Chapter 7 - THE FATHER WHO KNEW

Arthur’s father had been dead for four years.

Thomas Vance had died after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

At least that was the story Arthur had lived with.

He drove straight from the hospital to the old Vance estate.

Nobody had lived there since Thomas died.

Arthur kept it because selling the house felt like selling childhood itself.

He entered his father’s study.

Dust covered the desk.

Old photographs lined the shelves.

Arthur searched drawers for nearly an hour.

Nothing.

Then he remembered something.

Thomas had always kept important papers in books.

“Never trust a lock,” his father used to say. “A thief looks for locks.”

Arthur scanned the shelves.

His father’s favorite book was The Count of Monte Cristo.

He pulled it down.

Nothing inside.

He laughed bitterly.

“Come on, Dad.”

Then he noticed the book was lighter than it should be.

The back cover had been cut.

Inside was a tiny brass key.

Arthur stared at it.

Twenty minutes later, he found the lock.

A narrow cabinet behind an old painting.

Inside were financial reports.

Photographs.

USB drives.

And a sealed letter.

ARTHUR.

His hands shook as he opened it.

Son,

If you are reading this, I failed to fix what I should have stopped years ago.

Arthur sat down.

The letter continued.

I discovered that someone inside Vance Meridian was using company assets for private transfers. I originally suspected Elena. I was wrong.

Arthur frowned.

Wrong?

He read faster.

Elena participated, but she did not build the system. Someone taught her, protected her, and benefited from every dollar.

You know this person.

You trust this person.

Arthur’s pulse rose.

At the bottom:

Blue Crest is the name we used when discussing him privately.

Do not confront him alone.

Trust Robert.

Protect Noah.

And Arthur—

I am sorry.

There was no signature.

Only one final line.

Your mother deserved better than both of us.

Arthur stared at it.

His mother, Catherine, had died when he was fourteen.

Another car accident.

His phone rang.

Maria.

“Arthur.”

Her breathing was fast.

“What happened?”

“Someone came to the house.”

Arthur stood.

“Where’s Noah?”

“With Ray. We’re locked in the panic room.”

“Who came?”

“A man.”

“Did you see him?”

“Yes.”

Arthur grabbed the letter and headed for the door.

“Who?”

Maria’s voice trembled.

“Your uncle.”

Arthur stopped dead.

“Daniel?”

“Yes.”

Daniel Vance.

His father’s younger brother.

Arthur’s godfather.

The man who had taught him to drive, attended every birthday, sat beside him at both his parents’ funerals.

“What did he want?”

May you like

THE MAID’S DAUGHTER

“GET OUT OF MY HOUSE,” HIS FIANCÉE TOLD THE MAID—THEN THE MAFIA BOSS LOOKED AT HER LITTLE GIRL“Get out of my house. And take that...

**MY HUSBAND CALLED ME A “BARREN LEECH”—HE DIDN’T KNOW MY MONEY WAS KEEP...

My husband threw his wedding ring at my feet and told security to remove the “barren leech” from the ballroom.He had no idea he wa...

MY DAUGHTER’S NOTE STOPPED MY WEDDING—AND EXPOSED MY BRIDE

MY DAUGHTER SLIPPED ME A NOTE BEFORE “I DO”—AND EXPOSED MY BRIDE’S PLANPART 1 — TEN MINUTES BEFORE THE VOWS“Daddy, if you marry he...

Maria whispered:

“He said he came to take Noah.”