PART 12 – UNMASKING MY SON
The drive to the police station felt like the final leg of a long, grueling marathon. My hands were no longer shaking; I felt only a deep, quiet determination. Everything my mother had done, all those years of silence and written letters, had led to this moment. She hadn't just wanted to protect me; she had given me the weapons to fight back. Inside the station, I was immediately assisted by a detective who took possession of Attorney Van Dalen's file.
After a thorough review of the evidence, the conclusion was swift: there was more than enough proof of large-scale fraud, extortion, and illegal practices to arrest Mark and his network immediately. But in my heart, a burning wound remained open. My children. Daniel and Sofia. Even though they had betrayed me and tried to use me, they were still my children.
I couldn't simply stand by and watch them be dragged into their father's ruin without making one final attempt to reach them. That very evening, I drove to Daniel's apartment. The lights burned dimly behind the windows. I parked the car and walked to the entrance. I pressed the intercom. After a long silence, Daniel's tired voice echoed through the speaker.
“Who is it?” “It's me, Daniel. Please open up.” There was a silence, followed by the loud buzz of the door release. I took the elevator and stepped out shortly after in front of his door. Daniel opened it. He looked terrible: deep dark circles under his eyes, his clothes crumpled, the embodiment of pure despair. “What did you come here for, Mom?” he asked bitterly, stepping aside to let me in.
“Did you come to tell me a bit more about what a awful son I've been?” I walked in and looked around at what had once been a luxurious apartment and now felt empty and cold. Packed boxes stood in the corner; the bailiffs had evidently already dropped by. “I didn't come to judge you, Daniel,” I said softly, sitting on the edge of the sofa. “I came to tell you the truth about your father.” Daniel let out a bitter laugh.
“My father? At least he helped us when we were in trouble! You didn't even want to help us with the house!” “He didn't help you, Daniel,” I said firmly, pulling the copy of the file from my bag and placing it on the table. “He used you to settle his debts and to destroy me. Look at this file if you don't believe me.” Daniel looked at the file, hesitated for a moment, and then slowly picked it up.
