Chapter 6: The Employee Nobody Suspected
The name on the screen stayed there.
I read it three times.
Then a fourth.
Because my brain refused to accept it.
“Emily…”
She walked closer.
“What?””
I pointed.
She looked.
And went silent.
The login belonged to Andrew Miller.
My chief operations officer.
My right-hand man.
The person who had been beside me for twelve years.
The person who knew every major decision before anyone else.
“No,” Emily whispered.
I looked at her.
“You’re sure?””
She shook her head.
“Andrew wouldn’t do this.””
I stared at the screen.
“Then someone used his account.””
“That’s possible.””
“But?””
She hesitated.
“But the security logs show his fingerprint verification.””
The room went quiet.
A person could fake a password.
They could steal a phone.
But fingerprints were different.
I sat down slowly.
Andrew was the last person I expected.
Thomas was a betrayal I could understand.
A former partner chasing power.
That made sense.
But Andrew?
He was family.
At least, I thought he was.
My phone buzzed.
A message from Thomas.
*Now you understand.*
I looked at the words.
Then another message appeared.
*You trusted the wrong people.*
I turned the phone off.
Emily watched me.
“What are you going to do?””
I stood up.
“Find the truth.””
She nodded.
“Should we confront Andrew?””
“No.””
“Why?””
“Because if he’s involved, he’ll hide everything.””
I grabbed my jacket.
“And if he isn’t?””
Emily looked at me.
“Then?””
“Then someone wants us to believe he is.””
We drove to the construction headquarters without telling anyone.
Andrew’s office was on the top floor.
The place where we had celebrated our biggest contracts.
Where we had planned the future.
Where he once told me:
“Daniel, this company will outlive both of us.””
I opened the door.
Andrew was sitting inside.
He looked surprised.
“Daniel?””
I smiled.
“Busy morning?””
He stood.
“Not really. What’s going on?””
I walked around his desk.
Watching.
Looking for anything.
Anything unusual.
“Andrew, how long have you known Thomas?””
His expression barely changed.
But barely was enough.
“Thomas?””
“Yes.””
He smiled.
“I haven’t spoken to him in months.””
“Interesting.””
“What?””
I placed a printed security report on his desk.
His eyes dropped.
The color slowly left his face.
“What is this?””
“You tell me.””
He picked it up.
Read it.
Then looked at me.
“Daniel, I can explain.””
That sentence hurt more than anything.
Because innocent people usually said:
“What is this?””
Guilty people said:
“I can explain.””
I leaned against the desk.
“Go ahead.””
Andrew sat down.
“I made a mistake.””
“What mistake?””
“I met with Thomas.””
“When?””
“Three months ago.””
“Why?””
He looked away.
“He offered me something.””
My chest tightened.
“What?””
Andrew was silent.
Then he said:
“A position.””
“With him?””
“Yes.””
I laughed quietly.
Not because it was funny.
Because it hurt.
“So you were going to leave?””
“No.””
“Then why meet him?””
“Because I wanted to know what he was planning.””
I studied his face.
“And did you?””
Andrew looked at me.
“Yes.””
A pause.
“He wanted to destroy you.””
The words landed heavily.
“Why?””
Andrew looked down.
“Because he believes you stole his legacy.””
I frowned.
“I bought his shares.””
“I know.””
“Fairly.””
“I know.””
“Then why?””
Andrew’s voice became quieter.
“Because Thomas never believed he was your partner.””
He looked up.
“He believed he was the reason you succeeded.””
Before I could answer, Andrew’s computer screen flashed.
A new email notification.
The sender’s name appeared.
Thomas Reed.
Andrew looked at it.
Then at me.
And I knew.
Whatever was inside that email was going to change everything.
I clicked it open.
May you like
The message contained only one line.
*“Ask Daniel why he never told you the truth about the night Thomas left.””*
