Chapter 4 - MAYA’S FATHER
Maya turned toward Roman.
He did not deny it.
That frightened her more than any answer could have.
“My father’s name was Daniel Vance.”
Roman’s eyes remained on Sarah.
“I knew him.”
Sarah closed her eyes.
Maya looked at her mother.
“You told me he died in a car accident.”
“He did.”
“That’s not what she said.”
“Elena lies.”
Roman’s voice was controlled.
But something moved beneath it.
Maya heard guilt.
She stepped away from him.
“Were you there?”
“Yes.”
The word landed like a blow.
Sarah began crying.
“Maya, please.”
Roman continued before anyone could stop him.
“Your father worked for me.”
“He discovered someone inside my organization was selling access to private accounts.”
“He planned to expose them.”
“The night he died, he called me.”
“I arrived too late.”
Maya stared at him.
“Did you kill him?”
“No.”
“Did you protect him?”
Roman said nothing.
That silence answered enough.
The collar around Sarah’s throat beeped again.
Elena spoke through the elevator speaker.
“Touching.”
“Roman finally tells part of the truth.”
Roman looked into the camera.
“You were involved.”
“Of course I was.”
The guests gasped.
Elena continued.
“Daniel Vance stole something from us.”
“Something worth far more than his life.”
Sarah opened her eyes.
“He didn’t steal it.”
“He copied it.”
Maya turned to her.
“What did he copy?”
Sarah’s lips trembled.
“A ledger.”
Roman’s expression changed.
“What ledger?”
Sarah looked at him.
“The Black Ledger.”
Viktor whispered a curse.
Roman stared at Sarah.
“You have it?”
“No.”
“Daniel hid it before he died.”
Elena’s laughter filled the elevator.
“And for eight years, no one could find it.”
“Until Maya brought it into this house.”
Maya looked down at her apron.
She checked the pockets.
The old phone.
The crimson cloth.
Nothing else.
“I didn’t bring anything.”
Sarah’s face suddenly changed.
She stared at the apron.
“Maya.”
“What?”
“Where did you get that apron?”
“You gave it to me.”
“No.”
Sarah’s breathing became shallow.
“I gave you a clean white apron this morning.”
Maya looked down.
The apron was oversized.
Flour dust covered the front.
A faded blue thread ran along the bottom seam.
She remembered taking it from the old staff locker.
The locker had belonged to her father when he worked at the estate years ago.
Sarah began to shake.
“That was Daniel’s.”
Maya touched the thick lower hem.
Something hard rested inside the stitching.
Roman crouched beside her.
“May I?”
Maya hesitated.
Then nodded.
Roman pulled a small knife from his pocket.
He cut one stitch.
A thin metal key slid into his palm.
Roman stared at it.
Viktor did too.
“That is not a house key,” Viktor said.
Roman turned it over.
A black wolf had been engraved on one side.
Elena spoke through the speaker.
“Now you understand.”
“The cake was never the real target.”
“The wedding brought everyone here.”
“The device created panic.”
“And Maya brought us the key.”
Maya closed her fist around the metal.
“You’re not getting it.”
The elevator lights flashed.
Sarah’s collar tightened slightly.
She choked.
Maya screamed.
“Stop!”
Elena’s voice became soft.
“Wine cellar.”
“One minute.”
“Bring the key.”
The speaker went dead.
Roman looked at Maya.
“Give it to me.”
“No.”
“I can protect it.”
“You couldn’t protect my father.”
Roman flinched.
Then the service doors behind them burst open.
Viktor’s men rushed inside.
One held a security tablet.
“We found Julian.”
Roman stood.
“Where?”
The guard looked at the screen.
“He’s in the wine cellar.”
“But the camera shows him tied to a chair.”
Maya felt the room turn cold.
A message appeared on her phone.
May you like
Julian is not the one in control.
And neither is Elena.
