Chapter 6: The Enemy Inside the House
The recording played three times.
Adrian didn’t speak during any of them.
He just listened.
Victor’s voice.
The quiet confidence.
The arrogance.
The belief that nobody could touch him.
And then the second voice.
James Holloway.
Adrian’s chief financial officer.
A man who had worked beside him for fifteen years.
A man who attended family celebrations.
A man Simone trusted.
Adrian stood completely still.
Simone watched him carefully.
“I’m sorry.””
He looked at her.
“For what?””
“For being right.””
That hurt.
Because she wasn’t trying to win.
She wasn’t trying to prove she knew better.
She was grieving too.
“I should have seen it,” Adrian said.
Simone shook her head.
“You trusted someone.””
“I trusted the wrong person.””
“No.””
She stepped closer.
“You loved someone like family.””
Adrian looked at her.
“And they used that.””
Neither of them spoke.
Because that was the hardest part.
Victor didn’t defeat Adrian with money.
He didn’t defeat him with power.
He used trust.
And Adrian had built his entire life around believing he could protect the people he loved.
Now he wasn’t sure he knew how.
The next morning, federal investigators entered Cole Maritime headquarters.
James Holloway was called into a private meeting.
He arrived confident.
Almost relaxed.
That worried Adrian.
Guilty people often looked nervous.
James looked like he already knew what was happening.
“Adrian,” James said.
“James.””
The two men stared at each other.
“I heard about the investigation.””
“Did you?””
James sat down.
“Victor was a criminal.””
Adrian said nothing.
“But I had nothing to do with it.””
“You worked with him.””
“I worked with many people.””
“You helped him move money.””
James smiled slightly.
“You have proof?””
Adrian leaned forward.
“You know what I find interesting?””
“What?””
“You’re not asking if Simone is alive.””
The smile disappeared.
Just slightly.
Adrian saw it.
“You knew.””
James looked away.
For the first time, fear appeared.
“Adrian—”
“You knew she survived.””
Silence.
That was the answer.
Adrian stood.
“You knew my wife was alive.””
James sighed.
“It wasn’t supposed to happen this way.””
The words made Adrian’s blood run cold.
“Explain.””
James looked tired.
“I never wanted Simone hurt.””
“Then why did she almost die?””
“Because Victor got impatient.””
Adrian’s hands tightened.
“Where is he?””
James looked at him.
“You don’t understand what you’re dealing with.””
“No.””
Adrian stepped closer.
“You don’t understand what I’m willing to do.””
James shook his head.
“That’s exactly what Victor counted on.””
The room went quiet.
“What does that mean?””
“He knew if Simone came back, you would destroy everything trying to find him.””
Adrian stared.
“He was afraid of me?””
James laughed sadly.
“No.””
He looked toward the window.
“He was afraid of what you would become.””
Those words stayed with Adrian.
Because he knew there was truth in them.
For years, people feared his anger.
His influence.
His ability to crush anyone who threatened him.
But Simone always reminded him there was a difference between justice and revenge.
And now he had to choose.
The investigation moved quickly.
Bank records connected Victor and James to the stolen funds.
The evidence from Claire’s files proved the fraud.
The recording proved conspiracy.
But Victor was gone.
He disappeared before authorities could arrest him.
And Adrian knew why.
Victor had one advantage left.
He knew Simone.
He knew Adrian.
He knew exactly where to look.
That evening, Simone stood on the balcony of the safe house.
Adrian joined her.
For a while, neither spoke.
Finally, she said:
“You hate me.””
Adrian looked shocked.
“What?””
“You hate that I didn’t trust you.””
He looked at her.
“I hate that you thought you had to survive alone.””
Simone looked down.
“I didn’t know if you would believe me.””
“I would have.””
“You don’t know that.””
Adrian didn’t answer immediately.
Because the honest answer was complicated.
Before all this, he might have believed power first.
Evidence second.
Feelings last.
But losing Simone changed him.
“I don’t know what I would have done,” he admitted.
She looked at him.
“But I know what I should have done.””
He reached for her hand.
“I should have made you feel safe enough to tell me.””
Simone’s eyes filled.
For the first time since returning, she held his hand back.
It wasn’t forgiveness.
Not yet.
It wasn’t the old love returning overnight.
It was something smaller.
Something more fragile.
A beginning.
Then Adrian’s phone rang.
Malcolm.
He answered.
“Sir.””
“What happened?””
A pause.
Then:
“We found Victor.””
Adrian’s expression changed.
“Where?””
Malcolm hesitated.
“He contacted us.””
“Why?””
Another pause.
“Because he has Simone’s missing case file.””
Adrian looked at his wife.
And Simone immediately understood.
Victor wasn’t running anymore.
He was waiting.
May you like
And whatever he had planned next was bigger than money.
It was personal.
