PART 5
Claire’s breathing shook through the phone.
“Daniel, you need to listen to me carefully.”
Daniel stood completely still.
Across the conference room, Richard and Marcus were watching him.
“What did she write?” Daniel asked.
Claire swallowed.
“She said if anything happened to her, you would probably believe it was an accident.”
Daniel’s face tightened.
“My wife died in a car accident.”
“I know.”
“You were there.”
“I know.”
“Then what are you telling me?”
Claire’s voice broke.
“She didn’t trust the brakes.”
Daniel felt the room disappear around him.
Three years earlier.
A rainy Thursday evening.
His wife, Anna, had left the Bellmont headquarters shortly after seven.
She had kissed Sophie goodbye.
She had promised Daniel she’d be home before bedtime.
At 8:26 p.m., the police called.
There had been an accident on the interstate.
A truck had crossed the median.
Anna’s car had been destroyed.
The investigation concluded that she had lost control before the collision.
Daniel had never questioned it.
He had been too devastated.
Too focused on Sophie.
Too broken to investigate anything.
Now Claire was telling him Anna had suspected something.
“Where is the letter?” Daniel asked.
“I’m holding it.”
“Bring it to me.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because someone broke into my apartment last night.”
Daniel’s blood ran cold.
“Are you safe?”
“I’m staying with a friend.”
“Don’t leave.”
“I won’t.”
“Send me the location.”
“No.”
“Claire—”
“Daniel, listen.”
Her voice became urgent.
“Whoever is behind this knows we’re talking.”
Daniel looked toward the conference room door.
“Why?”
“Because the letter wasn’t the only thing in the box.”
“What else was there?”
“A flash drive.”
Daniel’s heart began pounding.
“What was on it?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why?”
“Because I haven’t opened it.”
“Why not?”
“Because the moment I found it, I received a message.”
Daniel’s voice dropped.
“What message?”
Claire whispered:
“Tell Daniel to stop digging.”
The line went silent.
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
“Claire?”
Nothing.
“Claire!”
The call had ended.
Richard immediately stood.
“We need to get her somewhere secure.”
Daniel nodded.
“Get private security to her location.”
“I’ll handle it.”
Daniel turned toward Marcus.
“Lock every executive account.”
Marcus nodded.
“Everyone?”
“Everyone except mine and yours.”
Marcus hesitated.
“Daniel, if the person who did this has access to the system—”
“That’s why I want everything frozen.”
Richard closed his laptop.
“And Gregory?”
Daniel looked at the clock.
“Find him.”
“We already tried.”
“Try again.”
“What if he refuses to come in?”
Daniel’s expression hardened.
“Then we’ll go to him.”
Gregory Shaw’s office was empty.
His assistant said he had called in sick.
His house was empty.
His car wasn’t in the garage.
And his personal phone had been switched off.
Daniel stood in Gregory’s office looking at the empty desk.
For eleven years, Gregory had sat there.
He had advised Daniel’s father.
He had helped build Bellmont Hospitality.
He had attended Daniel’s wedding.
He had held baby Sophie after she was born.
He had stood beside Daniel at Anna’s funeral.
He had told Daniel:
“I’m here for you.”
Now Daniel looked around the office and realized something terrifying.
Gregory hadn’t been standing beside him.
He had been standing behind him.
Waiting.
Watching.
Planning.
Richard entered carrying a laptop.
“We found something.”
Daniel turned.
“What?”
“Gregory accessed the company archive at 2:13 this morning.”
Daniel frowned.
“After the investigation?”
“Yes.”
“What did he access?”
Richard hesitated.
“Anna’s personnel file.”
Daniel’s heart dropped.
“Why?”
“We don’t know.”
“Can you track what he opened?”
Richard nodded.
“He accessed an archived legal folder.”
Daniel walked closer.
“What folder?”
Richard turned the screen.
The title appeared.
Project Meridian.
Daniel stared at it.
“What is Project Meridian?”
Richard looked at Marcus.
Marcus shook his head.
“I’ve never heard of it.”
Daniel had.
Not the project itself.
But the name.
Anna had used it once.
Three months before her death.
Daniel remembered sitting at their kitchen table.
Anna had been staring at her laptop.
He had asked what she was working on.
She had smiled and said:
“Nothing you need to worry about.”
He had kissed her forehead.
He had trusted her.
Now he wished he hadn’t.
“Open it,” Daniel said.
Richard tried.
Access denied.
“Gregory changed the permissions.”
Daniel’s eyes narrowed.
