Chapter 6 - THE TRAP
I wanted to believe Vanessa was lying.
It would have been easier.
My father had been my strongest supporter.
He had helped me build my company.
He had stood beside me through every crisis.
He had held my children only hours before Claire collapsed.
But the evidence was becoming impossible to ignore.
Financial transfers.
Old photographs.
Secret agreements.
And a connection between my family and Claire's grandmother that nobody had explained.
I confronted my father.
“Did you poison Claire?”
He looked devastated.
“No.”
“Did you know someone was planning to hurt her?”
“Yes.”
My heart sank.
“Who?”
“I don't know.”
“That's a lie.”
He stood.
“Mason, listen to me.”
“No.”
I slammed my hand against the desk.
“You knew about the trust.”
“Yes.”
“You knew about the old conflict.”
“Yes.”
“You knew someone might come after Claire.”
“Yes.”
“Then why didn't you tell me?”
“Because I was trying to protect you.”
“From what?”
He looked toward the window.
“From your grandfather.”
I froze.
“My grandfather is dead.”
“He left something behind.”
“What?”
“A ledger.”
I stared.
“Where?”
My father reached into his coat.
He removed a small key.
“Your grandfather hid it.”
“Where?”
“In the old Sloane warehouse.”
Before we could continue, every light in the house went out.
Darkness.
Then a scream.
Claire.
I ran.
Security lights came on.
The nursery door was open.
Claire was gone.
My blood froze.
“Find her!”
Guards scattered.
I ran downstairs.
The front gate was still closed.
No vehicles had left.
Then Daniel shouted:
“Garage!”
We found Claire inside one of the cars.
Her hands were tied.
Her mouth covered.
But she was alive.
I ripped the restraints away.
“Claire!”
She clung to me.
“I heard someone.”
“Who?”
“I couldn't see.”
“What happened?”
“They said…”
She struggled to breathe.
“They said you were supposed to find the ledger.”
I looked at Daniel.
The trap was obvious.
Someone wanted me to go to the warehouse.
Why?
Because they expected me to find something.
Something that would incriminate someone.
My father grabbed my shoulder.
“Don't go.”
“I have to.”
“It's a trap.”
“I know.”
“Then why?”
“Because if I don't go, they'll keep coming for Claire.”
I took ten men.
We arrived at the warehouse just after midnight.
It looked abandoned.
The doors were unlocked.
Inside, dust covered everything.
At the back of the building stood an old metal safe.
The key fit.
Inside was a ledger.
But there was something else.
A recording device.
I pressed play.
My grandfather's voice filled the room.
“If you're hearing this, the Vale family has finally discovered the truth.”
I froze.
He explained everything.
Years ago, he had discovered that several executives at Vale Therapeutics were secretly diverting company funds.
He had confronted them.
But one of them threatened his family.
The man was Arthur Vale.
Claire's uncle.
Arthur had planned to steal control of the company.
But Claire's grandmother stopped him.
The conflict continued for years.
Then Arthur died.
But before his death, he created a network of people determined to reclaim the fortune.
My grandfather had spent years protecting the Vale family.
And my father had inherited the responsibility.
The recording ended with one sentence:
“Never trust the person who claims to love you more than anyone.”
I stared at the device.
Then I realized something.
Vanessa.
She had always claimed to love Claire like a sister.
But why?
My phone rang.
It was Claire.
“Mason?”
“Where are you?”
“At home.”
“Stay there.”
She began crying.
“Mason…”
“What?”
“I know who Vanessa is.”
I froze.
“What do you mean?”
“She isn't Vanessa Vale.”
Silence.
“She was born Elena Mercer.”
I looked at Daniel.
His face went pale.
Mercer.
The same surname as my right-hand man.
Silas Mercer.
May you like
And suddenly, another terrible possibility entered my mind.
What if the conspiracy had been inside my organization all along?
