Page 20 of His Relentless Mate

“Where did you get this?” Carol’s voice trembled, her fingers hovering over the ledger as if it might burn her.

“It was among Carl Hansen’s personal effects,” Annika said, her voice tight with barely controlled emotion. “I found your name in it, Mom. What were you involved in?”

Carol’s hand recoiled from the ledger, and she looked up at Annika, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and sorrow. “Annika, I… I can explain.”

“Then explain,” Annika demanded, her voice cracking with the strain of holding back tears. “Tell me how you ended up in this ledger. Tell me what you were doing with Carl Hansen.”

Carol sighed, her shoulders slumping as if the weight of the world had finally settled on them. She gestured for Annika to follow her to a small, private office in the back of the library. Once they were inside, Carol closed the door behind them and took a seat, her hands clasped tightly in her lap.

“I never wanted you to find out,” Carol began, her voice trembling. “But I suppose there’s no use in hiding it now.”

Annika remained standing; her arms crossed over her chest as she waited for her mother to continue.

“Years ago,” Carol said, her voice barely above a whisper, “I was in a difficult place. Your father and I were having problems, and money was tight. I was approached by Carl Hansen—he knew about our financial troubles, and he offered to help. At first, it seemed innocent enough—just some bookkeeping work for his businesses. But then it became clear that what he was doing wasn’t legal.”

Annika’s stomach churned as she listened, the image of her mother slowly crumbling in front of her.

“I tried to back out, but by then, I was in too deep. Carl started using my position to funnel money through our accounts, laundering it for his other ventures. I knew it was wrong, but… I didn’t know how to get out. And then… then he started threatening us.”

“Threatening you?” Annika asked, her voice barely above a whisper, her heart aching at the fear in her mother’s voice.

“Yes,” Carol said, her eyes filling with tears. “He said he’d ruin us if I didn’t keep helping him. And when Daniel found out… he tried to confront Carl, tried to stop him.”

Annika’s breath caught in her throat as the pieces began to fall into place. “What happened to Daniel, Mom?”

Carol’s sobs broke the silence in the room, her hands trembling as she covered her face. “Daniel went to Carl, demanding that he leave us alone, that he stop using me. Carl didn’t take it well. There was a fight… and Daniel… he didn’t make it out.”

Annika’s world tilted on its axis as the truth of her brother’s death finally came to light. He hadn’t died in an accident—he had been killed because he had tried to protect their family because he had tried to stop the man who had been blackmailing their mother

Tears filled Annika’s eyes as she knelt beside her mother, pulling her into her arms. Carol clung to her, sobbing uncontrollably as years of guilt and fear finally broke free.

“I’m so sorry, Annika,” Carol whispered through her tears. “I never meant for any of this to happen. I just wanted to protect you.”

Annika held her mother tightly, her own tears falling freely as she tried to process the enormity of what she had learned. Her brother’s death, her mother’s involvement with Carl Hansen, the web of lies and deceit that had ensnared them all—it was almost too much to bear.

But even in the midst of her grief, Annika knew she couldn’t walk away from this. The truth had to come out, no matter how painful it was. And she needed to talk to Trace.

She helped her mother to her feet, guiding her out of the office and back to the circulation desk. “I need to go,” Annika said softly, brushing a tear from her cheek. “But I’ll be back. We’ll get through this together, okay?”

Carol nodded, her eyes red-rimmed and puffy, but there was a flicker of hope in her gaze. “Okay. Be careful, Annika. Please.”

“I will,” Annika promised, giving her mother one last hug before leaving the library.

The drive to Trace’s house was filled with a tumult of emotions. She had never felt so lost, so torn between her duty as a detective and her love for her family. The revelations about her brother’s death had shaken her to her core, and she needed Trace’s steady presence now more than ever.

When she arrived at his house, Annika hesitated. She thought about knocking, but that seemed wrong as she was moving in with Trace. She took a deep breath, opened the door and stepped in, her mind racing with thoughts of what she would say, how she would explain everything she had just learned.

Trace looked up, his expression a mix of concern and surprise. “Annika? What’s wrong?”

“We need to talk,” Annika said, her voice trembling with the weight of her emotions.

Trace’s eyes softened as he crossed to her, folding her into his arms. “Of course, Annika. You know you can always trust me.”

She hugged him and then stepped back, her hands shaking as she tried to gather her thoughts. “I found something in the files, Trace. Something that changes everything.”

“What is it?” Trace asked, his voice gentle but firm.

“It’s my mother,” Annika said, tears welling up in her eyes again. “She was involved with Carl Hansen. She… she was part of his illegal activities. And Daniel… Daniel found out. That’s why he died, Trace. He was trying to protect her.”

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