Chapter 9 - MY FATHER'S RIGHT HAND
I looked at Daniel.
Nobody spoke.
Daniel stared at the screen.
Then at my father.
“Thomas.”
Dad's face was unreadable.
“Tell me that's fake.”
“It is.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I've never slept with Vanessa Cole.”
I believed him.
But belief had nearly destroyed me once.
So I said the only thing I could.
“Prove it.”
Daniel looked hurt.
Then he nodded.
“You're right.”
He removed his phone.
“Take it.”
Ramirez accepted it.
“Passwords?”
Daniel gave them to her.
“Email, messages, location history. Everything.”
Dad stepped away from him.
Thirty years of friendship moved into the space between them.
Daniel had been beside my father through my mother's death.
Through board battles.
Through my wedding.
Through everything.
If he was D—
I couldn't finish the thought.
Ramirez asked, “Do you know Vanessa?”
“I've met her twice.”
“When?”
“Vale Meridian events.”
“Alone?”
“Never.”
Daniel looked at me.
“She approached me at the winter charity gala. She asked questions about you.”
“What questions?”
“Whether Thomas was disappointed you married Adrian.”
“And?”
“I told her it wasn't her business.”
I remembered that gala.
Vanessa had disappeared for nearly twenty minutes.
Adrian claimed she was helping a donor.
Another lie.
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered carefully.
“Hello?”
Adrian whispered, “Don't say my name.”
My spine stiffened.
“Where are you?”
“Vanessa has me.”
Dad immediately signaled Ramirez.
She began tracing.
“What does that mean?”
“She came to the office with a gun.”
My stomach dropped.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“Where are you?”
“I don't know. She put me in the trunk.”
I closed my eyes.
“Can you get out?”
“No.”
“Where is she?”
“Upstairs somewhere.”
I heard him breathing hard.
Then he whispered, “Eleanor, I found something.”
“What?”
“Before she came, I opened Marcus's backup files.”
“We have those.”
“No. These were on the company server.”
Dad moved closer.
“What did you find?”
“A video.”
“What video?”
“Vanessa meeting D.”
“Who is D?”
“I couldn't see his face.”
“Adrian.”
“I’m telling you the truth!”
“Then what did you see?”
He hesitated.
“A ring.”
Dad suddenly looked at Daniel's hand.
A gold signet ring.
Our family crest.
My blood went cold.
Daniel saw us looking.
“No.”
Adrian continued through the phone.
“The man was wearing a Mercer ring.”
I stared at Daniel.
Only senior family executives received those rings.
There were twelve in existence.
Daniel was one.
My father was another.
Two belonged to dead relatives.
Eight others belonged to people who had worked with us for decades.
Dad whispered, “Ask him where the video was filmed.”
I did.
“A hotel.”
“Which one?”
“The Belmont.”
Dad's face changed.
I knew why.
Mercer Global held its annual private executive retreat at the Belmont.
No outsiders.
No guests.
No press.
Vanessa should never have been inside.
Suddenly, Adrian inhaled sharply.
“She’s coming.”
“Adrian—”
“Eleanor.”
His voice broke.
“If I don't get out of this, I need you to know something.”
I closed my eyes.
“Don't.”
“I’m sorry.”
Footsteps sounded.
Then Vanessa's voice.
“You're not sorry.”
May you like
A gunshot exploded through the phone.
And the line went silent.
