Chapter 5: What She Hid
Emergency lights flickered on along the floor.
Red.
Then black.
Then red again.
Marcus ran toward the scream.
“Mom, stay here!””
Diane grabbed his shirt.
“No!””
He turned.
“Why?””
Her eyes were wide.
“Because that's what he wants.””
Daniel stood behind them, completely calm.
Marcus looked at him.
“You did this.””
Daniel shook his head.
“No.””
Another scream came from inside.
This time, everyone heard it.
Vanessa backed against a chair.
“Someone's in the house.””
Marcus pulled out his phone and activated the flashlight.
“Everyone stay outside.””
Raymond nodded.
“I'll help.””
Marcus shook his head.
“No. Get the guests to the front gate.””
“The gate is locked.””
“Then keep everyone together.””
Marcus pushed through the glass doors.
The living room was dark except for the beam of his phone.
The expensive furniture cast long shadows across the marble floor.
His footsteps echoed.
“Hello?””
Nothing.
Then a sound came from upstairs.
A door slamming.
Marcus looked toward the staircase.
He started up.
Behind him, Diane whispered, “Marcus!””
He turned.
She stood at the bottom of the stairs.
Daniel was beside her.
“I'll come with you,” Diane said.
Marcus shook his head.
“No.””
“I know this house better than you.””
“This is my house too.””
She looked at him.
“I know.””
Then she climbed the stairs.
Daniel followed.
Marcus stopped him.
“You stay here.””
Daniel stared at his son.
“You still think you can protect her.””
Marcus stepped closer.
“I can protect her from you.””
Daniel's face hardened.
“Then you're going to make the same mistake she did.””
Marcus pushed past him.
Upstairs, a hallway stretched toward the master bedroom.
The door was open.
Marcus entered.
Drawers had been pulled out.
Clothes covered the floor.
A jewelry box lay overturned.
Diane walked in behind him.
She stopped.
“No.””
Marcus looked around.
“What was here?””
Diane crossed the room and dropped to her knees beside the empty jewelry box.
“My necklace.””
Marcus froze.
“The one Daniel mentioned?””
“Yes.””
“It was here?””
“Yes.””
“When did you last see it?””
“This morning.””
Marcus turned toward the doorway.
Daniel stood there.
“You took it.””
Daniel shook his head.
“I didn't.””
“Then who did?””
Daniel's eyes moved toward the open window.
Marcus followed his gaze.
A thin curtain fluttered in the night air.
The window was unlocked.
Daniel walked closer.
“Someone came through here.””
Marcus looked down.
There were wet footprints on the floor.
Small.
Elegant.
High-heeled.
He followed them.
The footprints stopped beside the vanity.
Marcus looked at the mirror.
Something had been written across it in red lipstick.
*SHE LIED TO YOU.*
Diane covered her mouth.
Marcus turned.
“About what?””
Daniel looked at her.
“Everything.””
Diane's eyes filled with tears.
“Daniel, please.””
Marcus stepped between them.
“Stop saying that.””
Diane looked at him.
“What?””
“Stop asking him to stop.””
He pointed toward the mirror.
“If there's a lie, tell me.””
Diane sat on the edge of the bed.
For a moment, she looked exhausted.
Not elegant.
Not powerful.
Just tired.
“I didn't build the company alone,” she said.
Marcus waited.
“Your father and I started it together.””
Daniel nodded.
“She designed. I financed.””
Diane continued.
“We were partners.””
“And the ownership document?””
“Our agreement was supposed to be temporary.””
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“You mean until you changed the paperwork.””
Marcus looked at Diane.
“Did you?””
She lowered her head.
“Yes.””
Daniel's expression hardened.
“She transferred everything into her name.””
“Because you were gambling.””
“I was investing.””
“You lost hundreds of thousands.””
“I recovered it.””
“By selling confidential information.””
Marcus looked at Daniel.
“Did you?””
Daniel hesitated.
“Yes.””
Marcus's face tightened.
“Why?””
“Because I needed money.””
“For gambling?””
“No.””
Daniel looked at Diane.
“To protect you.””
Diane stood.
“Don't you dare.””
Daniel continued.
“The company was being targeted.””
“By whom?””
Daniel's voice lowered.
“People far more dangerous than me.””
Marcus looked confused.
“What people?””
Daniel shook his head.
“I never learned all their names.””
Diane whispered, “You learned enough.””
“I learned they wanted the prototypes.””
Marcus looked at the photograph.
“The shoes.””
Daniel nodded.
“The shoes contained a design technology that could not be copied.””
Diane added quietly, “The prototype had a hidden compartment.””
Marcus looked at her.
“What was inside?””
“A storage device.””
Daniel's eyes hardened.
“Containing transaction records.””
“Records of what?””
“Payments.””
Diane's voice cracked.
“Bribes.””
Marcus stared.
“Whose?””
Diane looked away.
“Politicians. Executives. Investors.””
Daniel stepped forward.
“And one of those payments came from someone inside our own family.””
Marcus's face changed.
“Who?””
Neither parent answered.
“Who?””
Diane looked at him.
“Your uncle.””
Marcus blinked.
“My uncle James?””
Daniel nodded.
“He wasn't just your uncle.””
“He was our accountant.””
Marcus slowly understood.
“And the necklace?””
Diane touched her throat.
“It contained the key.””
“To the storage device?””
“Yes.””
Daniel looked toward the mirror.
“Which means whoever took the necklace now has access.””
Marcus's phone buzzed.
A text.
Unknown number.
*You're looking in the wrong room.*
Another message appeared.
*Check the garage.*
Marcus looked at Daniel.
“Did you send that?””
“No.””
Diane stood.
“Don't go.””
Marcus was already moving.
He rushed downstairs.
The garage door was open.
Cold night air poured inside.
A black luxury sedan sat in the driveway with its driver's door open.
Marcus ran toward it.
“Hello?””
No answer.
He opened the rear door.
Nothing.
Then he saw a red dress reflected in the side mirror.
Marcus spun around.
Vanessa stood behind him.
Barefoot.
Her face was wet with tears.
“Marcus.””
He stepped toward her.
“Where's the necklace?””
“I don't have it.””
“Then why are you here?””
She shook her head.
“I was trying to stop him.””
“Stop who?””
Vanessa looked toward the road.
Then back at Marcus.
“The man who gave me the shoes.””
Marcus's voice hardened.
“Daniel?””
“No.””
Her lips trembled.
“Not Daniel.””
Marcus froze.
“What?””
Vanessa whispered, “Daniel didn't send me.””
She looked toward the mansion.
“He told me to come here.””
“Who?””
Vanessa swallowed.
Then said a name Marcus hadn't heard in eight years.
“James.””
Marcus's blood ran cold.
“Your uncle James?””
Vanessa nodded.
“He said he was the only person who knew where your father had been hiding.””
Marcus stared at her.
“Where?””
Vanessa's eyes filled with tears.
“He's not hiding.””
May you like
She pointed toward the road.
“He's dead.””