“Can we override it?”
“Not without triggering an alert.”
Daniel looked at him.
“Then trigger it.”
Richard hesitated.
“That will tell whoever is watching that we’ve found the folder.”
Daniel’s answer was immediate.
“Good.”
Richard entered the command.
The system began decrypting the folder.
Ten seconds.
Twenty.
Thirty.
Then the screen went black.
Marcus frowned.
“That’s not supposed to happen.”
Richard checked the network.
“Someone just remotely shut down the archive server.”
Daniel stared at the screen.
“Someone knows.”
Suddenly, every light in the office flickered.
Then the fire alarm began screaming.
Employees started shouting in the hallway.
Richard looked toward the door.
“What is happening?”
Daniel grabbed his phone.
“Everyone out.”
They rushed into the hallway.
Smoke wasn’t visible.
But employees were already moving toward the emergency exits.
Daniel suddenly stopped.
“Where’s Sophie?”
Richard looked confused.
“She isn’t here.”
Daniel’s face changed.
“No.”
He immediately called Sophie’s school.
A receptionist answered.
“Bellmont Academy.”
“This is Daniel Mercer. I need to speak with my daughter’s teacher.”
“One moment.”
Daniel waited.
The seconds felt endless.
Finally, the teacher answered.
“Mr. Mercer?”
“Is Sophie there?”
There was a pause.
“Yes.”
Daniel exhaled.
“Keep her inside.”
“Why?”
“Do not let anyone pick her up.”
The teacher suddenly sounded nervous.
“Mr. Mercer…”
“What?”
“Someone already tried.”
Daniel’s entire body went cold.
“Who?”
“A man came about twenty minutes ago.”
“What man?”
“He said he was your assistant.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Did you let him see her?”
“No. He didn’t have the correct authorization.”
Daniel breathed again.
“Thank you.”
The teacher hesitated.
“He left something.”
“What?”
“A note.”
“What did it say?”
She read it.
“Tell Daniel the past isn’t finished with him.”
Two hours later, Claire arrived at a private security office.
She was carrying a small metal box.
Daniel was waiting.
When she entered, he immediately stood.
Claire hugged him.
Then she began crying.
“I should have told you sooner.”
Daniel didn’t blame her.
“Give me the box.”
She handed it over.
Inside was the flash drive.
A wedding photograph.
And a handwritten letter.
Daniel recognized Anna’s handwriting immediately.
His hands trembled.
He unfolded the paper.
Daniel,
If you’re reading this, something has gone wrong.
I need you to understand something before you believe anyone.
The people who appear loyal are not always loyal.
I discovered money disappearing from Bellmont through a private consulting company.
I traced the company back to people inside the executive office.
Daniel stopped.
Claire watched silently.
He continued.
Gregory is involved.
His jaw tightened.
Then he read the next sentence.
But Gregory isn’t the person I fear most.
Daniel’s eyes moved downward.
The person above him is someone you would never suspect.
The next line had been underlined three times.
Someone who has access to our family.
Daniel stopped reading.
“Who?” Claire whispered.
Daniel shook his head.
“I don’t know.”
He continued.
If something happens to me, don’t accuse Gregory immediately. He isn’t the top. Find the person who benefits when you stop asking questions.
Then the final sentence:
And protect Sophie.
Daniel lowered the letter.
Claire began crying again.
“What does that mean?”
Daniel didn’t answer.
He looked at the photograph inside the box.
It was from his wedding.
Anna was smiling.
Daniel was smiling.
Behind them stood the entire Bellmont executive team.
Gregory.
Richard.
Marcus.
And—
Daniel froze.
There was one person standing behind Anna.
A woman Daniel hadn’t thought about in years.
His former personal assistant.
Natalie Brooks.
Daniel stared at the photograph.
Claire noticed.
“Who is she?”
Daniel’s voice was quiet.
“She worked for Anna.”
“Is she still with Bellmont?”
“No.”
“Where is she?”
Daniel remembered.
Natalie had resigned six months before Anna died.
She had said she wanted to move away.
Daniel had never heard from her again.
He turned to Richard.
“Find Natalie Brooks.”
Richard immediately began searching.
Minutes later, he looked up.
“She died.”
Daniel froze.
“When?”
“Two years ago.”
“How?”
Richard looked at the report.
“Car accident.”
Daniel stared at him.
Another accident.
Another person connected to Anna.
Another death.
And suddenly the story became much darker.
That evening, Daniel returned home with Sophie.
