had come to repair my fence.<\/p>\n

The man I had called Lucas Reed.<\/p>\n

My brother.<\/p>\n

Lucas looked directly at me.<\/p>\n

And whispered:<\/p>\n

\u201cFay.\u201d<\/p>\n

I couldn’t move.<\/p>\n

Daniel stepped forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cLucas.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lucas looked at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou shouldn’t have brought her here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniel answered:<\/p>\n

\u201cShe deserved the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lucas shook his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then he looked at me.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe deserved the truth eighteen years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

He took one step closer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn’t come back to take the farm.\u201d<\/p>\n

He paused.<\/p>\n

\u201cI came back to save you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before I could answer, headlights appeared at the far end of the property.<\/p>\n

Several vehicles were approaching.<\/p>\n

Lucas looked toward them.<\/p>\n

His expression changed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey found us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniel grabbed my arm.<\/p>\n

\u201cGet inside.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lucas shook his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

He looked at me.<\/p>\n

\u201cFay, listen carefully.\u201d<\/p>\n

The vehicles were getting closer.<\/p>\n

Lucas’s voice became urgent.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe person who ordered the $39 million sale isn’t Elias.\u201d<\/p>\n

He looked at Daniel.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s not Dad.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then he looked directly at me.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd it isn’t Mom.\u201d<\/p>\n

I felt my heart stop.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen who?\u201d<\/p>\n

Lucas took a breath.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe person behind everything\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

He glanced toward the approaching vehicles.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026is someone you’ve trusted since the day you started investigating this.\u201d<\/p>\n

I stared at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n

Lucas looked toward the road.<\/p>\n

Then back at me.<\/p>\n

His final words were almost a whisper.<\/p>\n

\u201cMiriam.\u201d<\/p>\n

I turned toward her.<\/p>\n

She was standing beside the car.<\/p>\n

And she wasn’t surprised.<\/p>\n

She was crying.<\/p>\n

But she wasn’t denying it.<\/p>\n

Instead, she slowly lowered her head.<\/p>\n

And said:<\/p>\n

\u201cI’m sorry, Fay.\u201d<\/p>\n

The first vehicle stopped.<\/p>\n

The doors opened.<\/p>\n

And suddenly, I understood.<\/p>\n

The investigation hadn’t brought me closer to the truth.<\/p>\n

It had brought the truth directly to my doorstep.<\/p>\n

And the person I had trusted to uncover the conspiracy\u2026<\/p>\n

might have been the person controlling it all along….<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUOUS READ FULL ENDING STORY PART\ud83d\udc49 (11): \u2013 \u201cThree days after I quietly sold my farm for $39 million,\u201d<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PART 10 \u2014 THE MAN WHO KNEW WHERE LUCAS WAS Daniel stood in the doorway. For the first time in my life, I saw fear in his eyes. Not guilt. … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2978,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7244","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7244","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7244"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7244\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7260,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7244\/revisions\/7260"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2978"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7244"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7244"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7244"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}