Chapter 5 - The Trap
The emergency lights flickered on.
Marcus Vale was gone.
Genevieve immediately locked the building down.
Security teams searched every corridor.
Nothing.
But the message was clear.
Marcus wanted her afraid.
She wasn't.
Ethan stood beside her.
“What was in the ledger?”
“Everything.”
“Everything?”
“Your father's private transactions. Names. Offshore accounts. Bribes.”
Ethan's face hardened.
“Then Marcus has evidence against my mother.”
“Possibly.”
“What about my father?”
Genevieve looked at him.
“Your father discovered that Marcus was manipulating Vance finances.”
“And my mother?”
“I don't know yet.”
The next morning, a package arrived.
No return address.
Inside was the missing ledger.
Ethan opened it.
Pages of transactions filled the book.
Then he saw his mother's name.
Victoria Vance.
He stared.
“No.”
Genevieve took the ledger.
There were payments.
Millions.
But something was wrong.
The dates were from before Marcus disappeared.
Genevieve turned another page.
There it was.
A handwritten note from Ethan's father.
Victoria is being threatened. Do not blame her.
Ethan's breathing stopped.
“My mother was being blackmailed.”
Genevieve nodded.
“By Marcus.”
The pieces began connecting.
Victoria hadn't stolen the money for herself.
She had been paying Marcus to protect someone.
“Who?” Ethan asked.
Genevieve turned the page.
A child's name appeared.
Daniel Vance.
Ethan looked confused.
“Who is Daniel?”
Genevieve went still.
“Your brother.”
“My what?”
“Your father had another son.”
Ethan's world seemed to tilt.
“My father had another child?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't I know?”
“Because Daniel was sick.”
Ethan stared at her.
“What happened to him?”
“He died when he was nine.”
Ethan closed his eyes.
His father had hidden an entire part of the family.
Victoria had been paying Marcus because he had discovered Daniel's existence and threatened to expose it.
But why?
Then Genevieve found something even worse.
A hospital record.
Daniel had not died naturally.
His medical treatment had been sabotaged.
Ethan looked at Genevieve.
“Who did this?”
She didn't answer.
The evidence pointed toward someone inside the family.
Someone with access to money.
Someone who had benefited from Daniel's death.
Then Victoria appeared at the door.
She had heard everything.
“Stop.”
Ethan turned.
“Mom.”
Victoria looked at the ledger.
“You weren't supposed to find that.”
Ethan's face hardened.
“Tell me the truth.”
Victoria began crying.
“I was protecting you.”
“From what?”
“Your father.”
“Why?”
“Because he wanted to leave the company to Daniel.”
Silence.
Ethan felt sick.
“My father wanted my brother to inherit?”
“Yes.”
“And you stopped him?”
Victoria shook her head.
“I didn't kill Daniel.”
Genevieve watched her carefully.
“Then who did?”
Victoria's lips trembled.
“I don't know.”
A sound came from the hallway.
Someone ran.
Ethan rushed outside.
But the corridor was empty.
On the floor lay a small black envelope.
Inside was one photograph.
It showed Ethan's father standing beside Marcus Vale.
And behind them stood someone else.
Chloe's father.
Ethan stared at the picture.
Genevieve whispered:
“This goes much deeper than your family.”
Ethan looked at her.
“Then who is the enemy?”
Genevieve's phone buzzed.
A message appeared.
YOU ARE LOOKING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.
Then another.
May you like
LOOK AT THE BRIDE.
Ethan's heart dropped.
