Chapter 8
I had never felt sixty minutes pass so slowly.
Every second mattered.
Somewhere in Atlanta, Chloe was being held against her will.
And the people responsible believed I would hand over my mother's ledger to save her.
They were wrong about one thing.
I would do everything possible to save Chloe.
But I wasn't going to destroy the evidence my mother had risked her life to preserve.
Olivia contacted the police immediately.
Investigators instructed me not to negotiate independently or go anywhere alone.
They arranged to monitor incoming communications through appropriate procedures.
I sat in a secure hotel office with my phone in front of me.
Vanessa paced near the windows.
Her face was streaked with tears.
“Please, Marcus.”
I looked up.
“They're working on finding her.”
She shook her head.
“You don't understand. Chloe is all I have.”
Nia placed an arm around her.
“Vanessa, calm down.”
Vanessa pulled away.
“Don't tell me to calm down!”
Then she looked at me.
“Give them the stupid book!”
I stood slowly.
“Vanessa.”
She began crying harder.
“It's paper! My sister is a person!”
“I know.”
“Then give it to them!”
I took a breath.
“If we hand over the only original evidence without a safe plan, they may destroy it and still hurt Chloe.”
She stared at me.
“I won't let that happen.”
“How can you promise?”
I looked directly at her.
“Because we're involving the people trained to handle this.”
Her expression crumpled.
She sank into a chair.
For a moment, I remembered her standing in the lobby.
Laughing at my clothes.
Calling me broke.
Demanding that security remove me.
Now she was a terrified older sister.
And despite everything she had done, I couldn't ignore her pain.
I sat beside her.
“Vanessa, look at me.”
She slowly raised her eyes.
“Chloe was brave enough to report what she found.”
Vanessa nodded.
“We're not giving up on her.”
She began sobbing.
“I should have protected her.”
“You can help protect her now by telling investigators anything you remember about Richard.”
She wiped her face.
Then suddenly sat upright.
“Wait.”
I looked at her.
“What?”
“He used to take meetings somewhere private.”
“Where?”
“An old building near the river.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“What kind of building?”
Vanessa squeezed her eyes shut.
“A warehouse. Or maybe a storage office. I went there once.”
“Do you remember the address?”
She shook her head.
“No. But there was a mural on the wall outside.”
“What mural?”
“A blue bird.”
Daniel immediately relayed the information.
Police began checking possible locations.
Twenty minutes later, my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered according to the investigators' instructions.
Richard's voice came through.
“Marcus.”
I felt my stomach twist.
“Uncle.”
“Do you have the ledger?”
“Yes.”
“Good boy.”
I closed my eyes.
Those were the same words he used when I was little.
When I learned to ride a bicycle.
When I graduated from college.
Now they sounded poisonous.
“Where's Chloe?”
“Safe enough.”
“Let me hear her.”
Richard sighed.
“Don't be difficult.”
“She's a person, Richard. Not leverage.”
His voice hardened.
“You sound just like your mother.”
I clenched my jaw.
“Thank you.”
He gave a bitter laugh.
“Eleanor could never understand when to stop.”
“She understood right and wrong.”
“She wanted to ruin the company!”
“You were stealing from it.”
Silence.
Then Richard whispered, “You think you know everything?”
I looked toward the investigator beside me.
“Then explain what I don't know.”
Richard laughed.
“Your father knew the business was struggling years ago. I saved it.”
“By stealing?”
“By doing what had to be done!”
I felt my anger rise.
“You took money meant for sick children.”
He went silent.
I continued.
“You took money from employees who trusted us.”
“Don't lecture me!”
His shout crackled through the speaker.
I forced myself to remain calm.
“Let Chloe go.”
“Bring the ledger to the place I tell you.”
“I need proof she's alive.”
He hesitated.
Then I heard a young woman's voice.
“Marcus?”
Chloe.
My chest tightened.
“Chloe, are you hurt?”
“I'm okay,” she whispered.
Then I heard someone pull the phone away.
