Chapter 6 - The Fake Account Carried Her Name—And the Real Traitor Was the Person She Once Called FamilyKaren spent the next twenty-four hours following money.
Not rumors.
Not accusations.
Money.
Money didn't care about friendship.
Money didn't care about grief.
Money didn't care who cried.
It simply left a trail.
The trail led from her father's company to Whitmore.
From Whitmore to Grant.
From Grant to offshore entities.
And from those entities to a private foundation.
The foundation had one beneficiary.
Karen's mother.
Karen stared at the document.
“My mother?”
Damon nodded.
“She was receiving money for years.”
“But my mother died twelve years ago.”
“The account remained active.”
Karen felt dizzy.
“Who controlled it?”
They traced the signatories.
A former family attorney.
Marcus Vale.
Karen knew that name.
He had handled her father's estate.
He had attended her childhood birthday parties.
He had consoled her after her mother's death.
He had advised her to sell her father's remaining assets.
He had helped her start Oralign.
Karen whispered:
“He raised me.”
Damon looked at her.
“And he betrayed you.”
Marcus had disappeared that morning.
His office was empty.
His home was empty.
His wife claimed not to know where he was.
But Damon found something.
A recurring payment.
Twenty-five thousand dollars a month.
Still being sent to Marcus.
The final payment was scheduled for that day.
Damon traced the destination.
A marina.
Seattle.
Karen and Damon arrived to find Marcus standing beside a yacht.
He looked old.
Not evil.
Just tired.
Karen walked toward him.
“Tell me the truth.”
Marcus closed his eyes.
“I always knew this day would come.”
“You signed documents in my father's name.”
“Yes.”
“You stole from my company.”
“Yes.”
“You made me think my sister was dead.”
His voice broke.
“I didn't know they'd go that far.”
Karen stared.
“You knew?”
Marcus nodded.
“How much?”
“Enough.”
“Why?”
He looked at the harbor.
“Your father was going to expose Thomas Reed.”
“And Whitmore?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did you help them?”
“Because they threatened your mother.”
Karen's hands shook.
“She was already sick.”
“They promised treatment.”
“So you sold him.”
“I tried to save her.”
“You destroyed my family.”
Marcus looked at her.
“I know.”
Damon stepped forward.
“Who gave the final order?”
Marcus looked frightened.
“Grant?”
“No.”
“Thomas?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
Marcus whispered:
“Evelyn Shaw.”
Karen stared.
Behind Damon, Evelyn appeared.
Gun in hand.
Marcus turned.
She fired.
Damon shoved Karen aside.
The bullet struck his shoulder.
Karen screamed.
Evelyn ran.
Damon dropped to one knee.
Karen held him.
“Stay with me.”
He looked at her.
“I’m fine.”
“You were shot.”
“I've had worse.”
“That doesn't make it better.”
They found Evelyn at the marina exit.
Police arrested her.
But before being taken away, she looked at Karen.
“You think Damon saved you?”
Karen said nothing.
Evelyn laughed bitterly.
“He didn't.”
Karen stepped closer.
“What does that mean?”
Evelyn smiled.
“Ask him what happened seven years ago.”
Damon avoided Karen's eyes.
Later, after doctors removed the bullet and confirmed it had passed cleanly, Karen sat beside his hospital bed.
“You knew.”
Damon sighed.
“Yes.”
“What happened seven years ago?”
He looked at the ceiling.
“When Northstar was sold, I discovered my father had been laundering money through the company.”
Karen listened.
“I confronted him.”
“And?”
“He confessed.”
“Then why didn't you expose him?”
“He promised to turn himself in.”
“But he didn't.”
“No.”
“What happened?”
“My father died.”
“Accident.”
Damon nodded.
“I was there.”
Karen remembered the photograph.
“You didn't kill him.”
“No.”
“Who did?”
Damon's voice broke.
“I don't know.”
Karen held his hand.
“What did you do afterward?”
“I disappeared.”
“Why?”
“Because everyone thought I had killed him.”
Karen realized how much pain he had hidden behind silence.
“You became a driver.”
“Yes.”
“Why me?”
Damon looked at her.
“Because your father asked me to.”
Karen stopped.
“My father?”
“Six months before he died, your father contacted me.”
“What did he say?”
“He knew Oralign would eventually become a target.”
Karen stared.
“He knew I'd build it?”
“He knew you would build something.”
Damon reached beneath the pillow and removed a folded note.
Her father's handwriting.
Karen opened it.
If Damon ever comes into your life, trust him when you have no reason left to trust anyone else.
Karen's eyes filled with tears.
“He knew.”
Damon nodded.
“He knew.”
She looked at him.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because he asked me to wait.”
“Until when?”
Damon looked at her.
“Until you were strong enough to hear the truth.”
Karen let out a broken laugh.
“I built a billion-dollar company.”
Damon smiled softly.
“And still had trouble believing your own judgment.”
She stared at him.
“You are unbelievably arrogant.”
“Probably.”
She squeezed his hand.
“And you're still impossible.”
“I know.”
For the first time, Karen smiled.
Then her phone rang.
The board chairman.
“Karen, we've received a transfer.”
“How much?”
“$640 million.”
Karen froze.
“What?”
“The Whitmore payment.”
“From whom?”
The chairman hesitated.
“Damon Reed.”
Karen turned toward the hospital bed.
Damon looked equally shocked.
“What?”
The chairman continued.
“The money came from an account nobody knew existed.”
Karen stared at Damon.
He shook his head.
“That isn't my money.”
The chairman said:
“Then someone is impersonating you.”
Damon's face went cold.
He sat up.
“That's impossible.”
Karen frowned.
“Why?”
“Because that account was designed to stay hidden.”
“By whom?”
Damon looked at her.
“My father.”
Suddenly the entire puzzle made sense.
Someone had found the money Damon’s father had hidden before his death.
And they were using Damon’s name to move it.
Karen whispered:
“They're framing you again.”
Damon nodded.
“But this time they're trying to make it look like I stole from Whitmore.”
Karen stood.
“Then we find who has access.”
Damon looked at her.
“We already know.”
“Who?”
May you like
He said one name.
“Grant.”
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