Chapter 8 - The Truth About RobertDaniel did not fire.
He simply stood there, gun in hand.
Oliver moved in front of Robert.
Daniel laughed.
“Interesting.”
“What?”
“You protect him.”
“He’s my father.”
Daniel’s expression softened strangely.
“For years, your mother prayed you would never meet him.”
Oliver froze.
“You knew her.”
“I knew everything.”
Robert stepped forward.
“What did you do?”
Daniel looked at him.
“I followed orders.”
“Whose?”
Daniel smiled.
“Your father’s.”
Robert’s face drained of color.
“My father died twenty-seven years ago.”
“I know.”
“Then who gave the orders?”
Daniel said nothing.
Robert understood.
“Elias.”
Daniel shook his head.
“No.”
“Victoria’s father?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
Daniel slowly pointed the gun at Robert.
“You.”
Oliver stared.
“That’s a lie.”
Daniel laughed.
“Ask him about the Black Ledger.”
Robert froze.
Oliver noticed.
“What is the Black Ledger?”
Robert’s face became expressionless.
“I don’t know.”
Daniel laughed.
“You still lie the same way.”
Oliver turned toward Robert.
“What is it?”
Robert looked away.
“I found something years ago.”
“What?”
“A ledger containing illegal accounts.”
“Money laundering?”
“Worse.”
“What?”
Robert swallowed.
“Payments to officials. Judges. Police. Politicians. People who protected Hale Industries.”
Oliver stared.
“And you knew?”
“I discovered it when I was twenty-eight.”
“What did you do?”
“I tried to expose it.”
Daniel interrupted.
“And that is when your family threatened Clara.”
Oliver looked at Robert.
“Why?”
“Because they knew Robert would never expose them if Clara was in danger.”
Robert’s voice cracked.
“I thought the threat was fake.”
Daniel lowered the gun slightly.
“You did.”
“You convinced me she betrayed me.”
“Yes.”
“You fabricated the letters.”
“Yes.”
“You showed me photographs.”
“Yes.”
Robert stepped closer.
“And you followed her.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Daniel looked at Oliver.
“Because she found the ledger.”
Silence.
Oliver slowly understood.
“My mother had the Black Ledger.”
Daniel nodded.
“She was going to expose everyone.”
Robert’s face hardened.
“Where is it?”
Daniel smiled.
“Gone.”
“Where?”
“Your mother found it before she died.”
Oliver’s heart pounded.
“My mother had it?”
“Yes.”
“Where did she hide it?”
Daniel looked at him.
“She gave it to you.”
Oliver frowned.
“I don’t have it.”
Daniel smiled.
“You do.”
Oliver froze.
The ring.
He looked down.
Daniel saw his expression.
“Yes.”
Robert stepped forward.
“The ring.”
Daniel nodded.
“The silver ring was never jewelry.”
Oliver slowly removed it.
He turned it over.
There was a tiny seam along the inside.
He pressed his fingernail against it.
The silver band opened.
Inside was a microscopic strip of black material.
A data chip.
Oliver stared.
Daniel laughed.
“Your mother knew they would search her house.”
“So she hid it in the ring.”
“Yes.”
Robert stared at Oliver.
“Thirty years.”
Daniel nodded.
“Thirty years of hiding.”
Then Daniel lowered the gun.
“They know where you are.”
Oliver looked at him.
“Who?”
Daniel’s face became grave.
“The people who were supposed to kill you.”
Robert stepped forward.
“How many?”
Daniel answered:
“Enough to own half this city.”
Then the front door exploded.
Gunfire ripped through the house.
May you like
Daniel turned.
“Too late.”
