Chapter 3 - The Ghost of the PastThe car drove in silence for nearly an hour, winding deep into the wealthy, secluded hills outside the city where massive iron gates and ancient oak trees swallowed the light.
Elena stared out the window, watching the blur of neon and rain. Her mind was a chaotic storm of shock, grief, and a terrifying, unfamiliar spark of freedom. Isabel’s empire was gone. The company that had held her hostage since her father’s mysterious death five years ago had just been obliterated.
— You’re shaking, Matthew’s voice broke the silence.
He reached over, not touching her, but sliding a small digital tablet across the leather seat. On the screen was an open medical profile, followed by a security blueprint of a sprawling, ultra-modern penthouse overlooking the city skyline.
— We are going to my private residence, Matthew explained without looking at her. — My personal physician is already waiting. Your feet need attention, and your face needs ice.
— I don’t want your charity, Elena said, though her voice lacked any real bite. She pulled the coat tighter around herself. — Why did you do it? You didn't just ruin Isabel because of a ruined business deal. You looked at her like you already knew what she was.
Matthew’s jaw tightened. He looked down at his hands, where a heavy silver signet ring sat on his right index finger—the exact same design as a faded photograph Elena remembered seeing in her father’s old desk drawer.
Her breath caught.
— That ring, Elena whispered, leaning forward. — My father had one just like it. Before he died in the "accident" at the construction site.
The car seemed to drop ten degrees in temperature.
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The driver in the front seat stiffened, his eyes darting to the rearview mirror. Matthew slowly raised his head, his gaze piercing through the dim light with a terrifying intensity.
— Your father didn't die in an accident, Elena, Matthew said softly. — And your stepmother didn't just inherit that mansion. She bought it with blood. And tonight, by stepping into my car, you gave me the one piece of evidence I’ve spent five years looking for.
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