My mom''s handwriting was elegant yet bold, a testament to her strength in script. I ran my fingers over her diary, feeling the lump in my throat grow as tears threatened to spill.


    But as I flipped through the pages, I was stunned by the revtions inside.


    "Several of our projects were undercut at thest minute. There''s a mole. The cash flow crisis has something to do with Galen, but he''s vanished." "The night before Leon died, he received a message from Galen Brown, iming he wasn''t the one who embezzledpany funds and wanted to meet to exin. That very night, Leon got hit by a semi-truck."


    "The truck driver, Ma, was diagnosed with terminal kidney failure just days before his ident, and oddly, he divorced his wife, leaving her everything right before the crash."


    Each entry was brief, but the implications were terrifying.


    I had always suspected something was amiss with the family business, but being away at college, I was out of the loop. Then my dad passed, and I was in surgery in Country Aurorea. I returned home, believing it was all a tragic ident.


    Yet, my mom''s diary painted a sinister picture of a conspiracy in the shadows, threatening to strangle the life out of the Crawford family. The mention of someone tailing Mom sent shivers down my spine.


    Standing beside me, Jade was speechless as we digested the details.


    As a listedpany, the Crawford family''s business, though not a giant like Patterson Group or Aspire World, was nevertheless prosperous. We were sitting ducks if someone had their sights on us.


    "Mnie, didn''t Talbot end up buying out yourpany?" Jade finally broke the silence. "Haven''t you been in touch over the years?"


    Her reminder sparked a realization. The Crawford family business wasn''t gone. It just wasn''t ours anymore. After drowning in debt, Talbot, who hadn''t been in touch for years, acquired thepany.


    Thinking of Talbot and Crawford Group, my memories grew foggy. Talbot was my dad''s half-brother, making our rtionship distant at best. Family gatherings ceased after Grandpa''s passing, leaving us estranged. I didn''t know much about the disputes among the elders, only that our fortunes never seemed to intertwine after our rise to prosperity.


    "Didn''t see his family at your Mom''s funeral, right?" Jade asked, recalling the day she rushed back from an overseas project to attend.


    Aside from me, there was no other family present.


    But if my memory served right, Talbot''s business dealings were thriving, even partnering with the Patterson Group.


    I asked, "Jade, remember our ountant, Galen Brown?"


    Mom never discussed these matters


    with me. Galen had been with thepany for long and was older than my father, always treating me kindly And I always liked him as a family friend. It was hard to believe he could get involved in thepany''s financial troubles.


    Yet, when tragedy struck my parents, Galen was conspicuously absent.


    Jade thought it over. "The bald man? The one who always brought you snacks?"


    I nodded.


    Jade looked surprised. "He was Galen Brown?"


    Another nod followed by silence.


    He was the man from Mom''s diary, a family friend for over two decades. Galen often picked me up from school, always with snacks for me and my dorm mates.


    "Good people can hide dark secrets," Jade said, her voice tinged with difficulty.


    Her words pierced the bubble of denial I had been living in. It broke my heart to ept that someone we trusted for so long could betray us.


    "People scatter when the tree falls," she continued. "Remember howpanies rallied to help when your dad wanted to donate to the school?"N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    "But when your dad had his ident, where were they? I thought your dad was well-liked."


    Jade voiced my doubts. Dad was


    renowned for his integrity and charity work. Our family''s reputation should have garnered support during our crisis. Yet, when we


    needed it most, we were alone.


    After Jade left, Mom''s diary entries haunted me. I dug out my uncle Talbot''s contact from my phone, a number I hadn''t dialed in years. Feeling like he was a stranger, I hesitated before making the call.


    After a few rings, a confused voice answered, "Mnie? Is that you?"


    Clearing my throat, I replied, "Uncle Talbot, how have you been?"