Chapter 10 - The Lie About My MotherI couldn't breathe.
“My mother was dead.”
Daniel laughed.
“She was alive when Richard died.”
“That is impossible.”
“No.”
He lowered the gun.
“She disappeared afterward.”
Ethan stared at him.
“Why are you saying this now?”
“Because your mother has spent eleven years believing she was innocent.”
I shook my head.
“My mother never met Richard after I was born.”
Daniel smiled.
“That is what you were told.”
Evelyn interrupted.
“Daniel, stop.”
He looked at her.
“You still want to protect them?”
“No.”
“Then tell Margaret the truth.”
Evelyn closed her eyes.
“Your mother did not kill Richard.”
Daniel cursed.
“You old coward.”
Evelyn stood.
“Richard was poisoned by Thomas Reed.”
Daniel's expression changed.
“The poison came from Clara Morgan.”
I stared.
“Why?”
“Because Thomas threatened her.”
“With what?”
Evelyn looked at me.
“Your life.”
I stepped backward.
“No.”
“Thomas discovered that Clara intended to expose the fraudulent transfer of shares.”
“So he blackmailed her?”
“Yes.”
“And Richard knew?”
“Yes.”
“Then why was my husband killed?”
Evelyn's voice softened.
“Because Richard confronted Thomas.”
Silence.
“And Thomas had already made arrangements.”
Daniel raised the gun.
“Enough.”
Ethan moved toward me.
Daniel fired.
The bullet struck the table.
Vanessa screamed.
We ran.
Evelyn pulled a hidden lever.
A section of wall opened.
“Go!”
We rushed into the tunnel.
Daniel chased us.
The tunnel split in two directions.
Evelyn pointed left.
“Carter Tower archive.”
We ran.
Behind us, Daniel shouted.
“You don't understand what happens if you expose this!”
We reached a steel door.
It opened into an underground archive.
Rows and rows of files.
Ethan found a terminal.
He typed rapidly.
“There's something here.”
“What?”
“Payments.”
To Thomas Reed.
To Patricia.
To a medical laboratory.
And one account name appeared repeatedly.
M.C. PRIVATE TRUST.
I stared.
“M.C.”
My initials.
The account had been active for eleven years.
Evelyn looked at me.
“That account belongs to you.”
I shook my head.
“I've never opened an account.”
“You don't need to.”
“What does that mean?”
“Richard created it.”
“Why?”
“To protect the money you were supposed to inherit.”
Ethan looked at me.
“Then who has been using it?”
Evelyn's face went pale.
She whispered:
“Patricia.”
The archive door slammed shut.
Daniel had locked us in.
Smoke began filling the room.
“Fire!” Vanessa shouted.
Ethan ran to the door.
It wouldn't open.
I searched for another exit.
Nothing.
Then I saw a small red button beneath the terminal.
Emergency release.
I pressed it.
The floor shifted.
A panel opened.
A ladder descended.
Evelyn smiled weakly.
“Richard built an escape route.”
We climbed down.
As I reached the bottom, my phone vibrated.
Another message.
A bank alert.
A transfer of twenty million dollars.
From my account.
To Vanessa Mitchell.
I stared at the screen.
The transfer had been authorized five minutes earlier.
While I was trapped underground.
May you like
Someone had just transferred my money.
And whoever had done it had used my identity.
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