Chapter 10: The Betrayal Inside the Investigation
The man standing in front of me looked nothing like the person I thought I knew.
Agent Michael Hayes.
The investigator who helped me organize evidence.
The man who sat across from me in quiet coffee shops and told me, “You’re doing the right thing.””
The man who promised Daniel Mercer would never hurt me again.
Now he stood beside Richard Vale.
Silent.
Ashamed.
Betraying.
I stared at him.
“Tell me I’m wrong.””
Michael looked down.
That was all it took.
My chest tightened.
“You knew?””
His voice was barely a whisper.
“Emma…”
“No.””
I stepped backward.
“Don’t say my name like you still care.””
The room became painfully quiet.
Richard watched with a small, satisfied smile.
He wanted this.
He wanted me broken.
But he didn’t understand something.
I had already been broken once.
I had rebuilt myself from the pieces.
Michael swallowed.
“I never wanted you to get hurt.””
I laughed.
The sound surprised even me.
“That’s what everyone says.””
Daniel.
Victoria.
Claire.
Now him.
Everyone who betrayed me claimed they were trying to protect me.
“You knew about Daniel.””
Michael nodded slowly.
“I knew parts of it.””
“Parts?””
My voice rose.
“You knew he was dangerous.””
“Yes.””
“You knew about the money.””
“Yes.””
“You knew about the accident.””
His silence answered before his words did.
I felt sick.
“You knew.””
Michael closed his eyes.
“Yes.””
Claire moved closer to me.
“Emma…”
I raised my hand.
I couldn’t hear another apology.
Not today.
Richard leaned against the table.
“Mr. Hayes was useful.””
Michael looked at him.
“Don’t.””
Richard ignored him.
“He gave us information about your investigation.””
I looked at Michael.
“What information?””
Richard smiled.
“Everything.””
The word echoed.
Everything.
The meetings.
The evidence.
My plans.
My escape route.
All of it.
Michael had been the reason Daniel was always prepared.
I remembered every moment.
The lawyer who suddenly canceled.
The evidence that vanished.
The threats that came right after I made progress.
I thought Daniel was watching me.
But he had someone watching me.
Someone I trusted.
“Why?”” I asked.
Michael looked at me.
And for the first time, I saw genuine regret.
“My daughter.””
The answer stopped me.
“What?””
Richard’s expression changed slightly.
Michael continued.
“Three years ago, my daughter needed medical treatment. Richard paid for it.””
Claire frowned.
“So you sold him information?””
Michael looked away.
“I thought I could repay the debt.””
I stared at him.
“And when did you realize what you were helping him do?””
Michael’s face tightened.
“When it was too late.””
Nobody spoke.
Then the agent beside Arthur stepped forward.
“You’re under arrest.””
Michael didn’t resist.
He simply looked at me one last time.
“I’m sorry.””
I didn’t answer.
Because sorry was the easiest thing to say.
The hardest thing was accepting what you had done.
After Michael was taken away, Richard picked up the folder.
“Now we can discuss the real problem.””
I looked at him.
“You.””
He smiled.
“Smart.””
Arthur stepped forward.
“Richard, this ends here.””
Richard laughed.
“You still think you have power.””
Arthur’s expression hardened.
“I built Mercer Holdings.””
“No.””
Richard shook his head.
“You built the appearance of power.””
He placed a document on the table.
Arthur looked at it.
Then his face changed.
“What did you do?””
Richard smiled.
“Your company was already mine.””
The room froze.
I looked at Arthur.
“What does that mean?””
Arthur didn’t answer.
Richard did.
“It means the Mercer empire was never as independent as everyone believed.””
He tapped the document.
“For years, your company survived because of my investments.””
Arthur’s jaw tightened.
“But you hid the ownership.””
“Of course.””
Richard smiled.
“People respect a family empire more than a financial arrangement.””
The agent grabbed the document.
“This needs to be reviewed immediately.””
Richard nodded.
“Review it.””
Then he looked at me.
“But before anyone leaves…”
He opened another file.
“This concerns Emma.””
My stomach tightened.
“What now?””
Richard placed a photograph on the table.
It showed me.
Standing outside my company.
Talking to someone.
Someone I recognized.
My breath caught.
Because the person beside me was not Daniel.
Not Claire.
Not Michael.
May you like
It was someone who had died two years ago.
My father.
