Chapter 11 - THE WOMAN WHO HELD THE MISSING PIECE
The next morning, Daniel called me before sunrise.
“Clara.”
I immediately sat up.
“What happened?”
“We found something.”
His voice sounded different.
Not worried.
Excited.
“What?”
“Someone contacted my office.”
“Who?”
He paused.
“Julian’s former business partner.”
I frowned.
“Why?”
“He wants to testify.”
My heart started racing.
“About what?”
“Everything.”
Two hours later, I met him.
His name was Marcus Hill.
He looked like someone who hadn’t slept in years.
When he sat down, he didn’t waste time.
“Julian Sterling is not who you think he is.”
I almost laughed.
“That’s obvious.”
Marcus looked at me.
“You have no idea.”
He opened a folder.
Inside were contracts.
Emails.
Photographs.
“Seven years ago, Julian worked with me.”
“Doing what?”
“Investments.”
“And?”
Marcus looked down.
“He manipulated clients.”
My stomach tightened.
“What kind of manipulation?”
“He convinced people to move assets into accounts he controlled.”
I stared at him.
“Like me.”
“Yes.”
The room went quiet.
“How many people?”
Marcus swallowed.
“More than ten.”
Daniel looked shocked.
“Why didn’t anyone report him?”
“Some did.”
“And?”
Marcus laughed bitterly.
“He destroyed their reputations first.”
I understood immediately.
Make people look crazy.
Make people look unreliable.
Make people impossible to believe.
Julian’s favorite weapon.
“Why are you helping me?”
Marcus looked at the table.
“Because I helped him.”
That surprised me.
“What?”
“I introduced him to people. I trusted him.”
He looked ashamed.
“And then he destroyed me.”
Marcus pulled out another document.
“This is the reason I came.”
I read the title.
My heart stopped.
“Medical information access report.”
Daniel leaned forward.
“What is this?”
Marcus looked at me.
“Julian wasn’t only interested in your money.”
My hands went cold.
“What else?”
“He was interested in your family history.”
I stared at him.
“Why?”
Marcus hesitated.
Then said:
“Because Julian believed Leo’s illness could be used against you.”
My eyes filled.
Again.
Everything came back to Leo.
My baby.
My innocent little boy.
Someone had turned his pain into a weapon.
“Where did he get this information?”
Marcus looked at me.
“That’s the problem.”
“What?”
“He didn’t get it alone.”
A cold feeling moved through me.
“Who helped him?”
Marcus didn’t answer.
Instead, he looked toward the door.
Everyone became silent.
May you like
Because someone was standing there.
Chloe.
