Chapter 6: The Price of the Truth
The world became silent.
Even the alarm.
Even the voices around me.
All I could see was the empty room on my phone screen.
Lily’s bed.
Her stuffed rabbit.
The open window.
She was gone.
“Lily?””
My voice broke.
I ran.
Not walked.
Ran.
For the first time in months, my legs carried me across the hallway.
I reached her bedroom door and pushed it open.
The room was cold.
The curtains moved in the wind.
Marcus arrived seconds later with security behind him.
“Sir—”
“Find my daughter.””
Everyone moved immediately.
I stood beside the window, looking outside.
A small mark was carved into the wooden frame.
A symbol.
I had seen it before.
On documents.
On hidden company files.
On a folder I thought was meaningless.
I whispered:
“No…”
Marcus looked at me.
“What is it?””
I turned around.
“The person behind this isn’t after my money.””
“Then what do they want?””
I looked at the symbol.
“They want something I refused to give them.””
Vanessa entered the room slowly.
For once, she looked genuinely terrified.
“I told you this would happen.””
I turned toward her.
“You knew?””
She looked down.
“I knew someone would come for Lily.””
My anger exploded.
“You knew someone wanted my daughter?””
“I tried to protect her.””
“You slapped her.””
Her eyes filled with guilt.
“I panicked.””
I stepped closer.
“No. You were afraid.””
Vanessa didn’t deny it.
Because she knew I was right.
“You don’t understand who you’re fighting.””
“Then tell me.””
She looked toward the empty hallway.
“His name is Victor.””
The name meant nothing to me.
But Ethan reacted immediately.
His face turned pale.
“You’re sure?””
Vanessa nodded.
“He’s back.””
Marcus frowned.
“Who is Victor?””
Nobody answered.
That frightened me.
I looked at Ethan.
“You know him.””
Ethan swallowed.
“Everyone who worked in the company ten years ago knew him.””
“Explain.””
Ethan sat down slowly.
“Victor was the person who helped build your first investment group.””
I stared at him.
“I never had a partner named Victor.””
“That’s because you removed him.””
“Why?””
Ethan looked at me.
“Because he wasn’t trying to build the company.””
A cold feeling moved through my chest.
“What was he trying to do?””
Ethan whispered:
“Own it.””
The room fell silent.
Marcus checked his phone.
Then his expression changed.
“Sir.””
“What?””
“We found the vehicle.””
My heart stopped.
“Where?””
“Ten miles from here.””
“Is Lily inside?””
He hesitated.
That hesitation destroyed me.
“Marcus.””
He looked down.
“No.””
I closed my eyes.
For one second, I couldn’t breathe.
Then Vanessa spoke.
“There will be another message.””
Everyone looked at her.
She continued:
“Victor always gives people a choice.””
My phone buzzed.
A new message appeared.
A location.
And a photo.
Lily was sitting in a dark room.
Alive.
But crying.
Below the image were three words.
*Bring the documents.*
I stared at the screen.
“What documents?””
Nobody answered.
Then Ethan slowly looked at me.
“The original ownership files.””
I turned.
“What?””
He lowered his voice.
“The ones proving Victor’s claim to your company.””
I looked at Vanessa.
Then Ethan.
Then the photo of my daughter.
For years, I thought my biggest enemy was the person closest to me.
I was wrong.
The real enemy had been waiting in the shadows.
And now he had my daughter.
But what Victor didn’t know was one thing.
I had spent six weeks pretending to be helpless.
I wasn’t helpless anymore.
I was coming for him.
May you like
And when I arrived…
I was going to find out why he was so desperate to destroy my family.
