Chapter 3: The Secret in My Office
The next morning, Noah woke up asking if Halloween was over.
I sat beside his bed while sunlight came through the curtains.
“Yeah, buddy.””
He looked disappointed.
“Already?””
I smiled.
“Already.””
He touched the small bandage near his cheek.
“Is she going to get candy again?””
I paused.
Children had a way of asking the hardest questions with the simplest words.
“No.””
“Why?””
I looked at him.
“Because people who hurt others have to learn that choices have consequences.””
He thought about that.
Then he nodded.
“Okay.””
That was Noah.
He didn’t want revenge.
He wanted fairness.
I wished the world worked like that.
By nine that morning, I was sitting in the conference room at Cross Holdings.
Twenty executives surrounded the table.
Normally, this room was where I made decisions worth millions.
That day, nobody spoke.
The screen showed the documents my attorney had sent.
The Whitmore acquisition agreement.
The altered pages.
The unauthorized signature.
My chief financial officer, Alan Pierce, cleared his throat.
“Daniel, there has to be an explanation.””
I looked at him.
“There is.””
Everyone went quiet.
“Someone accessed my office.””
Alan shifted.
“Your office has security.””
“Yes.””
“Then how?””
That was the question.
How did someone enter a room that only three people could access?
I looked at the security report.
There were three names.
Mine.
Marcus.
And one other person.
My assistant.
Lena.
She had worked for me for seven years.
She knew my schedule.
She knew my habits.
She knew exactly when I left my office empty.
I hated the feeling that came with seeing her name.
Not anger.
Disappointment.
The door opened.
Lena walked in.
She immediately noticed the screen.
Her face changed.
“Daniel…”
I stood.
“Sit down.””
She slowly sat.
Alan looked between us.
“Lena, do you know anything about this?””
She didn’t answer.
That was answer enough.
I felt something heavy settle in my chest.
“Why?””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I didn’t mean for this to happen.””
I stared at her.
“You signed a document that could destroy a company.””
“I know.””
“Why?””
She looked down.
“Because I was scared.””
“Of what?””
She reached into her bag.
And placed a small envelope on the table.
Nobody moved.
I opened it.
Inside was a photograph.
A man.
Standing outside my house.
Watching.
My blood ran cold.
“What is this?””
Lena whispered:
“He found me three months ago.””
“Who?””
She looked at me.
“The person who ordered me to change the documents.””
I stared at her.
“Name.””
Her hands shook.
“I can’t.””
“Lena.””
“I can’t because he said if I told you, he would hurt someone.””
“Who?””
She looked toward the hallway.
Then back at me.
“You.””
The room went silent.
I looked at the photograph again.
The man in the picture was familiar.
Not a stranger.
Not an enemy.
Someone I had trusted.
Someone who had attended my family dinners.
Someone who knew Noah’s name.
My phone buzzed.
A message appeared.
Unknown number.
I opened it.
One sentence.
*You protected your son from one monster last night. You still haven’t found the one living inside your own company.*
Then another photo appeared.
My hands tightened around the phone.
It was a picture of Noah.
Taken that morning.
Outside our house.
I stood so quickly my chair fell backward.
Marcus immediately reached for his phone.
“Daniel?””
I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen.
Because the person who sent the picture wasn’t hiding anymore.
They wanted me to know they were watching.
May you like
And beneath the photo was one final message:
*Ask your wife why she never told you the truth about Noah’s birth.*
