Chapter 6: The Hidden Enemy
The name on Adrian’s phone belonged to someone I never expected.
Someone who had been sitting in the shadows while Adrian and Vanessa destroyed each other.
*Victor Hale.*
My father’s expression changed the moment he saw it.
Not fear.
Recognition.
“Who is he?”” I asked.
Nobody answered.
That scared me more than anything.
My father picked up the phone and looked at the message again.
“Where did you get this?””
Adrian looked confused.
“Vanessa sent it before she disappeared.””
Dad’s jaw tightened.
“What exactly did she say?””
Adrian unlocked the message.
It was short.
*You wanted the truth about Mercer Dynamics. Ask Victor Hale why he needed Claire removed.*
The room went silent.
I felt cold.
“Why would Victor Hale care about me?””
My father didn’t answer.
Instead, he walked toward the window.
That was when I knew.
He knew something.
“Dad.””
He turned.
“There are things I didn’t tell you.””
The words hurt more than I expected.
Not because I thought my father lied.
Because I had spent my entire marriage hiding my identity from Adrian.
And now I wondered if everyone had been hiding something from me.
“What things?””
Dad sighed.
“Victor Hale has been competing with Ellison Capital for years.””
“I know that.””
“No.””
His voice became serious.
“You know the public version.””
He walked back to the table.
“The truth is, Victor doesn’t compete. He infiltrates.””
Adrian looked at him.
“What does that mean?””
“It means he doesn’t destroy companies from the outside.””
My father looked at the documents.
“He gets close.””
A terrible realization entered my mind.
Vanessa.
Her sudden appearance.
Her perfect timing.
Her ability to understand Adrian.
“You think she worked for him.””
My father nodded.
“Yes.””
Adrian looked devastated.
“She never loved me.””
Nobody answered.
Because we all knew.
I watched him sit down.
The powerful CEO.
The man who once believed he controlled every room he entered.
Now broken by the realization that he had been controlled.
But then something changed.
He looked at me.
“Claire.””
I met his eyes.
“I know I don’t deserve your help.””
I stayed silent.
“But Victor Hale is dangerous.””
My father interrupted.
“She’s not helping you.””
Adrian nodded.
“I understand.””
For once, he didn’t argue.
He didn’t demand.
He didn’t assume.
That was the first time I saw something different in him.
Humility.
But it came too late.
A security alert suddenly appeared on the conference room screen.
Everyone turned.
Evelyn rushed inside.
“Mr. Ellison.””
“What happened?””
Her face was pale.
“Someone accessed the Mercer investigation files.””
My father stood.
“From where?””
Evelyn looked at me.
“From inside this building.””
Silence.
My heart started beating faster.
Someone inside Ellison Capital?
Impossible.
Or maybe not.
Because the greatest danger was never the person standing in front of you.
It was the person you never noticed.
My father grabbed the folder containing the evidence.
“Lock down the building.””
Adrian looked toward the door.
“Vanessa?””
I shook my head.
“No.””
Because deep inside, I knew.
This was bigger than Vanessa.
Bigger than Adrian.
Bigger than a broken marriage.
A second alert appeared.
This time, everyone saw it.
A message had been sent to every executive account in the building.
May you like
Only six words.
*Claire Ellison was never supposed to survive.*
