Chapter 6: The Truth About My Daughter
I looked down at Grace.
Her tiny face was peaceful.
One hand rested against my chest, her fingers curled into a little fist.
The baby Victor Hale had just mentioned.
The baby he seemed to believe was part of some plan.
My father took Ethan's phone.
"Victor.""
There was silence on the other end.
Then a sharp breath.
"Robert Brooks.""
"Yes.""
"I assume this is a misunderstanding.""
My father looked at me.
"Then explain why you just mentioned my granddaughter.""
Victor paused.
"I was referring to a business matter.""
My father gave a humorless laugh.
"Business matter? You were discussing my daughter and her newborn child with her former husband.""
"I don't appreciate being recorded.""
Daniel stepped forward.
"For the record, the call was answered on speakerphone in a room where multiple people were present. We are documenting the conversation.""
Victor's voice became sharper.
"Who is this?""
"Daniel Price. Corporate security.""
"Put Robert back on.""
My father didn't move.
"You can speak to me.""
Victor sighed.
"Robert, we have known each other professionally for years. I would rather settle this privately.""
"Then you should have thought about that before involving my daughter.""
"Your daughter has nothing to do with my business.""
I looked up.
"Then why did you tell Ethan not to speak to me?""
Silence.
Victor recognized my voice.
"Danielle.""
I felt my fingers tighten around Grace's blanket.
"You know who I am?""
"Of course.""
"Why?""
He didn't answer.
My father ended the call.
Then he handed the phone to Daniel.
"Preserve that recording and document the time.""
Ethan stood motionless.
His face had lost nearly all its color.
I turned toward him.
"Start talking.""
He looked at me.
"Danielle, please.""
"No more lies.""
He sat down heavily.
For a few seconds, he stared at the table.
Then he began.
"Three years ago, I discovered irregularities in a commercial acquisition involving Hale Properties. Several payments had been routed through shell companies. The amounts didn't match the contracts.""
My father listened.
"Go on.""
"I reported it to my supervisor. He told me to keep quiet until the internal audit was complete.""
"Who was your supervisor?"" Daniel asked.
Ethan looked at him.
"Martin Shaw.""
My father exchanged a glance with Daniel.
"Martin Shaw left our company two years ago.""
"I know.""
"Continue.""
Ethan rubbed his hands together.
"Two days after I filed the report, someone accessed my work account. Documents were copied and sent to an external address. The activity was traced to my credentials.""
My father frowned.
"Did you send them?""
"No.""
"Did you share your password?""
"No.""
"Then why didn't you challenge the accusation?""
Ethan looked down.
"Because Victor had something on me.""
I felt my stomach tighten.
"What?""
He took a breath.
"Before I married Danielle, I made a mistake. I invested in a private deal with someone I trusted. It went badly. I borrowed money to cover the loss.""
My father stared at him.
"How much?""
"Three hundred thousand dollars.""
I couldn't believe it.
"You never told me.""
Ethan nodded.
"I know.""
"While we were married?""
"Yes.""
I stared at him.
"You let me believe we were building a future together while hiding three hundred thousand dollars in debt?""
He closed his eyes.
"I was ashamed.""
"That's not an answer.""
"I thought I could fix it.""
My father interrupted.
"And Victor Hale discovered the debt?""
Ethan nodded.
"He offered to make it disappear if I helped him identify the people investigating the acquisition.""
"Did you?""
Ethan hesitated.
"I gave him some information about the investigation.""
My father leaned forward.
"Confidential information?""
"Yes.""
The admission hung in the air.
I looked at my ex-husband.
"So you betrayed your employer.""
Ethan shook his head.
"I didn't know how far it would go.""
"But you did it.""
"Yes.""
My father stood.
"And when the investigation uncovered your involvement, you were dismissed.""
Ethan nodded.
"Victor promised he would protect me.""
"Did he?""
Ethan let out a bitter laugh.
"No.""
He opened his briefcase and removed another folder.
"This is why I came here today.""
He placed it on the table.
Inside were copies of emails, transaction records, and printed messages.
My father began reading.
Daniel stood beside him.
The first few pages appeared to document payments made between several companies associated with Victor Hale.
Then my father stopped at a particular email.
His expression darkened.
"What is this?""
Ethan swallowed.
"An email from Victor to Marcus Reed.""
I looked at the page.
The subject line read:
Danielle Brooks — Arrival and Access.
My blood ran cold.
My father read aloud.
"Please confirm whether she is expected at the property this week. Do not allow her to access the executive floor. If she arrives, contact Victoria immediately.""
He looked up.
"Why was my daughter being monitored?""
Ethan stared at the table.
"Because Victor believed you had given her access to something.""
"What something?""
Ethan shook his head.
"I don't know.""
I stepped forward.
"What could I possibly have?""
Ethan finally looked at me.
"An old envelope.""
I frowned.
"What envelope?""
"Before I left, I gave you a sealed envelope and told you to keep it somewhere safe.""
I stared at him.
I remembered.
