Chapter 7
Daniel came to the apartment at dawn.
Marissa told me not to see him alone.
So I didn’t.
Robert sat beside me.
Two security guards stood near the door.
Daniel looked wounded when he saw them.
I did not apologize.
He held up both hands.
“I didn’t take the papers.”
Robert’s face was hard.
“You had the code.”
“Mom had it too.”
“I changed it last month.”
Daniel stared.
“What?”
Robert’s voice lowered.
“I changed it after Claire told me you were signing things without reading.”
Daniel looked at me.
I looked back.
He swallowed.
“Then who?”
Marissa placed a tablet on the table.
“Building footage.”
The video showed Robert’s office door opening at 11:46 p.m.
A man entered.
Tall.
Gray coat.
Cap pulled low.
He knew the hall.
He knew the cameras.
He knew the safe location.
Robert leaned closer.
His face drained.
“Malcolm.”
Daniel whispered, “How did he get in?”
Marissa said, “With an old executive access card.”
Robert covered his eyes.
“My fault again.”
No one contradicted him.
The stolen surgery papers mattered because they contained legal authority forms.
Robert had not signed the dangerous versions.
But Evelyn could forge what she needed if she had the originals for reference.
Marissa moved fast.
She alerted the hospital.
The board.
The banks.
The court.
Then she looked at Daniel.
“If you want to help, give me your phone.”
He hesitated.
My heart dropped.
“Daniel.”
He closed his eyes.
Then handed it over.
Marissa found messages from Evelyn.
Hundreds.
But one from last night stood out.
If Claire reaches your father first, everything we built dies.
Daniel had answered:
I don’t want to hurt her.
Evelyn replied:
Then stop being useless.
He had not answered after that.
I looked at him.
“You knew she was moving against me.”
His eyes filled.
“I didn’t know how far.”
I stood.
“You never do. That’s your excuse every time.”
He whispered, “I’m sorry.”
May you like
I walked past him.
This time, he did not follow.