Richard returned.
“You've heard her. Now listen carefully.”
He gave an address.
The abandoned municipal records building beside the river.
Then he ended the call.
Daniel looked at his phone.
“That's close to a warehouse with a blue bird painted outside.”
Vanessa covered her mouth.
“Oh, God.”
The investigators coordinated the response.
I wasn't allowed to approach the building.
Instead, I remained at the hotel while trained officers moved into position.
Waiting was torture.
I paced.
I prayed.
I stared at the last photograph my mother and I had taken together.
She was laughing beside me at Christmas.
Her hand rested on my shoulder.
I whispered, “Please help me do this right.”
Forty minutes later, Daniel's phone rang.
He listened.
Then looked at me.
“They have Chloe.”
My knees nearly gave out.
“Alive?”
He nodded.
“Alive. She's frightened, but she's safe.”
Vanessa collapsed into Nia's arms.
I felt tears running down my face.
“Thank God.”
Daniel continued.
“Police detained two men at the building. Richard wasn't there.”
My relief became concern.
“Where is he?”
“They're looking for him.”
Then another call came.
An investigator requested to speak with me.
“Mr. Bennett, we found documents at the location linking it to the financial operation.”
I listened carefully.
“There's also evidence that Richard may have been planning to leave the state.”
My jaw tightened.
“Will Chloe be protected?”
“Yes. We're arranging appropriate safety measures.”
I thanked the investigator.
Then turned toward Vanessa.
She stood with trembling hands.
“She’s safe?” she whispered.
I nodded.
“She’s safe.”
She threw her arms around Nia.
They both cried.
For the first time since the nightmare began, I felt something other than anger.
Hope.
But it didn't last long.
At eleven that night, Simone arrived at the hotel.
She entered through the private executive entrance.
Daniel alerted me immediately.
“She says she needs to talk.”
I stared at him.
“Is Richard with her?”
“No.”
Olivia advised me not to meet Simone privately.
Instead, we arranged for the conversation to happen in a monitored conference room, with counsel present.
Simone entered wearing a dark green dress.
Her usual confidence was gone.
She looked exhausted.
When she saw me, tears filled her eyes.
“Marcus.”
I remained seated.
“What do you want?”
She looked at Olivia.
“Can we talk alone?”
“No,” I said.
Simone flinched.
“Please.”
I shook my head.
“Say what you came to say.”
She sat down.
For several seconds, she stared at her hands.
Then she began crying.
“I never wanted your mother to die.”
The words struck me like a blow.
I gripped the table.
“What did you want?”
She looked up.
“I wanted her to stop investigating.”
My throat tightened.
“So you locked her inside her room?”
Simone covered her face.
“I didn't think she was having a heart attack.”
I felt rage rising inside me.
“Ruth told you she needed help.”
Simone shook her head desperately.
“Richard said she was pretending.”
I stared at her.
“Did you believe him?”
She began sobbing.
“I wanted to.”
The room fell silent.
Then she whispered something that changed everything.
“Marcus, Richard didn't start this.”
I looked at her.
“What?”
She lifted her tear-streaked face.
“He took the money. He threatened people.”
She swallowed.
“But someone else gave him the plan.”
My heart began racing.
“Who?”
Simone glanced toward the door.
Then whispered, “The person who has been sitting on your board for twelve years.”
I felt cold.
“Which person?”
Simone answered.
“Helen Price.”
I stared at her.
Helen was the director who had demanded answers about the stolen funds.
The woman who voted to suspend Richard.
The woman who had comforted my mother during my father's funeral.
I couldn't speak.
Simone continued.
“Helen was going to take control of the company after Richard destroyed your reputation.”
My chest tightened.
“And what was supposed to happen to me?”
Simone began crying harder.
“You weren't supposed to find out.”
I leaned forward.
“Simone.”
She looked at me.
“What was supposed to happen to me?”
May you like
She closed her eyes.
Then whispered, “You were supposed to sign everything over to me after we got married.”
