Chapter 4: The Man in the Office
“What the hell was my brother doing in my safe?””
Alexander’s voice was barely above a whisper.
Nobody answered.
On the laptop screen, Marcus Whitmore stood inside Alexander’s private office at 2:13 in the morning.
Vanessa stood beside him.
The office safe was open.
One of the police officers stepped closer.
“Mr. Whitmore, is that definitely your brother?””
Alexander didn’t blink.
“Yes.””
Vanessa folded her arms.
“This has nothing to do with Noah.””
Alexander turned slowly.
“You entered my office in the middle of the night with my brother and opened my safe.””
“It was a business matter.””
“At two in the morning?””
“Marcus needed documents.””
“He has his own office.””
Vanessa looked away.
Alexander pointed toward the screen.
“And you knew my safe code.””
“I’m your wife.””
“I never gave you that code.””
That silenced the room.
Laura stepped beside him.
“Alexander, don’t ask her anything else right now.””
“I want to know.””
“I understand. But let the police handle this.””
Vanessa laughed bitterly.
“Oh, please. Now I’m some criminal mastermind?””
One officer glanced at the prescription bottle on the marble floor.
“We’re going to need everyone to remain available for questioning.””
Vanessa’s smile disappeared.
Alexander looked at me.
“Rachel, we’re taking Noah to the hospital.””
He turned to Laura.
“Come with us.””
Then he pointed toward Evan.
“Make copies of everything. Nothing gets deleted again.””
Evan nodded.
As I followed Alexander outside, I heard Vanessa shouting behind us.
“Alexander! Don’t you dare leave me here!””
He never turned around.
The drive to Children’s Medical Center Dallas felt endless.
Noah sat strapped into his car seat beside me while Alexander drove faster than I had ever seen him drive.
Every few seconds, he checked the rearview mirror.
“Is he awake?””
“Yes.””
“Still breathing normally?””
“Yes, sir.””
“Stop calling me sir.””
I looked up.
His hands were white around the steering wheel.
“Alexander,” I said quietly.
“He’s awake.””
Noah reached toward me.
I gave him my finger.
He squeezed it.
Alexander saw that in the mirror.
His eyes filled.
He looked back at the road.
At the hospital, Dr. Harris met us near the pediatric emergency department.
“What happened?””
Alexander explained everything in clipped sentences.
The iron.
The deleted footage.
The prescription bottle.
The strange sleeping episodes.
Dr. Harris’s expression grew more serious with every word.
“I want blood and urine samples immediately.””
Alexander held Noah while a nurse prepared the tests.
The moment the needle appeared, Noah screamed.
Alexander flinched harder than his son did.
“Daddy’s here,” he whispered.
Noah grabbed his shirt.
I stood near the wall, suddenly feeling like I didn’t belong.
Alexander noticed.
“Rachel.””
“Yes?””
“Stay.””
One word.
But it carried four years of trust.
So I stayed.
Nearly an hour later, Noah finally fell asleep against Alexander’s chest.
Laura entered the examination room holding her phone.
“I have information.””
Alexander looked up.
“About Marcus?””
“Yes.””
She closed the door.
“Your security company recovered another section of the office footage.””
She handed him her phone.
The clip showed Marcus removing a thick envelope from the safe.
Then Vanessa handed him something.
A folder.
Marcus opened it.
Even through the grainy footage, I could see several official-looking documents.
“What are those?”” I asked.
Alexander stared.
“I don’t know.””
Laura zoomed in.
“There’s a company seal.””
Alexander leaned closer.
“Whitmore Holdings.””
His voice changed.
“That folder contains corporate documents.””
Laura nodded.
“I thought so.””
Alexander looked at her.
“What kind?””
“I can’t tell from the video.””
His phone rang.
Marcus.
Everyone stared at the screen.
Alexander answered on speaker.
“Where are you?””
Marcus sounded confused.
“At home. Why?””
“You were in my office three nights ago.””
Silence.
Then Marcus laughed.
“What are you talking about?””
“I have video.””
Another silence.
Longer this time.
“Alex, whatever Vanessa told you—”
“She hasn’t told me anything.””
Marcus breathed out.
“Then let’s talk privately.””
“We’re talking now.””
“Not over the phone.””
Alexander’s voice hardened.
“Did you open my safe?””
Marcus didn’t answer.
“Did you take documents from my safe?””
“Alex—”
“Yes or no?””
“I was protecting you.””
Alexander actually laughed.
It was a cold, broken sound.
“From what?””
“From a mistake you made.””
“What mistake?””
Marcus lowered his voice.
“Marrying her.””
Vanessa?
I looked at Laura.
She looked equally confused.
Alexander sat straighter.
“You were secretly meeting my wife to protect me from my wife?””
“It’s complicated.””
“Try me.””
Marcus paused.
Then he said something that changed the entire room.
“Vanessa didn’t marry you because she loved you.””
Alexander went still.
Marcus continued.
“She married you because she needed access to something your father left behind.””
Alexander’s face drained.
“What?””
Before Marcus could answer, a nurse entered.
“Mr. Whitmore?””
Alexander covered the phone.
“Yes?””
“The preliminary toxicology results are back.””
Dr. Harris appeared behind her.
His expression told us everything before he spoke.
Alexander slowly stood.
“Tell me.””
Dr. Harris looked toward sleeping Noah.
“We found traces of a sedative in your son’s system.””
The phone slipped from Alexander’s hand.
Marcus’s voice continued from the floor.
“Alex? Alex, are you there?””
Alexander stared at his baby.
“How much?””
“We need additional testing.””
“Could it be accidental?””
Dr. Harris hesitated.
“Not likely.””
Alexander closed his eyes.
Then Marcus’s voice came through the fallen phone again.
“Alex, listen to me. There’s something else you need to know about Noah.””
Alexander’s eyes opened.
He picked up the phone.
“What about my son?””
May you like
Marcus whispered three words.
“Check his trust.””
