Chapter 10 - The AttorneyThe Man Who Signed Every Lie
Emergency lights flickered on.
Nolan stood at the far end of the archive room.
Three security men behind him.
And beside him was the attorney whose name appeared in the Black Ledger.
Arthur Vance’s son.
Daniel Vance.
I stared at him.
“You’re the one.”
Daniel smiled.
“The one who cleaned up after your parents?”
Victor stepped forward.
“You have no idea what you're standing inside.”
Daniel laughed.
“I know exactly what I'm standing inside.”
The archive had belonged to his father.
The same Arthur Vance who had attended the 1998 dinner.
The same man who had disappeared after my father’s death.
Daniel lifted a gun.
“Your father found too much.”
Reed stiffened.
“What did you do to him?”
“Nothing.”
“You're lying.”
“He died naturally.”
“Did he?”
Daniel looked at him.
“No.”
The word landed softly.
“He was poisoned.”
I felt the world narrow.
“By whom?”
Daniel looked at Nolan.
Nolan looked away.
My stomach dropped.
“Nolan knew?”
Daniel smiled.
“Your husband knows enough to be useful.”
I stared at Nolan.
“You knew my father was murdered?”
Nolan’s jaw tightened.
“I didn't arrange it.”
“But you knew.”
“Camille…”
“You knew.”
He looked at me.
“I was trying to protect the company.”
I laughed.
“You protected the company?”
“No.”
His voice cracked.
“I protected myself.”
Silence.
Brielle whispered:
“You bastard.”
Nolan looked at her.
“You were supposed to stay out of this.”
“I did.”
She lifted her phone.
“Until tonight.”
Nolan’s face changed.
She had recorded him.
Every confession.
Every admission.
Every threat.
Daniel moved toward her.
Marcus tackled him.
The gun went off.
The bullet shattered a shelf.
Everyone scattered.
I grabbed the ledger.
Reed grabbed Brielle.
Victor pulled me behind concrete shelving.
Another shot.
Then silence.
Marcus shouted:
“Down!”
We stayed still.
Footsteps.
Nolan.
Moving away.
I heard the archive door slam.
He was leaving.
I looked toward the exit.
Reed shook his head.
“Don’t.”
“We need him.”
“We need evidence.”
I looked at the ledger in my hands.
“We have it.”
Victor looked toward the doorway.
“No.”
He pointed.
Nolan had dropped something.
A small black notebook.
I picked it up.
Inside were handwritten appointments.
Doctors.
Judges.
Bankers.
Private investigators.
And a name beside tomorrow’s hearing.
JUDGE ELAINE CARVER.
Beside it:
PAID IN FULL.
I looked at Leah’s earlier warning.
Tomorrow morning.
Conservatorship hearing.
The judge had already been bought.
I looked at Reed.
“What do we do?”
Victor gave a quiet smile.
“We stop trying to win in the courtroom.”
“What?”
“We expose the courtroom.”
He took out his phone.
“One hour ago, I withdrew every euro of my investment.”
I stared.
“You canceled the $900 million deal?”
“No.”
Victor smiled.
“I froze it.”
Then he looked at the ledger.
“And I notified every bank named in this book.”
My phone vibrated.
An email arrived.
Subject:
EMERGENCY MARKET DISCLOSURE.
Sender:
MERCER DYNAMICS BOARD.
I opened it.
The company was announcing Nolan Mercer’s temporary leave.
Effective immediately.
I looked at Victor.
“How?”
He glanced at Brielle.
“She finally gave me the file.”
“What file?”
May you like
Brielle’s face went pale.
“The one Nolan thought was deleted.”
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