Chapter 4 - The Confession on Paper"It's almost time," Grant whispered, gently guiding her small hand so she could slide the flap of the envelope open.
Ellie pulled out the single sheet of lined paper. The blue ink was smeared slightly near the bottom, as if a drop of water—or a tear—had hit it before the ink dried.
Grant watched her face as her eyes scanned the words. He saw the exact moment the color drained completely from her small face, leaving her looking translucent.
"What does it say, sweetheart?" Grant asked, his heart hammering against his ribs.
Ellie didn't read it aloud. She just let the paper slip from her fingers onto the floor mat.
Grant leaned over, picked up the note, and read the jagged handwriting himself.
Ellie,
I’m sorry. I tried. Ever since your mother passed, the numbers just don't add up. Every door I knock on is locked. Every pocket I check is empty. I can’t protect you anymore. The man in the blue car at the end of the road—the one who owns these motels—his name is on the deed. Give him this letter. Tell him Mercer owes me for the drywall I hung in the east wing last month that he never paid for. Maybe he has enough humanity left to buy you a bus ticket.
Don't wait for me. I’m not coming back.
— Dad
The silence in the car became deafening.
Grant Mercer sat frozen. Mercer Residential Holdings. His company. His ledger. His management team had stiffed a desperate, grieving father out of his final paycheck, driving a man to the absolute brink of despair on Christmas Eve.
He looked down at the little girl. She wasn't crying anymore. She was staring at her small canvas shoes, completely numb.
"He... he worked for you?" Ellie whispered, her voice cracking.
May you like
Grant swallowed hard, a heavy knot forming in his throat. He reached over and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly against his chest.
"He did, Ellie," Grant said, his voice thick with unbridled rage and profound sorrow. "And I am going to fix this. I swear to you on everything I hold sacred, I am going to find your father."
