Chapter 6 - The Man Who Knew Too Much
Liam had been hiding something. It wasn't that he knew me. It was why he knew my father.
We sat in silence.
Liam didn't try to defend himself.
That somehow made things worse.
I looked at him.
“Start talking.”
He nodded.
“My first job out of college was at Hale Systems.”
Sarah frowned.
“Victor's company?”
“Yes.”
“How long?”
“Four years.”
I stared at him.
“You worked for the man who believed he owned Nexus.”
“Yes.”
“When did you leave?”
“Six months before your father died.”
“Why?”
Liam looked toward the window.
“Because I found the records.”
My pulse quickened.
“What records?”
“The original ownership documents.”
He explained that Victor had built a network around a technology fund.
He had invested millions in companies without directly controlling them.
Nexus was one of those companies.
But the legal ownership was intentionally obscured.
My father had discovered that the founder listed on the documents was not Victor.
It was me.
I was twenty-one.
I had created the original algorithm as a university project.
My father had quietly turned that project into a company using money from an investment trust.
Victor funded the trust.
My father believed that if Victor ever knew the true structure, he would take everything.
Liam found the documents by accident.
Then he confronted Victor.
“I thought he was going to kill me.”
Sarah stared.
“You're serious?”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
“I ran.”
I looked at him.
“And then?”
“I contacted your father.”
My heart sank.
“That's why he made the recording.”
Liam nodded.
“I helped him secure the documents.”
“You knew who I was?”
“Not your location.”
“You knew my name.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Your father asked me not to.”
I stared at him.
“You obeyed him for five years?”
“No.”
He stepped closer.
“I obeyed him until I understood what he was protecting you from.”
“And now?”
“Now Victor is back.”
Silence.
I felt a cold pressure behind my ribs.
“Victor is alive?”
Liam nodded.
“We confirmed it three months ago.”
Sarah stood.
“You're telling me some billionaire criminal disappeared, was presumed dead, and is now back?”
“He isn't presumed dead.”
“Then why hasn't anyone arrested him?”
“Because there's nothing tying him to the original crimes anymore.”
I looked at Liam.
“How close is he?”
“Very.”
My phone buzzed.
A photograph appeared.
Victor Hale.
Older.
Gray hair.
Standing outside a restaurant.
The date was today.
Tonight.
Thanksgiving.
He was ten miles from Gary's house.
Under the photo was one sentence.
He wanted you to know he was watching.
Sarah whispered,
“Oh my God.”
Liam took the phone.
“Don't respond.”
I nodded.
He looked at me.
“There’s something else.”
I stared.
“What?”
“The complaint filed against you this morning.”
“Yes?”
“It wasn't filed by your uncle.”
“You said that.”
“But I was wrong about who authorized it.”
My stomach tightened.
“Who did?”
Liam turned the phone toward me.
The digital signature belonged to a lawyer.
The lawyer's name was Victor Hale's.
I stared at it.
“So Gary was framed.”
“Not exactly.”
“What do you mean?”
Liam's face was pale.
“Someone used Gary's credentials.”
“Who?”
“We don't know.”
My phone buzzed again.
This time the message was from Sarah's number.
But Sarah was standing in front of me.
Leave the house now.
I looked at her.
She was holding her phone.
Her face went white.
“I didn't send that.”
The lights in my house went out.
Every single one.
The security system died.
May you like
The doors locked automatically.
Then, somewhere downstairs, I heard the sound of glass breaking.
