Chapter 4 - Memories and Secrets

The soft sound of crunching gravel accompanied Oliver Reid as he walked down the narrow path leading to his wife's grave. In his hand, he carried a small bouquet of white lilies—Natalie's favorite flowers. The cemetery was quiet this time of day, the sun beginning its slow descent, casting long shadows over the rows of headstones. He knew the path to her grave by heart now, each step bringing back the sting of loss, though it had been years.

There was no body beneath the headstone—nothing physical to mark Natalie's passing. The airplane crash had left nothing behind, not even a piece of her. What they had buried instead were the things that mattered most to her: her wedding ring, the scarf she always wore on chilly mornings, and a few photographs of the life they had shared. It was all they could offer in place of her remains.

At first, Sophia had been furious. She had refused to speak to Oliver for four weeks after the burial, her young heart broken by the thought of burying "things" in place of her mother. But in time, she had come to understand that they needed something—a symbolic closure to cling to, even if it was painful. In the end, they buried what Natalie had left behind, and over the years, it had become a sacred spot for both father and daughter.

Oliver crouched down beside the grave, setting the flowers against the cold stone. He pulled out a cloth from his jacket pocket and began to wipe away the leaves and dirt that had collected over the past few months. His hands, rougher now from years of wear and age, worked with a steady rhythm, but his mind was elsewhere—drawn back to a time when Natalie was still with him.

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It had been at a quiet little coffee shop in New York, years before life had thrown them together in ways they never expected. Oliver had been younger then, full of ambition and energy, fresh out of training, working undercover on a case. He remembered the moment he first saw Natalie as if it were yesterday. She had been sitting by the window, the sunlight catching her hair, turning it into a golden halo. She was reading a book—he could never remember the title—but it didn't matter. What struck him was the way she seemed completely at peace, absorbed in her own little world, her lips curled into a faint smile as though the words on the page were whispering secrets only she could understand.

Oliver had never been a man to believe in love at first sight, but something about her had drawn him in. He found himself standing by the counter, pretending to decide on his coffee, but really just watching her. Finally, gathering his nerve, he approached her table, making a casual comment about the book she was reading.

She looked up at him, those striking blue eyes meeting his, and smiled—a smile that lit up her whole face, that made him feel as though the world had shifted slightly on its axis.

That was how it started. A simple conversation over coffee. But from that moment, Oliver knew there was something special about her. Something different. He had asked for her number by the end of their conversation, and to his surprise, she had written it down on a napkin, handing it to him with a playful grin.

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Their first date had been a disaster—at least, that's how Oliver had thought of it at the time. He had taken her to a fancy restaurant, trying too hard to impress her. He had worn a suit that was too tight, shoes that pinched his feet, and spent half the evening worrying that he was saying the wrong thing.

But Natalie had laughed. She had found his awkwardness endearing. When his tie got caught in the car door, she had been the one to free him, her laughter filling the air. And later, when they had taken a walk by the river, away from the stiffness of the dinner table, they had finally relaxed into each other's company.

They had talked for hours—about their lives, their dreams, their fears. Oliver had never opened up to anyone like that before. And when the night ended, when he walked her to her apartment door, he felt something he hadn't expected: peace. Being with her had felt like coming home.

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As the memories faded, Oliver wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. It still hurt, even after all these years. The loss of her, the way she had been taken from him and Sophia in the blink of an eye, was a wound that would never fully heal. But coming here, to this place, gave him a sense of connection to her, even if it was just a grave filled with memories.

He sighed heavily, leaning back on his heels as he looked at the headstone. "I miss you," he whispered, his voice barely audible in the quiet of the cemetery.

Just as he was about to stand, something fluttered at the edge of his vision. A small white envelope, dropped beside him as if from nowhere. Oliver froze, his instincts honed from years of fieldwork telling him that this was no coincidence. He looked around, but the cemetery was empty. No one was in sight.

With a frown, he reached for the envelope. There was no name on it, no markings of any kind. He tore it open, pulling out the single piece of paper inside. The handwriting was clean and precise, the words chilling:

Oliver Reid,

You've been lied to. The crash that took your wife's life was not a natural disaster. It wasn't lightning that brought that plane down—or the others. The truth has been hidden, buried by the very people who should have protected you.

But the truth is still out there, locked away, waiting to be uncovered. If you want to know what really happened to Natalie, you must act. Assemble a team of people you can trust—capable people, but don't tell them the truth. They must believe they are after money, not the truth. Do not tell them about this letter. The secret lies within a flash drive, hidden in the vault of a bank: Arcadia Holdings.

You will know where to find it. But be warned—others will try to stop you. They will kill you if they can. No one can know the truth but you.

This is your only chance. The clock is ticking.

There was no signature. Just those last four words, burned into Oliver's mind as he stared down at the letter. His heart pounded in his chest, and for a moment, he couldn't breathe.

The world around him seemed to fade, the weight of the revelation sinking in. He had always suspected something was wrong, but to see it written out like this—to know that someone else knew—was terrifying.

He folded the letter carefully, sliding it into his jacket pocket. His hands trembled as he stood up, the weight of the truth pressing down on him.

Natalie's death had been no accident. And now, he had a mission—one that would either bring him the truth or cost him everything.