Chapter 8: The Person Watching Me
I stared at the photo.
My office.
My desk.
My chair.
Taken from inside my company.
The person who sent it wasn’t guessing.
They had been there.
I immediately called the number.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
I checked the image details.
The file contained no location information.
Whoever sent it knew exactly how to hide.
Clara walked into the room.
“Daniel?””
I turned the phone toward her.
Her face changed.
“Someone was inside your office?””
“I don’t know.””
“That’s not normal.””
No.
It wasn’t.
The next morning, I arrived at the company with security.
My employees noticed immediately.
Emily met me near the entrance.
“Is everything okay?””
“No.””
Her expression changed.
“What happened?””
“Someone took a photo from inside my office.””
She looked shocked.
“Are you sure?””
I showed her.
She stared at the screen.
“I’ve never seen anyone in there.””
“Think carefully.””
She frowned.
“Daniel…”
“What?””
“There was one person.””
My heart stopped.
“Who?””
She hesitated.
“Your uncle.””
I froze.
“My uncle?””
Emily nodded.
“Two weeks ago.””
I couldn’t believe it.
“My uncle hasn’t visited this office in years.””
“He said you invited him.””
I felt a strange pressure in my chest.
“My uncle’s name is Robert.””
“Yes.””
“What did he do?””
“Nothing unusual.””
Emily looked uncomfortable.
“He asked a lot of questions.””
“What kind?””
“About ownership.””
The pieces started moving.
Vanessa.
The account access.
The company shares.
The legal documents.
Maybe she wasn’t smart enough to do all this alone.
I drove directly to my uncle’s house.
Robert Carter lived across town in an old brick house.
He opened the door before I knocked twice.
Like he was expecting me.
“Daniel.””
His smile was too calm.
“Uncle Robert.””
He stepped aside.
“Come in.””
I stayed at the doorway.
“I have questions.””
He laughed softly.
“Your father said you would eventually come.””
That sentence immediately bothered me.
“My father?””
Robert poured himself coffee.
“Your family is complicated.””
“You accessed my office.””
His hand stopped.
Only briefly.
“I visited your office.””
“Why?””
“To talk.””
“You weren’t invited.””
He looked at me.
“You’re right.””
No denial.
No excuse.
Just acceptance.
“Why are you involved?””
He sat down.
“Because I watched your father sacrifice everything for this family.””
I frowned.
“What does that have to do with me?””
“Your father built a life. Then you came along and became the one everyone admired.””
I stared at him.
Another person with the same resentment.
“You think I took something from him?””
“I think your father deserved more.””
I laughed quietly.
“My father has a house I helped pay for.””
“That’s not the point.””
“Then what is?””
Robert leaned forward.
“You don’t know the whole story.””
I felt my anger rise.
“Everyone keeps saying that.””
“Because it’s true.””
He walked to a cabinet and pulled out a folder.
“I found something years ago.””
“What?””
He placed it on the table.
A bank document.
An old one.
I looked at it.
The account holder’s name made my heart stop.
My father.
But the transaction details were connected to my company.
A transfer.
A large one.
Years ago.
Before I had even started building my business.
“What is this?””
Robert looked at me.
“Ask your father.””
I stared at him.
“You’re saying my father stole from me?””
“I’m saying you should stop assuming you know who the victim is.””
I grabbed the document.
“This is a game to you.””
“No.””
His expression changed.
“For the first time, I’m trying to show you the truth.””
I walked out.
But before I reached my car, my phone rang.
It was my lawyer.
“Daniel, I found something.””
“What?””
“The ownership transfer attempt wasn’t created by Vanessa.””
My grip tightened.
“Then who created it?””
A pause.
May you like
Then:
“Your father.””
