Chapter 4: The Name I Was Never Supposed to Hear
The name stayed in my mind long after Ethan Sterling finished speaking.
Richard Hale.
Veronica Hale’s father.
The man whose name was engraved on Westbridge’s newest business building.
The man everyone respected.
The man who had spent years being praised as a generous supporter of education.
And apparently, the same man connected to my father’s disappearance.
I sat silently inside the helicopter, staring at the city below.
Everything I thought I knew about my life had started breaking apart.
“My father worked with Richard Hale?””
Ethan nodded.
“Before Richard became the face everyone knows today, he was a financial partner in several technology companies. Your father was one of the few people who understood how those companies actually operated.””
“What does that mean?””
Ethan looked uncomfortable.
“It means your father was very good at finding things other people wanted hidden.””
I swallowed.
“Hidden things like what?””
The helicopter moved through the clouds.
For several seconds, Ethan didn’t answer.
Then he reached into his briefcase and pulled out an old photograph.
A younger version of my father stood beside two men.
One of them was Ethan.
The other was Richard Hale.
My fingers tightened around the photo.
“I’ve never seen this.””
“Because your father removed almost every picture of himself from public records.””
“Why?””
“Because he knew someone was watching.””
The words felt impossible.
My entire childhood had been built around one painful belief.
My father left because he didn’t want me.
Now Ethan was telling me he left because he was trying to protect me.
I wanted to believe it.
But hope was dangerous.
Hope had disappointed me before.
“My mother knew?””
Ethan looked down.
“No.””
The answer came too quickly.
I noticed.
“What aren’t you telling me?””
He looked back at me.
“Your mother knew your father was afraid.””
I froze.
“My mother never said anything.””
“She was trying to protect you too.””
I looked away.
My parents.
Two people I had spent years blaming.
Two people who might have been fighting a battle I never knew existed.
The helicopter landed on the private rooftop of Sterling Global’s headquarters.
The building was surrounded by glass and steel, completely different from my small apartment near campus.
But I didn’t feel impressed.
I felt lost.
Inside Ethan’s office, he placed another folder on the table.
“This contains everything I can legally show you.””
I didn’t touch it.
“Legally?””
“Yes.””
“That means there’s more.””
His silence answered for him.
I finally opened the folder.
The first page was an old contract.
The second was a company report.
The third was a photograph of my father.
Then I saw something that made my entire body go still.
A signature.
Richard Hale.
Next to it was another name.
Daniel Carter.
My father.
“What happened between them?””
Ethan leaned against his desk.
“Your father discovered that money from several investment accounts was being moved without authorization.””
“Richard stole money?””
“Not exactly.””
“Then what?””
Ethan looked serious.
“He created a system where nobody could prove who was responsible.””
I stared at the documents.
“Why didn’t you expose him?””
“Because I didn’t know how deep it went.””
A bitter laugh escaped me.
“So everyone was afraid of him?””
“Not afraid.””
Ethan paused.
“Careful.””
Before I could ask another question, his assistant rushed into the office.
“Mr. Sterling.””
Ethan turned.
“What happened?””
The assistant looked at me.
“There was another incident at Westbridge.””
My stomach tightened.
“What?””
The assistant hesitated.
“Someone broke into your dorm room.””
The room suddenly felt colder.
“Did they steal anything?””
“No.””
“Then what did they do?””
The assistant looked at Ethan.
“They left something behind.””
Ethan’s expression changed.
“What?””
The assistant handed him a photograph.
Ethan looked at it.
Then his face became completely serious.
He passed it to me.
I took it.
And my heart stopped.
It was a picture of me.
Taken yesterday.
Sleeping in my dorm room.
Someone had been inside.
Watching me.
And underneath the photograph was a handwritten message.
May you like
Three words.
*STOP LOOKING BACK.*
