Chapter 7 - THE SECRET IN LILY’S PAST
Victor returned to the hospital with Serena’s accusation echoing in his mind.
He hated himself for questioning Lily.
But he could not ignore anything now.
Ethan was asleep when he arrived.
Lily sat near the window.
She knew immediately something had changed.
“What happened?”
Victor closed the door.
“Do you know Michael Blackwood?”
Lily went pale.
Victor saw it.
His chest tightened.
“You do.”
Lily stood.
“I can explain.”
“Then explain.”
Her hands began trembling.
“Not the way Serena thinks.”
“What way is that?”
Lily looked toward Ethan.
Then back at Victor.
“My father worked for Michael.”
Victor said nothing.
“His name was Daniel Hart.”
Victor recognized it.
Daniel Hart had been an accountant for one of Michael’s companies.
He disappeared around the same time Michael supposedly died.
“Your father stole money from my family.”
Lily flinched.
“That’s what everyone believed.”
Victor waited.
“He didn’t steal it.”
“He found it.”
“What?”
“My father discovered Michael was moving money through fake companies.”
“He collected records.”
“He planned to give them to your father.”
“But before he could, he disappeared.”
Victor stared at her.
“How old were you?”
“Seventeen.”
“And you never saw him again?”
Lily shook her head.
“My mother died two years later.”
“I spent years trying to find out what happened.”
Victor’s voice became guarded.
“Is that why you came here?”
Lily did not answer quickly enough.
Victor understood.
“You applied for this job because of Michael.”
“At first.”
The words hurt more than Victor expected.
Lily continued quickly.
“I knew the Blackwood name might lead me to answers.”
“But then I met Ethan.”
Victor looked away.
“I never planned to use him.”
“Did you search my house?”
“No.”
“Take documents?”
“No.”
“Lie to me?”
Lily’s eyes filled with tears.
“About why I applied?”
“Yes.”
“About Ethan?”
“Never.”
Victor walked toward the window.
Trust had become dangerous.
Serena had lied.
Michael had lied.
Now Lily had hidden something too.
Then Lily reached into her bag.
“I have something.”
Victor turned.
She removed an old brass key.
“My father mailed this to me three days before he disappeared.”
“There was a note.”
“What did it say?”
Lily looked at him.
“Blackwood keeps the truth beneath the name.”
Victor frowned.
“That’s all?”
“Yes.”
Victor took the key.
An engraving appeared on one side.
B-17.
Victor recognized the numbering system.
Old Blackwood Bank safe-deposit boxes.
The bank had closed eleven years earlier.
But its private vault had been moved into a secure archive owned by Victor’s company.
Victor looked at Lily.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because your family blamed my father.”
“I didn’t know whether you would believe me.”
Victor looked at Ethan.
Then at the key.
“Maybe it’s time we find out.”
They opened Box B-17 that afternoon.
Inside was a flash drive.
A ledger.
And a handwritten letter addressed to Victor Blackwood.
Victor opened it.
May you like
The first line made his blood run cold.
VICTOR, IF YOU ARE READING THIS, MICHAEL HAS ALREADY DECIDED TO DESTROY YOU.
