CHAPTER 7: THE FRIEND WHO KNEW TOO MUCH
Ethan read the final sentence of Daniel’s letter again.
“The real enemy is someone you call every day.”
His hands started shaking.
Because there was only one person who matched those words.
Someone who had been beside him through everything.
Someone who knew every secret.
Every fear.
Every weakness.
His best friend…
Noah Wilson.
Ethan couldn’t believe it.
“No…”
He whispered.
“Not Noah.”
For years, Noah was the only person who stayed when everyone else left.
When Ethan had no home.
When he had no money.
When the entire world thought he was nobody.
Noah was there.
He shared his food.
He gave Ethan a place to sleep.
He told him:
“Family isn’t always blood. Sometimes family is the person who chooses to stay.”
How could that person betray him?
Margaret looked at Ethan’s face.
“You know who it is, don’t you?”
Ethan slowly nodded.
“My best friend.”
Amelia looked worried.
“Ethan, don’t make the same mistake your father made.”
“What mistake?”
She looked at the letter.
“Trusting someone because you want them to be innocent.”
Those words hurt.
Because deep down…
Ethan knew there was something strange about Noah.
Something he ignored.
Something he didn’t want to believe.
The first time Ethan met Noah was not a coincidence.
Noah found him the exact night Victor Hayes’ men were searching for him.
Noah always seemed to know when Ethan was in danger.
And now Ethan finally understood.
Maybe Noah wasn’t protecting him.
Maybe Noah was watching him.
That night, Ethan secretly returned to the small apartment where he and Noah had lived together.
The place looked exactly the same.
Photos on the wall.
Old memories.
Two friends who promised they would never abandon each other.
Ethan almost turned around.
Almost convinced himself Daniel was wrong.
Then he saw something.
A hidden door behind Noah’s bookshelf.
A door Ethan had never seen before.
His heart started racing.
He opened it.
Inside was a room.
Not a bedroom.
Not storage.
A surveillance room.
There were dozens of screens.
Photos.
Documents.
Maps.
And on the wall…
Pictures of Ethan.
Hundreds of them.
From the day they met.
From every place Ethan had gone.
Every person he had talked to.
Every move he made.
Ethan stepped back in horror.
“No…”
Then he found a folder.
The name written on it made his blood run cold.
PROJECT: BLACKWOOD HEIR
Inside were documents about him.
His childhood.
His identity.
His mother.
His father.
Everything.
Someone had been tracking him his entire life.
Then Ethan found the final page.
A contract.
Signed by Noah Wilson.
The date?
The exact day they became friends.
Ethan felt betrayed.
All those years…
Noah wasn’t just his friend.
He was assigned to him.
A shadow.
A watcher.
A spy.
Suddenly, a voice came from behind him.
“I was hoping you would never find that room.”
Ethan froze.
Slowly, he turned around.
Noah was standing in the doorway.
His face was filled with sadness.
Not anger.
Not guilt.
Sadness.
“Tell me it’s not true.”
Ethan’s voice shook.
“Tell me you didn’t fake everything.”
Noah looked down.
“I wish I could.”
The silence was painful.
“Why?”
Ethan asked.
“Why would you do this?”
Noah took a deep breath.
“Because my family was destroyed by yours.”
Ethan froze.
“What?”
Noah stepped closer.
“My father worked for the Blackwood family.”
He looked at the pictures.
“And when your family collapsed… mine collapsed with it.”
Ethan shook his head.
“That’s impossible.”
Noah laughed bitterly.
“Is it?”
He pulled out an old photograph.
A photograph of Daniel Carter.
Standing beside Noah’s father.
But Daniel wasn’t smiling.
He looked terrified.
Noah handed the photo to Ethan.
“Your father knew what happened.”
Ethan stared.
“What happened?”
Noah’s eyes filled with anger.
“He knew who betrayed both our families.”
A long silence followed.
Then Noah said the words Ethan never expected:
“The person who destroyed the Blackwoods…”
He looked directly at Ethan.
“Was Daniel Carter himself.”
Ethan stepped back.
“No…”
Noah whispered:
“Your father didn’t save you, Ethan.”
He looked at the hidden files.
“He was hiding you from the truth.”
Before Ethan could respond…
Every screen in the room suddenly turned on.
A message appeared.
INCOMING TRANSMISSION
Then a familiar face appeared.
A face Ethan thought he would never see again.
Sophia Carter.
But she wasn’t alone.
Standing beside her was Victor Hayes.
Both of them alive.
And Sophia had one shocking sentence:
“Ethan… you finally discovered the truth.”
She looked at Noah.
“Now tell him why you were really sent here.”
Noah looked at Ethan.
And for the first time…
Ethan saw fear in his best friend’s eyes.
Because Noah wasn’t the only one hiding a secret.
May you like
The biggest secret…
Was about to destroy everything Ethan believed.
