Chapter 4 - THE FILE THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DESTROYEDMarcus Vale had worked for Ethan for twelve years.
He was loyal.
Or so Ethan had believed.
At midnight, Ethan entered the Parker Holdings archives.
He found Hannah's old employee file.
It was almost empty.
Too empty.
Termination notice.
Performance review.
Security report.
Nothing else.
Then Ethan noticed the file number.
HW-117.
He entered it into the old database.
ACCESS DENIED.
Ethan frowned.
He used his executive credentials.
ACCESS DENIED.
Someone had deliberately locked it.
He called the IT director.
“Who restricted file HW-117?”
The answer came after several minutes.
“Sir, that archive was created under your mother's authority.”
“My mother?”
“Yes.”
Ethan's stomach tightened.
“Unlock it.”
“I can't.”
“Why?”
“Because the system says unlocking it requires two signatures.”
“Whose?”
“Yours and your mother's.”
Ethan stared at the screen.
His mother was dead.
Then the system displayed another line.
SECOND SIGNATURE: ACTIVE.
Ethan stopped breathing.
Someone was still using his mother's credentials.
Someone wanted him to find this.
He called his investigator.
“Trace the login.”
A few seconds later:
“Sir…”
“What?”
“The login is coming from inside Parker Holdings.”
Ethan's blood ran cold.
“Who?”
The investigator sent the name.
Marcus Vale.
Ethan opened the file.
Hundreds of pages appeared.
Financial transfers.
Shell companies.
Offshore accounts.
Payments.
Bribes.
And one document dated five years earlier.
Hannah's audit report.
It proved she had discovered everything.
Ethan had not fired an innocent employee.
He had protected a criminal.
Then he saw the final page.
A handwritten note from his mother.
If Ethan ever discovers what happened, tell him the truth about his father.
Ethan stared.
His father had supposedly died of a heart attack fifteen years earlier.
What truth could possibly be hidden?
Then Lily's voice came from behind him.
“Mr. Ethan?”
He turned.
She stood in the doorway holding Hannah's old photograph.
“I found something.”
“What?”
She held up a tiny key.
“Mommy told me never to lose this.”
Ethan took it.
May you like
On the key was one word.
VAULT.
