Chapter 7 - THE EMPIRE WITH TWO OWNERS
Someone had built a second financial network using Victor Blackwood’s identity.
The signatures looked real.
The authorization codes were real.
Even Victor’s private corporate seals appeared on documents he had never seen.
Marcus looked horrified.
“This could bury us.”
Victor shook his head.
“It could bury me.”
Detective Reed examined the files.
“If these are authentic, you financed the Montigue companies.”
“I didn’t.”
“Your name says otherwise.”
“Then my name is lying.”
Lily sat quietly across the room.
She had spent her life far away from corporate deals.
But she noticed something the others overlooked.
“Why would Anna investigate her own husband secretly if she thought Victor was responsible?”
Everyone turned.
Lily continued.
“She didn’t.”
“She wrote that someone was using companies in her name.”
“She must have suspected identity theft before any of you.”
Reed nodded slowly.
“Good point.”
Victor looked at Lily differently.
“Keep going.”
“If somebody could pretend to be Anna…”
Lily pointed at Victor’s documents.
“…they could pretend to be you.”
Marcus pulled the server records.
One administrator had authority to create duplicate credentials.
Victor stared at the name.
Daniel Blackwood.
But Daniel had needed a second approval.
The second name was Councilman Hale.
Reed leaned back.
“Well.”
“That’s ugly.”
Hale had once served as Blackwood Holdings’ outside legal counsel before entering politics.
He knew the family.
The accounts.
The signatures.
Everything.
Victor’s phone rang again.
This time Daniel appeared on video.
He looked exhausted.
Bruised.
Terrified.
“Victor.”
“Where are you?”
“I don’t have much time.”
“Did you kill Anna?”
Daniel stared at him.
“No.”
“Did you help?”
Daniel’s silence answered enough.
Victor’s face tightened.
“I tampered with the inspection report.”
Daniel whispered.
“I didn’t touch her car.”
“Why?”
“Hale had evidence against me.”
“What evidence?”
“I stole from you.”
Victor closed his eyes.
Daniel continued.
“I thought it was temporary.”
“It never is.”
“I owed millions.”
“To Serena’s father?”
“No.”
Daniel looked directly into the camera.
“To Hale.”
Victor felt cold.
“Hale owned Montigue through shell companies.”
“He used Serena’s father as a front.”
“And Serena?”
“She was raised to marry money.”
Daniel gave a bitter laugh.
“She just didn’t know whose money until you.”
Victor wanted to hate his brother.
He did hate him.
But something in Daniel’s eyes looked like a man already expecting to die.
“Where are you?”
Daniel suddenly glanced behind him.
“I found Everett Crane.”
Victor stood.
“Anna’s mechanic?”
“Yes.”
“He’s alive?”
“For now.”
Daniel lowered his voice.
“And he has the original parts from Anna’s car.”
Victor felt his heartbeat change.
“Bring him to me.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because Hale knows I found him.”
A loud bang echoed from Daniel’s side.
He turned.
“Damn it.”
Another crash.
Victor shouted,
“Daniel!”
Daniel looked back into the camera.
“If I don’t make it…”
“Don’t.”
“…ask Lily about the blue blanket.”
The screen went black.
Victor slowly turned toward Lily.
Her face had lost all color.
“How does Daniel know about the blue blanket?”
May you like
Lily whispered,
“Because Ethan wasn’t the first Blackwood child Serena tried to hurt.”
