Chapter 7 - Sophia Finds Martin’s Phone
Martin’s phone was found in the service corridor.
The screen was cracked.
A voice memo was still recording.
Police played the last minute.
Footsteps.
Martin breathing heavily.
Then Daniel’s voice:
“You should have stayed retired.”
Martin answered:
“Anna’s daughter deserves the truth.”
Daniel laughed.
“She was supposed to stay poor and invisible.”
Sophia closed her eyes.
Adrian looked furious.
Then Martin said:
“Charles left another copy.”
“Where?”
“With Adrian.”
Adrian stared.
“I don’t have anything.”
The recording ended with a door slamming.
Police searched the building.
Martin was found in a locked storage room.
Alive.
Bruised.
Terrified.
Daniel was gone.
Martin agreed to talk.
He revealed that Ravenwood’s missing money had been diverted by a group
of executives.
Charles discovered it too late.
One participant was Daniel.
Another was Vanessa’s father, Victor Lane.
Vanessa looked devastated.
“My father?”
Martin nodded.
Victor had died eight years earlier.
Vanessa had inherited his private files.
That was how she learned about Anna.
Sophia turned toward her.
“You found out five years ago.”
Vanessa nodded.
“After your mother died.”
“And you took control of the fund.”
“I was trying to contain the damage.”
Sophia laughed bitterly.
“With my money?”
Vanessa flinched.
“I thought if you received millions suddenly, you’d start asking
questions.”
“So you kept me poor because questions were inconvenient?”
Vanessa had no answer.
Then Martin looked at Adrian.
“Your father did leave you something.”
Adrian frowned.
“What?”
“A key.”
Adrian remembered the old brass key Charles had left in his desk.
He had never known what it opened.
May you like
Martin did.
A private vault beneath the original Sterling offices.
