“My uncle once asked me, ‘Are you a virgin?’ when I was already 27 years old. From that moment, I started to be afraid of him. And a few days later, when he took me to a hotel outside the city, he leaned close to my ear by the pool and whispered, ‘After the pool, come up to my room…’”

“Then why the secrecy?” I demanded, crossing my arms defensively while keeping my eyes locked on him. “Why ask me if I was a virgin or interrogate me about my mother’s old belongings? None of that makes any sense!”
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Richard sighed deeply, running a trembling hand through his thinning gray hair before taking a seat opposite me. He explained that his erratic behavior and bizarre questions were actually a desperate attempt to protect me from a hidden truth about our family history.

“I had to know if you had shared any details of your private life or family documents with anyone outside our immediate circle,” Richard confessed quietly. “As for the question about your virginity, it wasn’t out of malice, Emily. It was part of a security protocol outlined in a strict confidentiality clause tied to a massive legal settlement.”

My jaw dropped as I stared at him, completely bewildered by his words. “A legal settlement? What are you talking about? My father was just a regular engineer before he passed away.”