Chapter 8 - THE KEYPolice stormed the shipyard.
Julian surrendered without resistance.
That should have been comforting.
It wasn’t.
Because his confidence made one thing clear.
He wanted to be arrested.
At the station, I demanded answers.
Instead, the detectives told me something impossible.
There was no record of Julian abandoning us.
No witness statement.
No camera footage.
No body.
No crash recovery report.
The SUV had vanished from the river.
“What do you mean vanished?”
The detective looked uncomfortable.
“The river patrol found debris, but not the vehicle.”
Mason sat beside me.
“Someone moved it.”
The detective stared at him.
Then looked down at Mason’s legs.
“You’re walking?”
Mason said nothing.
The detective backed away.
“I’m getting my supervisor.”
Hours passed.
Then a woman entered.
Special Agent Nora Blake.
She placed a file on the table.
“We have been investigating Sterling Shipyard for eight years.”
“Why?”
“Because your family is connected to forty-seven unsolved deaths.”
I felt dizzy.
“Deaths?”
“Workers. Journalists. Accountants. Investigators.”
She opened the file.
“They all had one thing in common.”
“What?”
“They discovered the ledger.”
Mason asked:
“So why wasn’t Julian arrested?”
Agent Blake looked at him.
“Because Julian is not the head of the organization.”
“Then who is?”
She looked at me.
“You.”
I stared at her.
“What?”
“Your legal identity has been used to control multiple companies.”
“That’s impossible.”
“Your father transferred ownership to you before his death.”
Mason looked at me.
“The ledger.”
Agent Blake nodded.
“It lists you as the final beneficiary.”
My hands went cold.
“Why would Dad give me everything?”
“Because he knew no one would suspect you.”
I suddenly remembered Julian’s words.
You were the key.
Agent Blake leaned forward.
“Valerie, we believe the ledger contains access codes to financial accounts worth billions.”
Mason frowned.
“And Julian married her to access them.”
“Yes.”
“Then why try to kill her?”
“Because he realized she had already discovered the truth.”
A door slammed somewhere in the building.
Agent Blake’s phone rang.
She answered.
Her expression changed.
“What?”
She listened.
Then looked at me.
“Your mother has been found.”
I stood.
“Where?”
Agent Blake hesitated.
“In a private hospital.”
“Is she alive?”
“Yes.”
“Then take me there.”
Agent Blake looked at Mason.
“Unfortunately, there’s a problem.”
“What?”
“Your mother arrived with a man.”
“Who?”
She closed the file.
“Victor Vale.”
My biological father.
And when we reached the hospital...
Julian was already there.
May you like
In police custody.
Smiling.
