Chapter 6: Secondary Authority
The red lights pulsed across the hidden office.
Once.
Twice.
Then the steel door locked.
Camille turned toward it.
“Open the door.””
Monica's voice came faintly from the other side.
“I can't!””
Victor looked at Adrian.
“You activated it.””
Adrian shook his head.
“No.””
The security panel flashed.
*SECONDARY AUTHORITY.*
Camille stepped toward the desk.
“What does that mean?””
Victor didn't answer.
Adrian did.
“It means someone else has control.””
“Who?””
“I don't know.””
Victor gave a bitter laugh.
“You always know.””
Adrian looked at him.
“Not this time.””
A metallic click came from the wall.
A hidden monitor powered on.
Static filled the screen.
Then a live camera feed appeared.
Camille stared.
It showed the luxury showroom.
Monica stood near the counter.
The guards were looking toward the entrance.
Victor whispered, “Nobody should have access to that camera.””
Adrian studied the screen.
“Someone does.””
The image shifted.
A timestamp appeared.
Then a message.
*YOU FOUND THE AGREEMENT.*
Camille's face went pale.
“Who sent that?””
Adrian moved closer.
Another line appeared.
*NOW FIND THE ORIGINAL BENEFICIARY.*
Victor shook his head.
“No.””
Camille turned.
“You know who it is.””
Victor said nothing.
“Dad.””
He remained silent.
Adrian walked toward him.
“Who?””
Victor looked at Adrian.
“You're not ready for this.””
Adrian's expression hardened.
“After twenty-three years, I think I'm ready.””
The monitor changed.
A scanned document appeared.
The original ownership agreement.
Camille stared at the signatures.
Her grandfather's name.
Victor's.
Her mother's.
And Adrian's father's.
But there was another signature.
One nobody had mentioned.
Camille leaned closer.
“That's not a family name.””
Adrian studied it.
“No.””
“Then whose is it?””
Victor whispered the name.
“Elias Cole.””
Adrian froze.
“My father?””
Victor nodded.
Camille looked at him.
“What did he sign?””
Victor swallowed.
“He didn't sign as an investor.””
Adrian's voice became quiet.
“Then why?””
Victor stared at the floor.
“He signed as the rightful owner.””
Silence.
Adrian's face changed.
“My father owned the company?””
“Originally.””
“You told everyone your family founded it.””
Victor looked ashamed.
“My father told me the same thing.””
Adrian stepped closer.
“And you believed him?””
“I was seventeen.””
“You were old enough to know it was stolen.””
Victor flinched.
Camille interrupted.
“Stop.””
Both men looked at her.
She pointed at the document.
“There is another clause.””
Adrian looked down.
Camille read it aloud.
“If Elias Cole dies, his interest shall pass to his eldest living child.””
Adrian's eyes lifted.
“My father had two children.””
Victor nodded.
“Yes.””
Camille looked at Adrian.
“Who was the other?””
Adrian didn't answer.
Victor did.
“Your sister.””
Adrian's face went completely still.
Camille frowned.
“You have a sister?””
“I had one.””
“What happened to her?””
Adrian's jaw tightened.
“She disappeared.””
Victor looked away.
Camille noticed.
“You know something.””
Victor said nothing.
“You know what happened to his sister.””
“Camille.””
“Tell him.””
Victor's voice dropped.
“She wasn't supposed to disappear.””
Adrian grabbed the edge of the desk.
“What did you do?””
“Nothing.””
“Don't lie to me.””
“I didn't.””
“Then what happened?””
Victor's eyes filled with tears.
“Your mother found her.””
Adrian stopped.
“What?””
“Your mother found your sister before she disappeared.””
Camille looked stunned.
“My mother knew his sister?””
“Yes.””
“Where did she go?””
Victor shook his head.
“I don't know.””
Adrian leaned closer.
“You know more than that.””
Victor stared at him.
“I know your sister was the reason your mother left.””
Camille whispered, “Left?””
Victor nodded.
“She discovered what your grandfather had done. She found Elias Cole's original records. She found your sister. And then she realized someone was trying to erase every trace of your family from the company.””
Adrian's voice was barely audible.
“Who?””
Victor looked toward the monitor.
The message on the screen changed.
*YOU'RE ASKING THE WRONG PERSON.*
Adrian stared at it.
Then another message appeared.
*ASK CAMILLE.*
Camille stepped backward.
“What?””
Victor's face went pale.
Adrian slowly turned toward her.
“What does that mean?””
“I don't know.””
The monitor displayed another image.
A birth certificate.
Camille's name was printed at the top.
She stared at the document.
“That isn't mine.””
Adrian looked closer.
“Look at the mother's name.””
Camille did.
Her breathing stopped.
The name wasn't her mother's.
Victor whispered, “Camille...””
She turned toward him.
“Who is that woman?””
Victor couldn't speak.
Adrian took the document from the screen's reflected image and stared at the name.
Then he looked at Victor.
“You lied about her mother.””
Victor's eyes filled with tears.
“I lied about everything.””
Camille shook her head.
“No.””
She backed toward the desk.
“My mother is my mother.””
Victor whispered, “Yes.””
“Then who is this?””
Victor looked at Adrian.
And finally said:
“She was your mother's sister.””
Adrian's eyes widened.
Camille stared at the screen.
The document had one more line.
*BENEFICIARY: CAMILLE COLE.*
Not Hayes.
Cole.
Adrian slowly looked at Victor.
“You changed her name.””
Victor said nothing.
Adrian's phone suddenly rang.
He answered.
A man's voice spoke from the other end.
“You finally found her.””
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
“Who is this?””
The man laughed softly.
“Ask your sister.””
Adrian froze.
Camille stared at him.
Victor whispered:
“She isn't dead.””
The line went silent.
Then the caller added one final sentence.
May you like
“She owns the company.””
The call ended.