He didn’t tell her everything.
He only told her that someone had tried to frighten him.
Sophie sat beside him on the couch.
“Daddy?”
“Yes?”
“Is Mommy part of this?”
Daniel looked at her.
“How do you know?”
“You keep looking at her picture.”
Daniel swallowed.
“Your mom was very smart.”
“Was she scared?”
Daniel thought about the letter.
“Yes.”
Sophie looked down.
“Did she know she was going to die?”
Daniel couldn’t answer.
He pulled his daughter into his arms.
“I don’t know.”
Sophie hugged him tightly.
“I miss her.”
“So do I.”
For several minutes, neither spoke.
Then Sophie whispered:
“Daddy?”
“Yes?”
“Mommy told me something before she died.”
Daniel pulled back.
“What?”
Sophie looked uncertain.
“I don’t know if I should say.”
“You can tell me.”
“She said if anything ever happened, I should remember the blue door.”
Daniel’s face changed.
“What blue door?”
Sophie shrugged.
“I don’t know.”
Daniel stared at her.
Then he remembered.
Anna’s old study.
There was a small blue door behind a bookshelf.
He hadn’t opened it since her death.
He had assumed it was a storage closet.
Daniel stood.
“Stay here.”
Sophie grabbed his hand.
“Where are you going?”
“To check something.”
The blue door was still there.
Daniel moved the bookshelf aside.
He found the key in an old box.
His hands shook as he inserted it.
Click.
The door opened.
Inside was a tiny storage room.
Boxes.
Old photographs.
Anna’s notebooks.
Daniel searched through everything.
Then he noticed a loose floorboard.
He lifted it.
Beneath it was another metal container.
Inside was a second flash drive.
And a small envelope.
Daniel opened it.
Inside was one sentence.
If Daniel ever finds this, tell him to look at the board minutes from October 12.
Daniel immediately called Richard.
“Pull the board minutes from October 12.”
Richard did.
Then he called back.
“Daniel…”
“What?”
“There was a meeting that day.”
“Who attended?”
Richard read the list.
“Gregory Shaw.”
“Who else?”
“Marcus Whitmore.”
“Who else?”
“Three board members.”
“And?”
Richard paused.
“Anna Mercer.”
Daniel’s heart stopped.
“Anna attended?”
“Yes.”
“What was the meeting about?”
Richard’s voice became quieter.
“Your succession.”
Daniel frowned.
“I wasn’t supposed to know?”
“Apparently not.”
Daniel looked at the flash drive.
“What happened after that meeting?”
Richard searched.
“Anna submitted a request to remove one board member.”
“Who?”
Richard went silent.
Daniel already knew.
“Tell me.”
“Elaine Porter.”
Daniel frowned.
“Who is Elaine Porter?”
Richard answered:
“Your mother.”
Daniel’s face went blank.
“My mother?”
“Yes.”
For the first time that night, Daniel understood.
His father had built Bellmont Hospitality.
His mother had managed the financial structure.
After his father died, Daniel inherited the controlling shares.
But his mother had retained a significant voting interest.
Daniel had always believed she had simply wanted to stay out of the business.
Now he wondered whether that had ever been true.
He called her.
She answered after three rings.
“Daniel?”
“Mom.”
Silence.
“Where are you?”
“At home.”
“Did you know Anna was investigating Bellmont?”
His mother didn’t answer.
“Mom?”
Finally, she whispered:
“Yes.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Did you know Gregory was involved?”
Silence.
“Mom.”
“I knew something was wrong.”
“Did you know about the money?”
“Yes.”
Daniel’s voice broke.
“How long?”
“Years.”
He stepped away from the desk.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because your father warned me.”
“About what?”
“That if the wrong people discovered we knew, they would destroy the family.”
Daniel’s eyes filled with anger.
“They killed Anna.”
His mother began crying.
“I don’t know that.”
“You knew she was investigating them.”
“Yes.”
“You knew she was afraid.”
“Yes.”
“And you said nothing.”
“I was afraid!”
Daniel slammed his hand onto the desk.
“So was she!”
Silence.
Then his mother whispered:
“Daniel, listen to me.”
“What?”
“Gregory isn’t the one you need to worry about.”
Daniel froze.
“Then who?”
His mother took a long breath.
“The person who controls the board.”
Daniel’s blood ran cold.
“Who?”
His mother whispered:
“Your uncle.”
Daniel’s face went pale.
“My uncle died twelve years ago.”
“No.”
His mother began sobbing.
“He didn’t.”
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