Chapter 5 - THE BETRAYAL INSIDE MY OWN FAMILYI didn't confront Daniel immediately.
I needed proof.
So I let him believe I trusted him.
He continued helping me.
He continued sending documents.
He continued advising me.
And every night, I wondered how much he had already told Grant.
Then Evelyn called.
“We have a problem.”
“What?”
“Someone accessed the Bluebird server.”
“When?”
“Last night.”
“Who?”
“Your uncle's credentials.”
My stomach dropped.
I called Daniel.
He answered immediately.
“What happened?”
“Nothing.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
I hung up.
Then I looked at Evelyn.
“It's him.”
She nodded.
“But we don't know why.”
We decided to set a trap.
We created three fake documents.
Each contained different information.
One said Bluebird would transfer ownership at eighteen.
Another said twenty-one.
The third said thirty.
Each version was sent through a different channel.
Two days later, Grant confronted me.
“You should think about putting Ellie into a trust with professional guardians.”
I looked at him.
“Why?”
“Because you're overwhelmed.”
“Who told you that?”
He hesitated.
“Your uncle.”
I smiled.
“Interesting.”
He frowned.
“What's interesting?”
“I never told Daniel about that.”
Grant went silent.
That night, I met Evelyn.
“The leak is confirmed.”
“Which version did Grant hear?”
“The twenty-one-year version.”
I smiled.
“That was the document sent through Daniel.”
We finally had proof.
Daniel was feeding information to Grant.
But why?
I confronted him the next morning.
He didn't deny it.
“I had no choice.”
“You betrayed my father.”
“He betrayed me first.”
“What does that mean?”
Daniel confessed.
My father had promised him shares in the company.
Then revoked them.
Daniel believed the company should have been his.
He had spent years waiting for revenge.
“But you helped me.”
“I wanted to protect the company.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“You wanted control.”
He looked away.
“Grant promised me a position.”
“And Vanessa?”
Daniel went pale.
“You know about her?”
“Yes.”
He whispered:
“She is dangerous.”
“Then why work with her?”
“Because she has something.”
“What?”
He stared at me.
“She has evidence that Grant caused the accident that killed your father.”
I froze.
“What?”
Daniel shook his head.
“Grant didn't kill him.”
“Then what happened?”
“Your father was investigating Vanessa.”
Daniel revealed the truth.
My father's death hadn't been natural.
He had discovered that Vanessa was stealing from several corporations.
He planned to expose her.
The night before his death, Grant met with him.
They argued.
Grant left.
Hours later, my father was dead.
But Vanessa had arranged the poisoning.
Grant had been manipulated into taking the blame.
Daniel had discovered the truth.
Vanessa blackmailed him.
“If you betray me,” she told him, “I release evidence that makes you look like the killer.”
Daniel had been trapped.
But now we had another problem.
Grant still didn't know Vanessa had killed his father.
We needed to expose her before she destroyed everyone.
Then my phone rang.
It was Grant.
“Mara?”
“Yes?”
“Where is Ellie?”
“At home.”
“She's not.”
My blood froze.
I ran.
The house was empty.
Ellie's bedroom door was open.
Her stuffed rabbit lay on the floor.
And on the bed was a note.
IF YOU WANT YOUR DAUGHTER BACK, COME ALONE.
I screamed her name.
Then my phone received a photograph.
Ellie sitting in a car.
Alive.
Terrified.
May you like
And beside her…
Vanessa.
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