Chapter 4 - The Woman Who Left
By midnight, Ethan had learned two things.
His mother might still be alive.
And someone knew every move he made.
Neither discovery brought him comfort.
Daniel arranged for a company security team to escort Isabella to a hotel under an assumed booking name. Isabella refused to leave her father's photograph behind, and Ethan personally carried the frame to the vehicle.
"I don't need you to protect me because you feel guilty," she said as they waited beside the elevator.
Ethan looked at her.
"I don't feel guilty about you."
"You've known me for three hours, and now I'm caught in a family conspiracy."
"That's a fair point."
"Then stop making decisions for me."
He was silent for a moment.
"You're right. You can decide whether to come with us. But if you do, you need to understand that this person has already watched your apartment."
Isabella tightened her grip on the photograph.
"I'm coming."
Daniel appeared in the corridor.
"There's something else you should know," he told Ethan. "Chad's lawyers have filed an emergency petition seeking an injunction against the Vance Group. They're claiming you concealed your controlling interest and improperly interfered with negotiations."
Ethan gave a humorless smile.
"Chad is filing a lawsuit while someone threatens my mother."
"He may be trying to make you look unstable. If the board believes you're acting irrationally, they'll have grounds to limit your authority."
"How convenient."
Daniel lowered his voice.
"Three directors have already requested an emergency meeting."
"Let them meet."
"Ethan, if you go to Lake Mercer tonight, they'll say you're neglecting your responsibilities."
"If I don't, my mother might die."
For once, Daniel had no argument.
***
Lake Mercer was thirty miles outside Briarwood, beyond a winding road surrounded by dark woods.
The estate had belonged to the Vance family for generations. After Michael's death, Ethan had ordered it closed, refusing to return to the place where his brother had spent his final weekend.
The iron gates were unlocked.
That frightened Ethan more than a locked gate would have.
A security light flashed above the entrance. The driveway curved toward a stone house with boarded windows and an abandoned fountain.
"This place hasn't been maintained in years," Isabella whispered.
"Someone has been here recently," Daniel replied. "Look at the tire tracks."
Two sets crossed the gravel.
One was fresh.
The other led toward a detached garage.
Ethan told the driver to remain by the vehicle while Daniel accompanied him and Isabella to the west entrance.
Inside, dust covered the furniture, but a narrow trail of footprints crossed the floor.
Someone had entered recently.
The west archive room was at the end of a corridor lined with family portraits. Michael's portrait hung beside Ethan's, both painted before the accident that had changed Ethan's life.
Ethan paused in front of his brother.
"You knew something I didn't," he murmured.
Isabella found the cabinet.
It was built into the wall beneath a row of shelves. The brass key fit perfectly.
Inside lay a small metal case.
Ethan opened it.
The case contained a memory card, several photographs, and a folded document bearing Margaret's signature.
Daniel examined the document.
"This appears to be a transfer of voting authority."
"From whom to whom?"
He read the page again.
"Margaret transferred her voting rights to Michael three days before the accident."
Ethan felt a cold pressure settle in his chest.
"My mother never had voting rights in the company."
"She did through an old family trust. The records were sealed after her death."
"But if she was dead, how could she sign a transfer?"
Daniel looked up.
"Exactly."
A sound came from the hallway.
Someone was moving through the house.
Daniel gestured for them to stay quiet while he moved toward the doorway.
A man's voice drifted through the darkness.
"You shouldn't have come back, Ethan."
Chad Mercer stepped into the room.
His expensive suit was wet from the rain, and he held a phone in one hand.
Behind him stood a tall man in a security uniform.
Ethan stared at Chad.
"You followed us."
"I came to prevent a very serious mistake."
"By breaking into private property?"
Chad's gaze shifted toward the metal case.
"You found it."
"What is it?"
"Something Michael should have destroyed."
Ethan's stomach tightened.
"You knew my brother."
Chad looked at him with an expression that was almost pity.
"Your brother didn't trust your father. He didn't trust the board. And eventually, he didn't trust you."
Ethan's voice hardened.
"Explain yourself."
Chad took one step forward.
"Ask Brooke what happened the night of your accident."
Then he turned toward the door.
The security guard blocked it.
Daniel moved between Ethan and the two men.
"Nobody is leaving with that case."
Chad gave him a thin smile.
"I'm not here for the case."
He raised his phone.
A live video filled the screen.
Margaret sat tied to a chair beneath a bare lightbulb.
Chad's smile disappeared.
"I'm here to make sure you understand the price of continuing this search."
He pressed a button.
May you like
Margaret screamed.
The video went dark.
