Chapter 7 - The Surgeon My Father Trusted
Dr. Samuel Mercer did not look surprised when I showed him my father's note.
That frightened me more than if he had.
We met that afternoon in a private hospital conference room with Adrian present.
Samuel closed the door.
“How much do you know?” he asked.
“Apparently less than everyone else.”
He sat opposite me.
“My father knew you?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
Samuel looked toward Adrian.
“You didn't tell her?”
“It wasn't my secret.”
I stared between them.
“I am becoming extremely tired of that sentence.”
Samuel nodded.
“Fair.”
Then he told me.
Twelve years earlier, Samuel had been nineteen.
His father, Thomas Mercer, worked as financial controller for Beaumont Maritime.
Thomas discovered Nathan's theft.
He was preparing to report it when his car was struck on Lake Shore Drive.
He survived.
Barely.
But he suffered permanent neurological damage.
“My father never worked again,” Samuel said.
My anger turned cold.
“You think Nathan caused the accident?”
“I know he did.”
“How?”
“My father regained enough speech three years later to identify him.”
“Why wasn't Nathan arrested?”
“Because officially Nathan was dead.”
My father had quietly paid Thomas's medical expenses.
He also paid Samuel's medical-school tuition.
“I tried to refuse,” Samuel said. “Harrison told me the money wasn't charity. He said it was a debt.”
My eyes burned.
That sounded exactly like Dad.
“So why the note?”
“Because your father gave me something before he died.”
Samuel reached into his jacket.
A small key.
“He said if you ever opened the blue case under circumstances involving Julian or Nathan, I was to give you this.”
“What does it open?”
“A safe-deposit box.”
“Where?”
“First Chicago Private Bank.”
Adrian checked his watch.
“We can be there before closing.”
Samuel shook his head.
“Not today.”
“Why?”
“Genevieve is four days from emergency vascular surgery.”
I almost smiled.
“Three.”
“That doesn't improve my argument.”
“I need to know what's in the box.”
“And you need to remain alive long enough to read it.”
Adrian actually smiled.
“I like him.”
I glared at both men.
Samuel leaned toward me.
“Tomorrow. Wheelchair. Security. One hour.”
“Two.”
“One.”
“Ninety minutes.”
He considered.
“Fine.”
It was the first negotiation in days that didn't involve millions of dollars.
The next morning, Samuel personally accompanied me.
I wore a dark coat over loose clothing, sunglasses, and enough surgical tape to make every movement uncomfortable.
Outside the hospital, reporters waited.
Somehow the story had exploded.
LEGAL WIFE SURVIVES SURGERY DURING CEO'S FAKE WEDDING.
MISTRESS LOCKED OUT.
VANCE GLOBAL TRANSFER FROZEN.
No one yet knew about Nathan.
At the bank, the key opened Box 417.
Inside were three objects.
A flash drive.
A photograph.
And a letter.
The photograph showed my father with Thomas Mercer.
Beside them stood Nathan.
And Julian.
The date on the back was two days before Thomas's accident.
I opened the letter.
Genevieve,
If you are reading this, then I failed to resolve matters before my death.
There is something you must understand.
Julian knew more about Nathan's crimes than he ever admitted.
I stopped.
Samuel watched quietly.
I continued.
I have included recorded evidence.
Do not use it for revenge.
Use it for truth.
That was my father.
Even from the grave, he was telling me not to become cruel.
Adrian inserted the flash drive into an offline laptop.
There were audio recordings.
The first was my father interviewing Nathan.
The second was Thomas Mercer.
The third was Julian.
Adrian clicked the final file.
Julian's younger voice filled the room.
“I knew Nathan was moving money.”
My father's voice followed.
“How long?”
“Months.”
“Did you help him?”
“No.”
“Did you warn him Thomas Mercer discovered the transfers?”
Silence.
Then Julian said:
“Yes.”
Samuel closed his eyes.
My stomach twisted.
Dad continued.
“Did you know Nathan intended to confront Thomas?”
“No.”
“Did you know afterward that Nathan caused the crash?”
Another silence.
“Yes.”
The recording ended.
I stared at the laptop.
Julian had known.
He had protected Nathan.
Then married me.
Built a company with my family's money.
Used company funds to continue paying Nathan.
And when everything threatened to surface, he staged a wedding with the woman helping him conceal it.
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
Adrian immediately said, “Don't.”
But something made me answer.
“Genevieve.”
A man's voice.
“You sound like Harrison.”
Nathan.
Every person in the room froze.
“What do you want?”
“The drive.”
“You mean the evidence?”
“You don't understand your father.”
“I understand enough.”
He laughed softly.
“Harrison destroyed my life.”
“You destroyed your own.”
“That's what rich people always say.”
“You stole from him.”
“I took what I was owed.”
“And Thomas Mercer?”
Silence.
Samuel stood.
Nathan's voice changed.
“Is Samuel there?”
My eyes went to him.
“Yes.”
“Tell him his father should have minded his own business.”
Samuel's face emptied of emotion.
I had never seen hatred look so quiet.
“Where are you?” I asked.
Nathan laughed.
“You'll know soon.”
The call ended.
Adrian immediately contacted security.
Then Samuel's phone buzzed.
He checked it.
His expression changed.
“What?”
He turned the screen.
A security alert from the hospital.
Someone had entered my recovery suite using a stolen employee badge.
Eleanor was there.
I called her.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
We returned immediately.
Police were already outside my room.
The door stood open.
Furniture had been overturned.
The blue document case was gone.
So was Eleanor.
On the pillow lay a white wedding flower.
And beneath it, a handwritten note.
Fifty-one percent for Eleanor.
Midnight.
Come alone.
I stared at the paper.
Samuel read it beside me.
“No.”
I looked at him.
“He has Eleanor.”
“And he wants you.”
Adrian was already speaking to police.
Samuel lowered his voice.
“Genevieve, listen to me. Nathan has spent twelve years running from consequences. You're not going to hand yourself to him.”
“He'll hurt her.”
“We'll get her back.”
“How?”
His hand covered mine.
Warm.
Steady.
“We don't give him what he expects.”
I looked at our hands.
Then at him.
For the first time since waking from surgery, I realized someone was standing beside me without wanting anything I owned.
And that was exactly when Julian walked into the corridor.
His eyes fell to Samuel's hand over mine.
Then to the kidnapping note.
All jealousy vanished.
“Nathan has Eleanor?”
“Yes.”
Julian closed his eyes.
May you like
When he opened them again, something had changed.
“I know where he'll take her.”
