Chapter 2 - MARGARET’S WARNING
Daniel closed the metal door behind them.
He did not want Lily seeing anything else until he understood what they had discovered.
Adrian carried Margaret into the sitting room while one of the guards brought water and blankets.
Daniel crouched beside Lily.
“I need you to stay with Mr. Adrian for a few minutes.”
Lily shook her head immediately.
“No.”
“I’m right here.”
“She’ll come back.”
Daniel’s stomach twisted.
“Vanessa?”
Lily nodded.
Daniel took both of his daughter’s hands.
“She is not touching you again.”
Lily looked toward the hallway.
“She said you wouldn’t believe me.”
Daniel felt the words like a blow.
“What did she tell you?”
Lily swallowed.
“That Mommy died because people who ask questions get hurt.”
Daniel went still.
Margaret closed her eyes.
Adrian looked at Daniel.
No one spoke for several seconds.
Daniel finally asked Lily.
“When did Vanessa tell you that?”
“When I saw her in the wall room.”
Daniel’s heartbeat accelerated.
“You’ve been inside?”
Lily shook her head.
“I saw the door open.”
“She was putting boxes in there.”
“Then Miss Margaret came.”
“They were yelling.”
“What were they yelling about?”
Lily squeezed his fingers.
“Mommy.”
Daniel looked toward Margaret.
Margaret nodded slowly.
“I caught Vanessa removing files from your old office.”
“She told me they were financial records you wanted destroyed.”
“I didn’t believe her.”
“So I followed her.”
“She opened the concealed room.”
“I saw Elena’s name.”
Margaret’s voice trembled.
“I saw accident reports.”
“Insurance records.”
“Medical records.”
“And photographs.”
Daniel stood.
“Why didn’t you call me?”
“I tried.”
Margaret looked ashamed.
“I called your office three times.”
“Vanessa answered your private line.”
“She said you were in Singapore.”
Daniel had been in Singapore.
Only six people had known his schedule.
Margaret continued.
“The next morning I tried to leave the estate.”
“She stopped me in the garage.”
“She had one of your security badges.”
“She said there had been a misunderstanding.”
“Then someone came up behind me.”
“I woke up inside that room.”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
“Someone?”
“I never saw his face.”
“But I heard his voice later.”
Daniel waited.
Margaret looked toward Lily.
“We shouldn’t do this in front of her.”
Daniel nodded.
Adrian took Lily into the adjoining library.
Before leaving, Lily grabbed Daniel’s sleeve.
“Daddy?”
“Yes?”
“There was another man.”
Daniel crouched again.
“What man?”
“The one Vanessa talks to when you’re gone.”
Daniel felt his stomach drop.
“Do you know his name?”
Lily nodded.
“Uncle Ethan.”
Daniel did not move.
Ethan Reed was Daniel’s younger brother.
His closest business partner.
The chief financial officer of Reed Holdings.
And the only person besides Daniel who had authority over Lily’s family trust.
Margaret whispered.
“That’s the voice I heard.”
Daniel stared at her.
“You’re certain?”
“I’ve known Ethan since he was fifteen.”
“I’m certain.”
Daniel walked back toward the storage room.
He opened Elena’s file.
Inside was a photocopy of a bank transfer.
The amount was $250,000.
The recipient was an auto repair company that had permanently closed three weeks after Elena’s crash.
The transfer had been authorized by Ethan Reed.
Daniel flipped to the next page.
There was a second payment.
This one was authorized by Vanessa Cole.
Daniel stared at the dates.
Both payments had been made before Elena died.
Then his phone rang.
Ethan’s name appeared on the screen.
Daniel looked at Margaret.
She whispered.
“Don’t tell him what you found.”
Daniel answered.
“Ethan.”
His brother sounded casual.
“Hey.”
“I just got an alert that the mansion security system was locked down.”
“Everything okay?”
Daniel looked through the open doorway.
At the end of the hall, two guards were running toward the front entrance.
Daniel replied calmly.
“Everything’s fine.”
There was a pause.
May you like
Then Ethan asked a question that turned Daniel’s blood cold.
“Did Lily open something she wasn’t supposed to?”
