Chapter 13 - THE SECOND MAN WEARING GIDEON'S NAME
For once, the conspiracy had nothing to do with a twin.
I told Gideon that immediately.
He did not laugh.
His forged signature had been used to retrieve my father’s notebook five years ago.
The employee identification number belonged to Gideon’s office.
Only three people had access at the time.
Gideon.
His father.
And his former chief of staff.
Elliot Crane.
Elliot left Ashford Capital four years earlier.
According to company records, he relocated to Switzerland.
According to immigration records, he never did.
Naomi found him living under his middle name in Boston.
Federal investigators questioned him.
He asked for immunity before saying a word.
That was encouraging.
Elliot admitted Charles Ashford ordered him to retrieve Samuel Reed’s notebook after the fire.
“What happened to it?” Gideon asked.
“I gave it to Charles.”
“Then?”
“He realized Samuel had documented the patent fraud.”
Gideon’s face hardened.
“What did my father do?”
“Locked it in the private archive.”
“What archive?”
Elliot looked surprised.
“You don’t know?”
Apparently, Charles maintained an off-books document vault beneath an Ashford-owned brownstone in Manhattan.
Corporate secrets.
Blackmail files.
Illegal agreements.
Gideon looked disgusted.
“My father had a blackmail library.”
“Essentially.”
We obtained a court order.
The vault contained enough evidence to keep prosecutors busy for years.
Political donations.
Bribery records.
Patent theft.
Internal surveillance.
Then I found my father’s notebook.
His handwriting made my knees weak.
I sat on the floor and read.
Samuel had discovered Charles intended to commercialize the technology far beyond their agreed medical-security applications.
My father refused.
Three weeks later, he died.
The official accident report said he hydroplaned.
His notebook said someone had been following him.
The final entry:
If anything happens to me, Charles will call it an accident. Diana knows.
Diana Vaughn.
Cassidy’s mother.
The woman who helped Charles.
Maybe she had known about my father’s death too.
Cassidy was questioned again.
She broke.
Her mother had confessed before dying.
Charles ordered someone to frighten Samuel into surrendering his patents.
The man hired to do it caused the crash.
Charles claimed he never ordered murder.
My father died anyway.
Gideon walked out of the room.
I followed.
He stood in the hallway, pale.
“My father killed yours.”
“His actions caused his death.”
“That distinction does not help.”
“No.”
He looked at me.
“I understand if you never want to see me again.”
I stared.
“Why?”
“Because every major wound in your life leads back to my family.”
“Gideon.”
“The patents. Your father. The fire.”
“The fire leads to Parker.”
“Because my father created the circumstances.”
I stepped closer.
“You are not Charles.”
His expression cracked.
“How can you be sure?”
“Because when you discovered what he stole, you gave me the evidence.”
He looked away.
“When you learned your company might owe me hundreds of millions, you didn’t hide it.”
Silence.
“And when I told you I needed choices, you gave me choices.”
His eyes returned to mine.
“You’re not your father.”
Neither of us moved.
Then Gideon whispered:
“I’ve been trying very hard not to fall in love with you.”
My heart stopped.
“Why?”
“You’re still married.”
“Technically.”
“You’re recovering from betrayal.”
“Yes.”
“You work for me.”
“Currently.”
His mouth almost smiled.
“That seemed like enough reasons.”
“And did it work?”
“No.”
For the first time in years, someone wanted me without demanding anything from me.
That frightened me more than cruelty ever had.
I stepped closer.
Then stopped.
“Not yet.”
Gideon nodded immediately.
“Not yet.”
No disappointment.
No pressure.
Just respect.
The next morning, Naomi called.
The divorce court had received a strange filing.
Preston was surrendering his claim to every disputed marital asset.
All of it.
Including the apartment, investments, and his interest in Barrett.
I frowned.
“Why?”
Naomi answered:
“Because Preston disappeared last night.”
And security footage showed the last person entering his hotel room.
May you like
Parker Barrett.
Who was supposed to be locked inside a federal detention center.
