Chapter 5 - THE NIGHT HASSAN LIED

Hassan denied everything.

“I was not in Samira’s room.”

The family gathered inside the private dining chamber because Farid had sealed the library as a possible crime scene.

Leïla sat across from her father.

Karim remained standing.

“You want to explain why your blood was outside her door?” he asked.

Hassan touched the old scar near his thumb.

“I cut myself two nights ago.”

“Where?”

“In my room.”

“Your room is seventy yards away.”

“I don’t know how the blood got there.”

Karim slammed his palm on the table.

“Stop lying!”

“Watch your tone.”

“A woman is missing!”

“I know that.”

“She may be your daughter!”

Hassan’s expression cracked.

Only for a moment.

But Leïla saw it.

Guilt.

“Tell us about Dalia,” she said.

Hassan looked at her.

“The truth this time.”

He stayed silent for several seconds.

Then sat.

“I met Dalia when I was forty.”

“You were married,” Leïla said.

“Yes.”

“To our mother.”

“Yes.”

“How long?”

“Seven months.”

Karim stared at the floor.

Hassan continued.

“Dalia became pregnant. I told her I would support the child.”

“Privately,” Leïla said.

“Yes.”

“So nobody would know.”

“Yes.”

“And then?”

“She disappeared after giving birth.”

“You told us she died.”

“I said I was told the baby died.”

“Who told you?”

Hassan didn’t answer.

Leïla already knew.

“Omar.”

Hassan nodded.

Malik’s father.

“He brought me a hospital certificate,” Hassan said. “It said the baby died from respiratory failure.”

“And Dalia?”

“She left the city.”

“Did you search for her?”

“I tried.”

Karim gave a disgusted laugh.

“How hard?”

Hassan looked at him sharply.

“Harder than you know.”

Leïla placed the DNA report on the table.

“When did you discover Samira?”

“Two months ago.”

The timing hit her immediately.

The same period when Naïma asked for schedule changes.

The same period Malik appeared in General Affairs.

The same period Hassan changed his will.

“How?”

“Samira contacted me.”

Leïla stared.

“She already knew?”

“She suspected.”

“She told you?”

“She had letters from her mother.”

“What letters?”

Hassan’s face tightened.

“She said Dalia had written that I was her father.”

“Where are they?”

“Samira refused to give them to me.”

“Why?”

“Because she didn’t trust me.”

Leïla nearly laughed.

“She was smart.”

Hassan ignored the insult.

“We arranged the DNA test. When the result came back, I changed the will.”

Karim’s face hardened.

“You gave her control.”

“I gave her what should have been hers from birth.”

“You gave a stranger thirty-four percent of the company.”

“She is my daughter.”

“She cleaned my office!”

Hassan slammed both hands onto the table.

“Because someone made sure she grew up with nothing!”

The room fell quiet.

Karim stepped back.

Hassan breathed heavily.

For the first time, Leïla understood.

This wasn’t simply guilt.

Hassan was trying to correct something.

Maybe too late.

Farid entered.

“We found another access log.”

Leïla looked up.

“Whose?”

“Samira’s badge entered the West Wing at 02:09.”

“We know that.”

“That wasn’t the interesting part.”

Farid placed a tablet down.

“At 02:11, Hassan Rahmani’s private master key opened the secondary archive door.”

Everyone turned toward Hassan.

He went pale.

“I did not go there.”

Karim whispered, “Only you have that key.”

Hassan stood.

“No.”

Leïla watched him.

“What do you mean?”

Hassan stared at the tablet.

“Five years ago, when Omar was ill, I gave him a duplicate for emergencies.”

Malik’s father.

Karim said, “Omar is dead.”

“Yes.”

“Then where is his key?”

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Hassan slowly looked toward the door.

“I buried it with him.”