Chapter 5 - THE NIGHT EMMA DISAPPEARED
Marianne Valente had been the family secret nobody discussed.
According to Adrian, she had struggled with addiction.
According to Celeste, she had been framed.
According to Evelyn's financial records, Marianne had once owned twenty percent of the Valente Foundation.
That made no sense.
“She was involved in the foundation?” I asked.
Adrian nodded.
“Before Celeste.”
“Why wasn't she mentioned?”
“Because my father erased her.”
“Why?”
Adrian stared through the window.
“My father believed addiction made people weak.”
“And he disowned her?”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
“She died alone.”
I felt a strange sadness for a woman I had never met.
Santos placed another file on the table.
“Marianne had a daughter.”
Adrian looked at her.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“That's impossible.”
“She had a daughter.”
“Where?”
“Chicago.”
“Name?”
Santos looked at me.
“Evelyn Grant.”
Silence.
The room seemed to stop.
I looked at Adrian.
“Evelyn is Marianne's daughter.”
He slowly sat down.
“Then she's Celeste's niece.”
“Yes.”
“And she was running the foundation.”
“Yes.”
I finally understood.
The stolen money.
The hidden records.
The old secrets.
Evelyn hadn't simply wanted money.
She believed the foundation belonged to her.
And she had spent years building access.
But there was still one question.
“Why Emma?”
Santos opened the final folder.
“Because Emma is the last direct heir.”
Adrian stared.
“The foundation's original trust agreement has a succession clause.”
“What clause?”
Santos slid the document across the table.
“If no Valente heir reaches adulthood, control of the foundation transfers to the nearest surviving blood relative.”
Adrian read it.
His face went pale.
“Marianne's descendants.”
“Yes.”
I whispered, “Evelyn.”
Adrian slowly closed his eyes.
“She needs Emma gone.”
“Not dead necessarily,” Santos said.
“Just gone long enough to establish legal control.”
I understood.
If Emma disappeared, Evelyn could manipulate the trust.
She could claim the Valente line had effectively ended.
But why blame me?
Santos answered.
“Because you're connected to Lucia.”
I frowned.
“Lucia?”
“She is the foundation's protected beneficiary.”
“And?”
“Someone could argue the foundation was already being improperly transferred outside the family.”
Adrian looked at me.
“You were supposed to become the face of the scandal.”
I felt sick.
Poor woman.
Nursing assistant.
Baby killer.
Financial beneficiary.
Everything had been designed to make me look suspicious.
I had been the perfect scapegoat.
Then Adrian's phone rang.
He answered.
His expression changed.
“What?”
He listened.
“Where?”
He stood.
“Get everyone out.”
I looked at him.
“What happened?”
“Someone entered the hospital.”
My heart stopped.
“Lucia?”
Adrian nodded.
We ran.
The hospital corridor was chaos.
Security guards blocked the surgical wing.
Santos shouted into her phone.
“Lock down the elevators.”
I pushed past the nurses.
“Where's my sister?”
A nurse grabbed my arm.
“She's safe.”
“Where?”
“Recovery room.”
I nearly collapsed.
Adrian appeared beside me.
“She was moved.”
“By whom?”
“A physician.”
My stomach dropped.
“Dr. Hart?”
“No.”
The nurse shook her head.
“Dr. Nair.”
I froze.
“That's impossible.”
“She came with credentials.”
Santos arrived.
“Dr. Nair is with hospital security.”
I exhaled.
“Then who moved Lucia?”
The nurse looked confused.
“I don't know.”
Suddenly Adrian grabbed my shoulder.
“Listen.”
Footsteps echoed from the stairwell.
A man appeared.
Hospital scrubs.
Mask.
Gloves.
He saw Adrian.
Stopped.
Then ran.
Adrian moved after him.
I shouted.
“Don't!”
He stopped.
Santos sprinted past him.
The man disappeared through an emergency exit.
Minutes later, police found the scrubs abandoned in an alley.
Inside one pocket was a small key.
Santos stared at it.
“What does it open?”
Dante examined it.
“Old Valente property.”
Adrian looked at him.
“Which one?”
Dante's expression changed.
“The underground archive.”
Adrian went silent.
“What archive?” I asked.
“My father kept records there.”
“Records of what?”
“Everything.”
May you like
Santos looked at me.
“Then that's where we're going.”
