Chapter 13 - The Stranger Elena Was ProtectingThey returned home before sunrise.
Nobody slept.
Elena sat in the living room.
Ivy remained beside Claire.
Daniel stood near the window.
Finally he turned.
“Who were you protecting?”
Elena looked down.
“A man named Samuel.”
“Who is Samuel?”
“Someone your father trusted.”
Daniel frowned.
“Another partner?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
Elena hesitated.
“Your father’s illegitimate son.”
Daniel stared.
Victor laughed bitterly.
“Apparently I wasn’t the only secret.”
Elena shook her head.
“Victor is not the only one.”
“How many brothers did my father have?”
“One.”
Victor’s face changed.
“Samuel?”
“Yes.”
Daniel felt his stomach tighten.
“Where is he?”
“Dead.”
“When?”
“Before Ivy was born.”
“How?”
“He was killed.”
Daniel’s eyes narrowed.
“By whom?”
Elena looked at the old ledger.
“Someone who wanted the trust to remain under Margaret’s control.”
Daniel understood immediately.
“Margaret?”
“No.”
Elena shook her head.
“Someone above her.”
Daniel frowned.
“My father?”
“He was dead.”
“Then who?”
Elena took out an envelope.
“This was sent to me three days before the crash.”
Daniel opened it.
Inside was a photograph of a man.
The back contained a single sentence.
HE IS WATCHING YOUR DAUGHTER.
Daniel studied the photograph.
He recognized him.
A senior executive from his company.
A man named Richard Cole.
Richard had worked for Daniel’s family for years.
He had access to everything.
Including financial records.
Including security systems.
Including the trust.
Daniel called him.
No answer.
He called again.
Still nothing.
Then his phone rang.
Richard.
Daniel answered.
“Where are you?”
A pause.
“You found Elena.”
Daniel said nothing.
Richard continued.
“You should have left this buried.”
“Did you kill Samuel?”
Silence.
“Did you?”
“No.”
“Did you help Margaret?”
Another pause.
“I helped your mother survive.”
“Why?”
“Because she was blackmailing me.”
Daniel frowned.
“With what?”
“My father’s crimes.”
Richard’s voice shook.
“She knew I had forged several documents.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
The web was enormous.
“Why did you access the security system?”
“To help Margaret.”
“Why?”
“To remove the fountain footage.”
Daniel stared.
“So you deleted the cameras.”
“I thought it would be enough.”
“Who else was involved?”
Richard didn’t answer.
Daniel demanded:
“Who?”
Finally:
“Someone in your household.”
Daniel went still.
His eyes moved slowly toward the hallway.
Nora.
Claire.
The chef.
The guards.
Someone had been feeding information to Margaret.
“Who?”
Richard ended the call.
Daniel immediately checked the security logs.
One user had accessed the system every time something happened.
Every time Margaret needed information.
Every time footage disappeared.
The username was:
C. VOSS.
Claire.
Daniel froze.
His heart sank.
He looked at Claire.
She noticed his expression.
“What?”
He didn’t answer.
He pulled up the logs.
Claire’s name appeared.
She stared.
“That’s not me.”
“It says your account.”
“I never logged in.”
Daniel believed her.
But someone had used her credentials.
He checked the access location.
The login came from a device in the nursery.
Ivy’s tablet.
Daniel ran upstairs.
The tablet was gone.
He found Ivy’s bedroom empty.
Claire screamed.
“Ivy!”
Daniel searched the house.
Then he found a hidden door inside the closet.
It opened into a narrow service corridor.
At the end was another room.
Ivy was there.
With Nora.
Daniel stopped.
“Nora?”
She turned.
“I can explain.”
Daniel pulled Ivy behind him.
“What are you doing?”
Nora held up a flash drive.
“I was protecting her.”
“From what?”
“From the person who has been controlling your mother.”
Daniel froze.
“What person?”
Nora looked at Claire.
Then at Daniel.
“The person Margaret was afraid of.”
“Who?”
Nora whispered:
“Your father’s former business partner.”
Daniel stared.
“You said he was dead.”
“He isn’t.”
A voice came from behind them.
“No.”
Everyone turned.
Victor stood in the doorway.
“He died.”
Nora shook her head.
“He disappeared.”
Victor went pale.
“Who?”
Nora answered:
“Arthur Voss.”
Daniel felt the blood drain from his face.
May you like
His father.
The man who had supposedly died eighteen years ago.
