Chapter 6 - “Thomas!”Arthur slammed his hand onto the table.
The screen went black.
Chloe stared at him.
“Can you trace the feed?”
Arthur grabbed the phone.
“No signal.”
Ethan began shaking.
“Daddy…”
Arthur knelt.
“What is it?”
Emily's face had terrified him.
Ethan whispered,
“The man in black.”
Arthur waited.
“He came before.”
“When?”
“When I was in the wall.”
“What did he do?”
“He asked where you kept the trust papers.”
Arthur's expression changed.
“What did you tell him?”
“I didn't.”
“Good.”
Ethan looked down.
“But he knew something.”
“What?”
“He said Mommy would get the money.”
Arthur stood.
“That trust.”
He looked toward Chloe.
“The trust wasn't just eighteen million.”
She frowned.
“What else?”
Arthur's phone received a message.
CHECK YOUR FATHER'S OFFICE.
Arthur stared.
His father had been dead twelve years.
But there was still an office no one had opened since his death.
They returned to the city.
The mansion remained surrounded by police.
Arthur entered the old study.
Dust covered every surface.
His father's desk stood untouched.
A wall clock ticked.
He opened drawers.
Nothing.
Then Chloe noticed the clock.
“Arthur.”
She pointed.
“The minute hand isn't moving.”
Arthur walked toward it.
He removed the clock from the wall.
A hidden compartment appeared.
Inside was a key.
And a handwritten note.
The first betrayal was not from Isabella.
Arthur looked at Chloe.
“What does that mean?”
The key opened a drawer beneath the desk.
Inside was an old audio recorder.
Arthur pressed play.
His father's voice filled the room.
“I knew they would come for the children.”
A pause.
“I trusted only one person.”
Another pause.
“Not Isabella.”
Arthur's heart sank.
“Not Thomas.”
The recording continued.
“Someone who works inside the Vale household.”
Chloe looked around.
“Who?”
His father named the person.
A name neither expected.
The family attorney.
Richard Cole.
Arthur stared at Chloe.
“The same man Ethan mentioned.”
They searched the desk again.
Beneath the recorder was a second document.
A list of payments.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Every payment signed by Richard Cole.
Recipient:
Isabella Vale.
Arthur's jaw tightened.
“Cole helped her.”
Then a police officer rushed into the room.
“Mr. Vale.”
“What?”
“We found something in Mrs. Vale's car.”
Arthur followed.
Inside the trunk was a suitcase.
The officer opened it.
Stacks of cash.
Forged passports.
And a bloodstained child's shoe.
Arthur recognized it instantly.
It belonged to Emily.
He touched it with trembling fingers.
“She was here.”
The officer nodded.
“There's more.”
He held up a surveillance photo.
It showed Isabella entering a private clinic.
Behind her walked Richard Cole.
And behind them...
Thomas.
Arthur stared.
“They were working together.”
Chloe shook her head.
“Maybe.”
“What do you mean?”
“The person in the video said you were the reason they hid the children.”
Arthur frowned.
“Then maybe this isn't about the money.”
“What else could it be?”
The police officer's phone rang.
He listened.
His expression changed.
Then he looked at Arthur.
“Mr. Vale…”
“What?”
“Emily has been located.”
Arthur's heart jumped.
“Where?”
The officer hesitated.
“At Blackwood Pediatric Center.”
Arthur stared.
“That's abandoned.”
“I know.”
The officer lowered his voice.
“That's why this is strange.”
He handed Arthur the phone.
Live location.
Blackwood Pediatric Center.
Arthur looked at Chloe.
“Let's go.”
Then Ethan suddenly screamed.
“Daddy, don't!”
Arthur turned.
“Why?”
Ethan pointed at the location.
“That's not where Emily is.”
Arthur froze.
“How do you know?”
May you like
Ethan's eyes filled with tears.
“Because that's where they took the other boy.”
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