Chapter 5: The Basement Truth and Final Reckoning

Harrison took me to the basement.

The place was packed—I gave full marks for this round-up.

Harrison gave a sly, modest grin. “All thanks to your haunted house.”

Girls scare easily. Those with secrets were watched by Harrison.

We went to the lowest level and finally saw the so-called ‘General.’

My father leaned against the wall, glaring at Harrison. The air was thick with tension.

“I remember. It was you, right? The one who sent me out to the sticks?”

“Why’d you send me away? Let me think,” his eyes shifted like a coyote, landing on me, “It was you, wasn’t it? Should’ve gotten rid of you first.”

He sneered: “Ungrateful brat.”

Seeing us silent, he seemed embarrassed, face darkening. “If I lose, I want to know why. When did you two get together?”

Harrison ignored him.

I gave him a slow smile, then said coolly: “None of your business.”

At five, I held my aunt’s locket, trying to go to the mayor’s house, but stumbled onto a big secret.

Someone in the city was working with the enemy, so the northern gangs got bold.

My dad was in on it too.

Uncle tried to wear down the gangs, but they wanted to humiliate the family hero. So they approached my dad again, promising money and power—in exchange for uncle’s head.

A drama with no rehearsal made outsiders believe the ‘hero’ story.

As for the Bennetts, my dad took the name and the credit.

Maybe uncle had his own motives. Or maybe, after losing one brother, he didn’t want to lose another. So they favored the third brother and wronged the fourth.

Turned out, uncle was wrong.

They were sent to stop border gangs. On the way back, a fight broke out. The eldest, angry, called my dad a traitor. My dad, insecure, snapped. He betrayed his kin, joining the gangs in a bloodbath.

I hid, sweating, barely able to breathe.

Did my dad know the story of brothers killing each other was a joke to the gangs? What would he think?

When the contact left, I panicked and was stopped by a man in black.

“Kid, what’d you hear?”

I fell, almost fainted, but a young man behind him said softly: “Uncle Tan, you’re too harsh. You’ll scare her.”

He squatted in front of me, lifting his hood to show a handsome face.

I knew him. He was the most promising Whitmore, the future head.

He didn’t mind my tears, gently asked: “Those were bad people. Little sister, did you hear them?”

I wiped my face, calmed down.

I told him, Bennett third brother was a traitor. Fourth died for the family. Eldest and second helped the villain. My aunt and the eldest aunt died wronged, my dad lost his mind.

He gently wiped my face, voice clear as moonlight: “Don’t be scared, I’ll protect you.”

Soon, a letter came from the family.

Rewards and promotions came for the battered Bennetts. The General went up north.

The young man sometimes visited me, and I’d talk with him. For example, my stepmom and aunt said uncle’s daughter was unsafe, so Jamie Bennett died of fever, and roommate Mariah appeared.

I knew, the family was sick, the young man couldn’t fix it yet. He was just a seed, trying to grow, to lift the weight above him. This seed worked hard, suffered much.

So I told him stories. I said: “Once there was a guy named Ben Franklin, who lived to serve others.”

He listened: “He was amazing.”

“Very.” I looked at him. “Just like you.”

“My family never cared about me!”

My dad finally snapped.

Our silence embarrassed him.

“Back then too! I was third, but the mayor’s daughter only saw the fourth! The hero was me, but the eldest led the gangs! Why!”

I finally spoke.

I told Harrison: “So tired.”

He said the same thing he’d said here: “Then sit.”

The guard brought a chair, putting it behind Harrison. But he moved it behind me. Who knows how that hit my dad.

He changed again.

“Harrison, when I went up north, you were just a kid. I worked for years—if not a hero, at least loyal. You can’t kill me!”

Harrison was unmoved. My father turned to me: “Lila, I’m your real father. Your mom died young, I raised you myself.”

Please. Even if I weren’t a transplant with no memories, I wouldn’t buy it.

The nannies who raised me, you took from brothels.

I had plenty to say, but didn’t bother. I just watched him.

He sneered, ranted, went manic, then furious. He went from proud to lost.

Some people are always average. Even with fake glory, they live like clowns.

I said: “Nothing more to see. Let’s go.”

Harrison: “Okay.”

We walked side by side through the damp hall, left the dark basement, and found the warm sun again. The air smelled like rain and hope.

Those tied to the northern gangs, or corrupt, were all swept out by Harrison. The rest, timid and greedy, could only grab scraps.

I squinted into the wind. “After a long sickness, you just need to rest.”

Harrison smiled and agreed. “Let’s hope this house finally gets some peace.”