Chapter 4 - The Daughter I Trusted With My Empire Was the One Person I Hadn't Thought to SuspectAlice came to the farmhouse the following morning.
She looked devastated.
“They're trying to take everything.”
She hugged me.
I allowed it.
“I know.”
“Mom, I'm scared.”
“I know.”
She sat beside me.
“What are we going to do?”
I studied her.
“Trust the people who earned it.”
She looked at me.
“What does that mean?”
“It means we don't give second chances to everyone.”
She smiled.
“I agree.”
I wanted to believe her.
But Brian's evidence remained.
Payments.
Phone calls.
Meeting records.
I showed them to Henry.
He frowned.
“This could be forged.”
Samuel looked at the timestamps.
“They aren't.”
“So she betrayed me.”
“Possibly.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
“What?”
“She wouldn't.”
Henry stared.
“Helena.”
“She built her own company.”
“That's what we thought.”
“She never asked me for money.”
“That's why she was the perfect cover.”
I felt sick.
I had chosen her precisely because she seemed independent.
Maybe I had been wrong.
We tested her.
Henry gave her false information.
A fake acquisition.
A fake bank account.
A fake meeting.
Twenty-four hours later, Victor moved against it.
We knew.
Alice had leaked it.
I closed my eyes.
She had betrayed us.
But why?
I confronted her.
“Why?”
She stared.
Then started crying.
“Because he has my brother.”
“What?”
“Victor took Noah.”
“Your brother?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“He threatened to kill him.”
I swallowed.
“How long?”
“Two years.”
My anger softened.
“You should have told me.”
“I was afraid.”
“So were my children.”
She shook her head.
“I know.”
“Did you help kill me?”
“No.”
“Did you know?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Hours before.”
“Why didn't you stop them?”
She cried.
“I tried.”
“How?”
“I sent the warning to Henry.”
Henry looked at her.
“You sent nothing.”
“I did.”
He checked his records.
Nothing.
Alice stared.
“Someone intercepted it.”
I looked at Samuel.
He frowned.
“Who had access?”
I knew.
“Brian.”
We turned.
Brian was gone.
My blood froze.
He had manipulated everything.
He had made himself look frightened.
He had blamed Alice.
He had played us all.
We checked the farmhouse cameras.
Brian had left thirty minutes earlier.
Heading toward the city.
He took copies of the evidence.
He took the safe deposit key.
And he had called Victor.
My youngest son was working with them.
Maybe more deeply than we realized.
I closed my eyes.
“My child.”
Henry placed a hand on my shoulder.
“Helena.”
“I know.”
“What do we do?”
“Bring him back.”
“Alive?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
I looked at him.
“Because I still love him.”
Samuel nodded.
“And because the truth can still save him.”
We tracked Brian to a hotel.
He was meeting Victor.
We listened.
Victor spoke:
“Your mother is alive.”
Brian froze.
“What?”
“She thinks you're innocent.”
“You lied.”
“No.”
“She knows about Alice.”
“Then we have a problem.”
Brian hesitated.
“I didn't hurt her.”
Victor smiled.
“Not yet.”
Brian looked sick.
Then Victor gave him a phone.
A photograph of me.
Standing beside Alice.
“If she survives, you lose everything.”
Brian stared.
“I never wanted this.”
“You wanted money.”
“No.”
Victor stepped closer.
“You wanted your mother's approval.”
Brian's face broke.
And suddenly I understood.
My son's betrayal wasn't driven by greed alone.
It was driven by insecurity.
Edward wanted power.
Monica wanted status.
Brian wanted love.
Victor had given him the one thing he always believed I denied him.
Approval.
He had used that weakness.
We decided to confront Brian.
May you like
Not as a CEO.
As his mother.
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