Chapter 6 - THE WOMAN IN THE PHOTOGRAPH
We flew to Denver under federal protection.
The acquisition was suspended.
The company’s board claimed they had no idea why.
I knew they were lying.
The moment we landed, the city felt different.
Every building seemed to have eyes.
Every passing car made me suspicious.
We were taken to a secure hotel.
That night, someone knocked on my door.
Three times.
I reached for the weapon the agent had given me.
“Who is it?”
A woman's voice answered.
“Damon.”
I opened the door.
A woman stood in the hallway.
Late thirties.
Dark hair.
Green eyes.
She looked familiar.
Too familiar.
She stared at me.
Then at Cassandra.
Cassandra stepped backward.
“Rebecca?”
The woman nodded.
Cassandra covered her mouth.
The sisters embraced.
I stood frozen.
Rebecca finally looked at me.
“You look just like your father.”
“Who are you?”
She laughed softly.
“You know who I am.”
“I don't.”
“You will.”
She entered.
The agents immediately surrounded her.
She raised her hands.
“I came alone.”
“Why?”
“Because I know who is behind the acquisition.”
I looked at her.
“Eleanor?”
Rebecca shook her head.
“No.”
“Then who?”
She looked at Cassandra.
“Your father.”
I felt anger rise.
“My father is dead.”
“No.”
She placed a file on the table.
“Your father staged his death.”
I stared.
“That makes no sense.”
“He had no choice.”
“Why?”
“Because Eleanor discovered he was planning to expose her.”
Rebecca explained that my father had disappeared years earlier.
He had built a second identity.
He had been secretly dismantling the network from the inside.
The heart attack had been staged.
The funeral had been real enough to fool everyone.
Except Rebecca.
She had found him.
She had been working with him.
“Then where is he?”
She looked at me.
“Closer than you think.”
My heart pounded.
“Where?”
“Denver.”
I sat down.
“Why didn't he contact me?”
“Because you were the bait.”
I didn't understand.
She explained that the acquisition was designed to force me into a legal position where I would become responsible for the company's criminal liabilities.
Once I signed, I would be trapped.
My father knew they would target me.
He needed me to discover the truth before the closing.
“Then why didn't he stop the deal?”
“Because he couldn't.”
“Why?”
“Because the person controlling the network has someone inside your company.”
“Who?”
Rebecca hesitated.
Then she said:
“Your chief financial officer.”
I felt sick.
“Michael?”
She nodded.
Michael had been my closest business partner.
The man who had helped negotiate the $780 million acquisition.
The man who had encouraged me to sign quickly.
The man who had repeatedly told me the deal was safe.
I called him.
No answer.
I called again.
Nothing.
Then my email chimed.
A new message.
From Michael.
The subject line contained only one sentence.
You should have stayed on the plane.
The attachment was a photograph.
Cassandra and the twins.
Taken that afternoon.
Then another message arrived.
Come to the warehouse alone.
Rebecca grabbed my arm.
“Don't.”
“I have to.”
“No.”
She looked terrified.
“That's exactly what they want.”
I stared at the photograph.
Then my phone rang.
It was Michael.
I answered.
His voice was calm.
“Damon, if you want your children alive, come alone.”
The call ended.
Cassandra looked at me.
“You're not going.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
I looked at Rebecca.
“I'm going.”
“But you won't be alone.”
I understood.
For the first time, the people I had once thought were ghosts were standing beside me.
My father.
My lost family.
My children.
May you like
And the truth.
We were finally going to bring it into the light.
