Chapter 3 - Clare's Sister
Adrien couldn't speak.
The woman he had hired as his daughter's nanny wasn't merely connected to Clare.
She was her sister.
Her blood.
Her family.
Someone Clare had trusted enough to protect Sophie.
He stared at Elena.
“You're Clare's sister.”
“Yes.”
“You knew my wife.”
“Yes.”
“You knew Sophie.”
“Yes.”
“You've been around my family all along.”
“No.”
“Then why hide?”
“Because Clare asked me to.”
Adrien turned away.
“You expect me to believe that?”
“You don't have to.”
“Then give me proof.”
Elena reached into her bag.
She removed a folded photograph.
Clare.
Pregnant.
Smiling.
Beside her stood a younger Elena.
Adrien stared.
He remembered that photograph.
Or at least something close to it.
Clare had once told him she had no living family.
He had believed her.
“Why did she lie?”
“Because someone threatened me.”
“Who?”
“Victor.”
Adrien froze.
Victor Cole.
His uncle.
A man who had died two years before Clare.
“What does Victor have to do with this?”
“Everything.”
Elena explained.
Clare and Elena had been separated when they were children.
Their mother died.
Victor took Clare into his household.
Elena was sent elsewhere.
Clare grew up surrounded by money.
Elena grew up poor.
But they found each other again as adults.
Clare never told Adrien because she feared Victor.
“He controlled everything,” Elena said.
Adrien shook his head.
“My uncle was a difficult man.”
“He was dangerous.”
“What did he do?”
“He stole from the company.”
Adrien stared.
“My father built the company.”
“Your father was responsible for the public company.”
Victor controlled the private funds.
Millions disappeared.
Clare discovered it.
She threatened to expose him.
He threatened Elena.
Then Clare became pregnant.
Victor warned her.
If she spoke, Elena would disappear.
Clare remained silent.
Until she discovered something worse.
Victor had been using company funds to finance a criminal network.
And Adrien had unknowingly inherited it.
“He knew you would become CEO,” Elena explained.
“He wanted control through you.”
Adrien felt sick.
“My uncle died before I learned any of this.”
“He wasn't the only one.”
“Who else?”
“Your CFO.”
Adrien's eyes narrowed.
“Thomas?”
Elena nodded.
Thomas Gray had worked for Adrien for ten years.
He had been his father's most trusted financial adviser.
Adrien had defended him against accusations.
Now he felt a familiar chill.
“What proof do you have?”
Elena looked at the wall.
“Clare hid it.”
“Where?”
“In the blue room.”
They searched.
Behind the desk was another compartment.
Inside were bank records.
Payments.
Photographs.
And a voice recorder.
Adrien pressed play.
Clare's voice filled the room.
“Adrien, I need you to know that I love you.”
His breathing stopped.
“But if you are hearing this, I wasn't able to stop them.”
Static.
“Thomas knows.”
Adrien froze.
“The company is not what you think.”
Another pause.
“Don't trust anyone except Elena.”
The recording ended.
Adrien stared at the device.
Thomas.
His most trusted executive.
He had been protecting the thief.
Then Sophie began crying.
They ran upstairs.
She was standing beside her bed.
The stuffed fox lay on the floor.
The brass key was gone.
“Someone took it.”
Adrien immediately called security.
Marcus appeared.
“Who entered this room?”
“No one.”
“Check everything.”
Within minutes, security footage showed a figure entering Sophie's room.
The camera had been disabled.
But one frame remained.
A man's hand.
A gold wedding ring.
Adrien recognized it.
Thomas.
He grabbed his phone.
“Find him.”
Thomas was gone.
His office had been emptied.
His car was missing.
And his private jet had left thirty minutes earlier.
Adrien stared at the runway.
“He knew.”
Elena stood beside him.
“He knew we found the room.”
“What do we do?”
“We find the key.”
“Why is it so important?”
“Because it opens the vault.”
“What vault?”
Elena looked at him.
“Your father's.”
Adrien's heart sank.
He had never known about a vault.
May you like
But Clare had.
And Thomas was running toward it.
