PART 4 — The Employee Who Knew Everything
Claire placed the USB drive on the table.
Nobody touched it.
I looked at her.
“Who?”
She glanced toward the entrance.
“Not here.”
“Why?”
“Because I don't know who is listening.”
My father looked around nervously.
“This is ridiculous.”
“No,” Claire said.
“This is dangerous.”
That shut him up.
I stood.
“Take us somewhere private.”
We moved into one of the resort's conference rooms.
The doors closed.
Claire connected the USB drive to her laptop.
A folder appeared.
PROJECT WHITMORE — INTERNAL
Inside were hundreds of files.
Emails.
Financial reports.
Bank statements.
Voice recordings.
And photographs.
I opened the first photograph.
It showed Daniel entering a private office.
The second showed Vanessa meeting someone.
The third showed my uncle Charles.
Then I saw something that made my stomach drop.
A photograph of my mother.
Standing outside a bank.
Beside a man I didn't recognize.
“Who is he?”
Claire enlarged the image.
“Marcus Hale.”
My father frowned.
“Who?”
“Private financial investigator.”
I looked at Claire.
“Why was my mother meeting him?”
“Because she hired him.”
My mother closed her eyes.
“I did.”
“Why?”
She looked at me.
“Because I was afraid of your father.”
Everyone went silent.
My father stared at her.
“What?”
“I knew something was wrong.”
She began crying.
“Charles approached me a year ago.”
My uncle.
“He told me the company was in trouble.”
She continued.
“He said if we didn't restructure quickly, we'd lose everything.”
“So you gave him access?”
“I trusted him.”
I looked at my uncle.
He didn't deny it.
“But then I discovered the transfers.”
My mother wiped her eyes.
“I tried to stop him.”
“What did you do?”
“I opened Vantage Meridian.”
I stared at her.
“You created the company?”
“Yes.”
“To protect the money?”
“To hide it.”
My father looked furious.
“You hid millions from me?”
“I was trying to keep Charles from taking everything.”
Charles suddenly laughed.
“You're all so naive.”
I turned toward him.
“What did you do?”
He looked at me.
“I made the company valuable.”
“You stole it.”
“I protected it.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“You tried to steal it.”
Charles leaned forward.
“And you think you're better?”
“Yes.”
His smile vanished.
“You don't know what your father did.”
My father looked confused.
“What are you talking about?”
Charles opened his mouth.
Then stopped.
Claire suddenly interrupted.
“There's one file you haven't seen.”
She opened another folder.
The title was:
PROJECT AUDREY.
My heart stopped.
“What is that?”
Claire looked at me.
“I found it three weeks ago.”
She clicked.
A document appeared.
My name.
My birth date.
My employment history.
My financial records.
Everything.
But beneath it was a photograph.
A hospital.
A newborn baby.
And a handwritten note:
“Do not let her discover the truth.”
I stared.
“What truth?”
Claire didn't answer.
I looked at my mother.
She was crying.
“Mom?”
She whispered:
“I wanted to tell you.”
“Tell me what?”
My father stood.
“Elaine, don't.”
She looked at him.
“You can't hide it anymore.”
My heart began pounding.
“What are you talking about?”
My mother looked at me.
“You weren't supposed to be part of this family.”
Silence.
I stared at her.
“What?”
She took a trembling breath.
“You were adopted.”
I couldn't breathe.
Vanessa looked shocked.
My father closed his eyes.
“You promised never to tell her.”
“I couldn't keep lying.”
I stepped backward.
“No.”
My mother reached toward me.
“Audrey…”
“Don't.”
I raised my hand.
“You lied to me my entire life?”
“We loved you.”
“That's not what I asked.”
My voice cracked.
“Who are my parents?”
Nobody answered.
Then my uncle Charles smiled.
And that smile frightened me.
Because he looked like a man who had been waiting years for this moment.
“I know.”
I turned toward him.
“Who?”
He leaned back.
“Your biological father.”
My mother shouted:
“Charles, stop!”
But he continued.
“Your father was the founder of Whitmore Apparel.”
I stared at my father.
“No.”
He looked at me.
“I didn't know.”
Charles laughed.
“Of course you didn't.”
He turned toward me.
“Your biological father died under mysterious circumstances twenty-five years ago.”
I felt dizzy.
“And my mother?”
Charles's smile disappeared.
“She didn't die.”
I froze.
“What?”
“She disappeared.”
My mother covered her face.
I stared at her.
“You knew where she was?”
She whispered:
“Yes.”
“Where?”
My mother slowly looked toward the ocean outside the window.
“She lives less than twenty miles from here.”
My heart stopped.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because she was dangerous.”
“Why?”
My mother looked terrified.
“Because she knows who really killed your father.”
The room fell silent.
Then Claire's phone rang.
She answered.
Her face changed.
“Audrey…”
“What?”
“Your biological mother just contacted us.”
I couldn't speak.
“Where is she?”
Claire listened.
Then looked at me.
“She says she has proof.”
“Proof of what?”
Claire's voice dropped.
“She says your father wasn't killed by Charles.”
I waited.
“She says…”
Claire swallowed.
“…your mother was the one who ordered it.”
My entire body went cold.
:::
