Chapter 5 - Samuel Voss looked older than the photograph.But not old.
That was the first thing I noticed.
He should have been nearly seventy.
Yet the man standing in front of me looked perhaps fifty-five.
Silver hair.
Sharp eyes.
A scar beneath his jaw.
He wore a dark coat and carried no visible weapon.
He didn't need one.
The room itself felt like a weapon.
Dominic stepped forward.
Samuel smiled.
“Still the protector.”
“You're trespassing.”
Samuel looked around.
“This house was partly built with my money.”
Matteo moved closer.
“You stole from us.”
Samuel's eyes shifted toward my mother.
“She knows that isn't true.”
My mother trembled.
I looked at her.
“Tell me.”
Samuel answered for her.
“Your father and I discovered that Victor was laundering assets through hidden companies.”
Gabriel frowned.
“That's not what the archived reports say.”
“Because the reports were rewritten.”
“By whom?”
“By your family.”
My mother whispered,
“Samuel... stop.”
He ignored her.
“Richard wanted to expose Victor.”
“And you?”
“I wanted to protect the assets.”
I shook my head.
“Why kill him?”
Samuel's expression changed.
“I didn't.”
“Then who did?”
He looked at me.
“Your mother.”
The room froze.
My mother collapsed into the chair.
“No.”
Samuel took one slow step forward.
“She knew what Richard was going to do.”
“She loved him.”
“Love doesn't stop fear.”
I looked at my mother.
“Did you kill my father?”
She began sobbing.
“No.”
Samuel smiled.
“That is not the question you should ask.”
“What question?”
“Who made the brake line fail?”
Silence.
Then my mother whispered,
“Victor.”
Gabriel immediately turned toward Nico.
“Find the accident file.”
Nico was already moving.
Samuel continued.
“Victor believed Richard had moved the money.”
“Did he?”
“No.”
I felt a terrible realization.
“My father moved it into my trust.”
Samuel nodded.
“And then hid the evidence.”
“Why?”
“To keep it away from Victor.”
“Then why are you here?”
Samuel's face darkened.
“Because Victor is dead.”
That surprised me.
“Since when?”
“Three months.”
Adrian had never mentioned it.
Neither had Margaret.
Samuel looked toward me.
“His death wasn't natural.”
Dominic frowned.
“Who killed him?”
Samuel smiled.
“That is what I need your help finding.”
I stared at him.
“You expect me to believe you?”
“No.”
He pulled a small envelope from his coat.
“That's why I brought proof.”
He handed it to me.
Inside was an old letter.
My father's handwriting.
To Elena,
My hands shook.
If you're reading this, then the people who protected me are gone. Trust no one bearing the Cole name. Trust no one who asks you about the trust. Most importantly, never marry a man whose family wants what your name protects.
I stopped reading.
The room felt silent.
My father had written it before I met Adrian.
Before my marriage.
Before the affair.
Before tonight.
I turned the page.
The final sentence was underlined.
If you marry Adrian Cole, assume he already knows.
I looked up.
My husband had known.
Or at least someone had.
Samuel watched me carefully.
“You finally see it.”
My stomach churned.
“He knew about the trust.”
“Yes.”
“He married me for it.”
“Yes.”
“Vanessa knew?”
“Yes.”
“Your son knew?”
Samuel's eyes narrowed.
“Adrian is my son by blood.”
He paused.
“But blood does not make a man loyal.”
That sentence stayed with me.
Then my phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
A message.
COME TO THE OLD MILL ALONE.
Attached was a photograph of Adrian.
His hands were tied.
His face bruised.
Underneath it was one sentence.
HE HAS TEN MINUTES.
I looked up.
Dominic immediately said,
“No.”
“It's my husband.”
“He betrayed you.”
“He may have information.”
Samuel smiled.
“That is exactly why they're using him.”
“Who?”
Samuel looked toward the camera feed.
For the first time, genuine fear appeared in his eyes.
“Not who.”
“Then what?”
He answered,
“The people who owned us all.”
The lights flickered back on.
Nico shouted from the security room.
“I found the source!”
Everyone turned.
“The breach came from a device registered to Margaret Cole.”
My blood ran cold.
“Adrian's mother?”
Nico nodded.
“And there's more.”
He pulled up a file.
“Thirty-seven minutes before Elena's punishment tonight, Margaret transferred five million dollars.”
“To whom?”
Nico stared at the screen.
“The recipient is a private account.”
He swallowed.
“Beneficiary: Samuel Voss.”
The room went silent.
Samuel slowly looked at my mother.
My mother looked at Samuel.
Neither spoke.
I realized then that someone was lying.
Maybe everyone was.
My entire life suddenly felt like a locked room.
And I had just discovered the key.
I picked up my coat.
Dominic grabbed my arm.
“Elena.”
I pulled free.
“I’m going to the mill.”
“You're not going alone.”
I looked at Samuel.
“No.”
Then I looked at Nico.
“I want the truth.”
He nodded.
“We'll get it.”
I turned toward the door.
And behind me, Samuel said quietly,
“Be careful.”
I glanced back.
“Why?”
His face was pale.
“Because Adrian isn't the one they want dead.”
I stopped.
“Then who?”
May you like
Samuel answered,
“You.”
Related Stories
