Chapter 4 - The Secret Daniel BuriedThe next morning, I left the penthouse before sunrise.
I didn't tell Daniel.
I didn't tell Vanessa.
I met Evelyn at a private law office downtown.
She had brought twelve folders.
“This is worse than we thought.”
I sat down.
“How bad?”
She pushed a document toward me.
“Daniel's shipping empire is heavily leveraged.”
I frowned.
“He has billions in assets.”
“On paper.”
She opened another file.
“Behind the scenes, several companies are carrying enormous debt.”
I looked through the numbers.
“And?”
“Someone has been preparing to transfer ownership.”
“To Vanessa?”
“No.”
“To whom?”
Evelyn looked at me.
“An entity called Black Harbor.”
I had heard the name.
Everyone in Daniel's world had.
Black Harbor was rumored to be an old criminal organization that operated through legitimate businesses.
I looked at Evelyn.
“Daniel works for them?”
“We don't know.”
“Then why are they involved?”
She handed me another document.
“This was found in a safe deposit box.”
I opened it.
Inside was a photograph.
Daniel.
Marcus.
And an older man.
The man in the center was Victor Kane.
I recognized him immediately.
He was supposedly retired.
But Daniel had once warned me never to mention his name.
“What does this mean?”
Evelyn leaned forward.
“Daniel may have borrowed money from Black Harbor years ago.”
“How much?”
“Four hundred million.”
I stared at her.
“And he owes them?”
“Yes.”
My mind raced.
“So Vanessa…”
“May be part of the plan.”
“Why?”
“Because they need control of Daniel's legitimate assets.”
I looked down.
“And me?”
“You own several of the cleanest assets.”
I finally understood.
They didn't want my husband.
They wanted me.
My name.
My holdings.
My trusts.
My reputation.
Daniel had brought Vanessa into our home because he wanted me emotionally unstable.
He wanted me to leave.
If I left without proper legal protection, I could lose control of assets.
Then someone could take everything.
I felt sick.
“Daniel knows?”
Evelyn hesitated.
“We need to find out.”
I returned home that afternoon.
Vanessa was sitting in my living room.
She had already redecorated.
My photographs were gone.
Her photographs had replaced them.
I stared at one.
Daniel and Vanessa at a charity event.
She was holding his arm.
He looked happy.
I walked over.
“Did you remove my photographs?”
She smiled.
“I thought the space needed updating.”
I nodded.
“Of course.”
Then I noticed something on the table.
A folder.
Black.
Stamped with the symbol of Black Harbor.
My heart stopped.
Vanessa saw me looking.
Her smile disappeared.
I picked it up.
“What's this?”
“Daniel's.”
“Why do you have it?”
She didn't answer.
I opened it.
Inside was a contract.
My name appeared on the first page.
My signature appeared at the bottom.
But I had never signed it.
I stared at Vanessa.
“You forged my signature.”
She stood.
“You don't understand.”
“No.”
I looked at her.
“I understand perfectly.”
Daniel entered the room.
He saw the contract.
His face changed.
“Where did you get that?”
“Your mistress left it on my table.”
Vanessa stepped back.
Daniel walked toward me.
“Give it to me.”
“No.”
“Claire.”
I folded the contract.
“You wanted me gone.”
He stared at me.
“You wanted me to leave this house so you could transfer my assets.”
“That isn't what this is.”
“Then explain it.”
He couldn't.
For the first time since I had known him, Daniel looked afraid.
Not angry.
Not powerful.
May you like
Afraid.
And that told me everything.
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