Chapter 5 - The Betrayal Behind the Locked Door
Daniel was being held in an abandoned printing warehouse near the river.
Bellano sent the address.
There was no demand for money.
No ransom.
Just one sentence.
Bring the locket. Come without police.
Adrian read it.
“We're not going.”
I stared at him.
“My brother is in there.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you saying no?”
“Because he wants the locket.”
“So?”
“So this isn't a kidnapping.”
“What is it?”
“A trap.”
Lucy stepped forward.
“He wants all of us in one place.”
Adrian looked at her.
“You stay here.”
“No.”
“Lucy.”
“I've spent twenty-eight years hiding.”
She lifted her chin.
“I'm not hiding now.”
Adrian almost smiled.
“You sound like Mom.”
“She taught me well.”
Nolan entered.
“We have another problem.”
He placed a phone on the table.
A video played.
Daniel was tied to a chair.
He was bruised but conscious.
A man stood behind him.
Victor Bellano.
Bellano looked directly into the camera.
“Mr. Vale.”
Adrian's jaw tightened.
“You know what I want.”
Bellano smiled.
“The locket.”
Adrian said nothing.
“And the girl.”
My stomach turned.
“Me?”
Bellano's smile widened.
“Mara, your mother had excellent instincts.”
Adrian switched off the video.
“What does he mean?”
I shook my head.
“I don't know.”
Nolan looked at me.
“We need to investigate your mother.”
Adrian looked at him sharply.
“Not now.”
“Adrian—”
“I said not now.”
Nolan didn't move.
Then he said quietly.
“If Bellano knows about her, there may be more.”
Adrian walked toward him.
“You think she's involved?”
“I think someone is.”
The two men stared at each other.
It was the first time I saw distrust between them.
Later that night, Adrian entered my room.
He carried a file.
“Your mother’s name was Elena Bell.”
I nodded.
“She worked for my father for six years.”
“What did she do?”
“Accounting.”
I stared.
“She was an accountant?”
“Yes.”
“Then she knew about the money?”
“She knew enough.”
Adrian placed a document in front of me.
There was my mother's signature.
Below it, several transfers.
Millions of dollars.
My hands shook.
“She stole money?”
“No.”
“Then what are these?”
“Payments Bellano made to shell companies.”
I looked closer.
One company name appeared repeatedly.
Hart & Vale Charitable Trust.
“What is that?”
“It was my father's private charity.”
“What does it have to do with my mother?”
“Your mother moved money out of the company.”
“Why?”
“To hide it.”
My heart pounded.
“She was helping your father.”
“Yes.”
I closed my eyes.
“She never told me.”
“She thought she was protecting you.”
A knock came.
Nolan entered.
“We found the warehouse.”
Adrian looked up.
“Anyone inside?”
“Yes.”
“Daniel?”
“Yes.”
“Bellano?”
“No.”
Adrian's expression tightened.
“Then who?”
Nolan handed him a photograph.
I saw a man in the warehouse.
It was someone I recognized.
“Nolan?”
He nodded.
“One of our own.”
Adrian stared at the photograph.
His security chief's second-in-command.
“Derek Shaw.”
Nolan's face hardened.
“He disappeared tonight.”
Adrian turned to him.
“How long have you known?”
“Thirty minutes.”
“And you didn't tell me?”
“I wanted confirmation.”
Adrian walked closer.
“What are you hiding, Nolan?”
“Nothing.”
A shot cracked through the window.
Glass exploded inward.
Nolan pushed Adrian down.
I ducked.
Then Nolan pulled his gun.
“Stay here!”
He ran outside.
Seconds later, a car sped away.
Adrian stood.
“You okay?”
I nodded.
He took my hand.
“Come with me.”
We rushed downstairs.
A laptop was open on the desk.
Someone had accessed Adrian’s security system.
The login belonged to Nolan.
Adrian stared at the screen.
His face was unreadable.
“Nolan did this?”
“I don't know.”
“But you trust him.”
“Yes.”
“Then somebody wants you to stop trusting him.”
He looked at me.
“You think Derek framed him.”
“I think someone is moving pieces.”
He nodded slowly.
Then he noticed the locket.
“Wait.”
“What?”
“Your mother was an accountant.”
“Yes.”
“She wouldn't hide evidence in jewelry without a reason.”
Adrian turned the locket over.
“It's a key.”
“To what?”
“The numbers.”
He stared at them.
“They're not coordinates.”
“What are they?”
“A bank account.”
He grabbed the phone.
“Nolan!”
No answer.
Adrian's expression changed.
“Where is he?”
I asked.
He looked at me.
“Inside the warehouse.”
We reached the printing warehouse just before midnight.
The doors were open.
Too open.
Adrian raised his weapon.
We entered.
Daniel was tied to a chair.
Alive.
Nolan stood beside him.
A dead man lay near the wall.
Derek.
Daniel looked at us.
“Don't trust Nolan.”
Adrian froze.
Nolan turned.
“What?”
Daniel shook his head.
“He brought me here.”
Nolan stared.
“I rescued him.”
Daniel's breathing shook.
“No.”
He looked at Adrian.
“He said the Bellano account had been transferred. He said Mara had to die.”
I looked at Nolan.
He was horrified.
“That's not true.”
Then the lights turned on.
Victor Bellano stepped from the shadows.
Applause echoed.
“Finally.”
Adrian pointed his gun.
May you like
Bellano smiled.
“And now we know exactly who is loyal.”
