Chapter 4 - THE MAN DOMINIC BURIED FROM HIS LIFE

Sebastian Vale had been dead to Dominic for eighteen years.

Not physically.

Emotionally.

Dominic’s uncle had helped build the first version of the Vale empire beside Dominic’s father.

Then greed split the brothers apart.

Money disappeared.

Men switched loyalties.

A warehouse burned.

Dominic’s father survived.

The partnership did not.

Sebastian vanished to Europe.

Dominic had not spoken his name in years.

Daniel stared across the study.

“You think Sebastian is behind this?”

“I think someone wants me to think he is.”

Mia sat slowly in a leather chair.

“Why?”

“Because my uncle hates me.”

Dominic inserted the memory card into the laptop.

The recording lasted eleven minutes.

Most of it was muffled.

Then Nathan’s voice became clear.

“After the ceremony, the signatures become valid.”

Claire answered.

“And Dominic?”

“Three days.”

“That’s too long.”

“It has to look natural.”

Then another voice appeared through a speakerphone.

Older.

Male.

Distorted by static.

“Do not improvise.”

Claire became silent.

The man continued.

“Vale must remain alive until the transfer is complete.”

Dominic stared at the screen.

Mia whispered,

“That’s Shepherd.”

Dominic did not respond.

The recording continued.

Nathan said,

“What about Mia?”

Claire answered.

“She saw too much.”

A silence followed.

Then the older voice spoke.

“Handle it quietly.”

Mia closed her eyes.

Dominic stopped the recording.

Nobody spoke for several seconds.

Daniel finally asked,

“Is that Sebastian?”

Dominic replayed the voice.

Once.

Twice.

A third time.

Then shook his head.

“No.”

“You’re sure?”

“My uncle has a scar across his throat.”

“His voice has sounded rough since I was twelve.”

“That isn’t him.”

Daniel leaned back.

“Then somebody is using his old name.”

“Exactly.”

Mia stared at the laptop.

“Who knew your father called him Shepherd?”

Dominic looked at her.

“My father.”

“My mother.”

“Me.”

“Nathan.”

“And a handful of men who worked for the family twenty years ago.”

Mia’s eyes hardened.

“So Nathan could have invented the whole thing.”

Dominic nodded.

“Or he could be protecting someone.”

Upstairs, a door slammed.

Daniel immediately reached for his radio.

A guard’s voice crackled through it.

“Power fluctuation in the east wing.”

Another voice followed.

“Camera network just dropped.”

Dominic stood.

“Manual lockdown.”

Daniel spoke into the radio.

“All units switch to backup.”

The lights flickered.

Then everything went black.

Mia froze.

Dominic grabbed her arm.

“Stay with me.”

Emergency lights came on.

Red.

Dim.

The mansion transformed instantly.

A second voice exploded over Daniel’s radio.

“Server room breach.”

Dominic was already moving.

He ran down the corridor.

Daniel beside him.

Mia followed despite his order.

They reached the security room.

Smoke seeped beneath the door.

Marcus kicked it open.

A small electrical fire burned beside the central server.

Daniel grabbed an extinguisher.

Thirty seconds later, the flames were out.

The main system was dead.

Daniel stared at the damaged drives.

“Somebody knew exactly what to hit.”

Dominic looked around.

“Where’s Claire?”

A guard answered.

“Her room.”

“Confirm.”

The guard spoke into his radio.

Nothing.

Then another voice came back.

“Miss Bennett isn’t there.”

Dominic’s jaw tightened.

“Where is Nathan?”

Silence.

Daniel turned sharply.

“Where is Nathan?”

Finally,

“Guest suite is empty.”

Nobody moved.

Nathan had been under two-man guard.

Both guards were found unconscious in the service hallway.

Alive.

But Nathan was gone.

Dominic walked into the corridor.

Mia followed.

“Dominic.”

He stopped.

She held up one hand.

“Listen.”

At first, he heard nothing.

Then—

A child crying.

Dominic’s face changed.

“Harper.”

Mia ran.

Dominic caught up before she reached the stairs.

They burst into the medical wing.

The bed was empty.

Elena stood in the hallway, panicked.

“She was here thirty seconds ago.”

Mia went white.

“Harper!”

A tiny voice answered from inside the linen closet.

“Mommy?”

Mia yanked the door open.

Harper sat inside hugging a blanket.

Mia dropped to her knees.

Harper wrapped herself around her.

“I heard noises.”

Mia held her tightly.

Dominic turned toward Daniel.

Nathan had escaped.

Claire had disappeared.

The cameras were destroyed.

But Harper was safe.

For the moment.

Then Harper lifted her head.

“Mr. Vale?”

Dominic looked down.

She held something in her little hand.

A silver cuff link.

Dominic recognized it immediately.

Nathan’s.

“Where did you get that?”

Harper pointed toward the service elevator.

“Mr. Cross dropped it.”

Dominic’s expression hardened.

“He was here?”

Harper nodded.

“He told me to come with him.”

Mia’s face lost all color.

“What did you do?”

Harper looked at Dominic.

“I remembered what Mr. Vale said.”

“What did I say?”

“That people who tell you not to ask questions are usually scared of the answers.”

Dominic almost smiled.

Harper continued.

“So I ran.”

Daniel looked toward the service elevator.

Dominic’s voice became cold.

“Nathan didn’t escape.”

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