It had been on a rainy evening, a few weeks before our divorce was finalized.
Ethan had arrived at my apartment looking exhausted.
He handed me a brown envelope.
He told me it contained personal paperwork and asked me not to open it.
I had placed it in a storage box with old tax documents.
Then I'd forgotten about it.
My heart began racing.
"What's inside?""
Ethan looked at my father.
"Evidence.""
"Of what?""
"Victor's financial transactions. The original documents. The ones I copied before my company account was accessed.""
My father studied him.
"Why would you leave them with Danielle?""
Ethan's eyes filled with regret.
"Because I knew Victor would eventually come looking for them. I thought he wouldn't suspect her.""
I stepped backward.
"You used me?""
"No.""
"You put me in the middle of a criminal investigation without telling me?""
"I was trying to keep the evidence safe.""
"You let me live with the fear that you had abandoned me because you didn't love me anymore, while you were hiding documents in my apartment?""
Ethan's face crumpled.
"Danielle, I was scared.""
"So was I!""
My voice echoed through the lounge.
Grace stirred.
I immediately lowered my voice.
I looked at Ethan.
"You left me pregnant. You ignored my calls. You never asked whether your daughter was healthy. And all this time, you knew someone might be looking for me?""
Ethan covered his face.
"I didn't know they would involve you.""
My father moved between us.
"Enough.""
He looked at Ethan.
"Where is the envelope now?""
"In the apartment Danielle lived in before she moved.""
I shook my head.
"I moved out months ago.""
"Where did you put the storage boxes?"" Ethan asked.
"At my father's house.""
My father looked at me.
"Do you remember which box?""
I nodded slowly.
"The one marked old documents. It's in the storage room.""
Daniel immediately reached for his phone.
"I'll arrange for someone to secure it.""
My father stopped him.
"Not yet. We need to establish exactly what we're dealing with before anyone touches those documents.""
Ethan nodded.
"There's something else.""
My father looked at him.
"What?""
"Victor didn't just want the envelope.""
Ethan removed a final page from his folder.
It was a printed email.
The sender was Victoria Hale.
The recipient was Marcus Reed.
The date was two days earlier.
I read the first line.
If Danielle Brooks arrives, keep her away from the executive floor. She must not speak to Catherine Moore or access the old acquisition records.
I looked at Catherine.
She had gone completely pale.
My father noticed.
"Catherine?""
She looked down.
"Robert, there's something I need to tell you.""
"What?""
"Three weeks ago, I received an anonymous package containing copies of financial records related to the old acquisition.""
My father stared at her.
"Why wasn't I informed?""
"I was trying to verify the documents first.""
"Who sent them?""
Catherine hesitated.
"An attorney representing a former employee of Hale Properties.""
Ethan looked up.
"That was probably my contact.""
My father turned toward him.
"You have been communicating with an attorney?""
"Yes.""
"Who?""
Ethan gave him a name.
Daniel immediately recognized it.
"That's the attorney who submitted the original whistleblower complaint.""
My father looked toward Catherine.
"Where are the records now?""
"In the executive archive.""
"Who has access?""
Catherine swallowed.
"Your office, my office, and Marcus Reed.""
My father stared at her.
"Marcus had access to the archive?""
"Yes.""
Daniel's expression changed.
"Sir, that means he could have removed or altered documents.""
My father nodded.
"Then we need to secure the archive immediately.""
He turned toward Daniel.
"Get the legal team here. Nobody enters that office without authorization.""
Daniel left.
I looked at my father.
"Dad, what does all this have to do with me?""
He took a slow breath.
"I don't know yet.""
I hated that answer.
For years, my father had made complicated problems seem manageable. He was the person everyone called when a business deal collapsed or a crisis threatened an entire company.
But this time, even he didn't have all the answers.
Catherine looked at me.
"Ms. Brooks, there's one more thing.""
I felt exhausted.
"What now?""
She opened her tablet.
"According to the hotel visitor system, Victoria Hale requested access to the executive archive this morning.""
My father frowned.
"When?""
"At 8:17.""
I looked at Ethan.
He nodded slowly.
"That's why she came.""
Catherine continued.
"She was denied access. But the system shows that someone entered the archive using a manager's credentials approximately forty minutes later.""
My father looked at her.
"Whose credentials?""
Catherine's voice dropped.
"Marcus Reed's.""
Nobody moved.
Then Daniel returned.
"Mr. Brooks, we have a problem.""
My father turned.
"What?""
"The executive archive door was opened at 8:56. The access log shows Marcus entered alone.""
"And?""
Daniel held up a security photograph.
"At 9:04, he left carrying a document case.""
My stomach dropped.
"Was he alone?""
Daniel shook his head.
"No.""
He enlarged the photograph.
A second person was standing near the service elevator.
A woman in a fuchsia dress.
Victoria Hale.
My father stared at the screen.
"Where is the document case now?""
Daniel looked down.
"We're checking.""
Then his phone vibrated.
He read the message.
His face changed.
"Sir, the case has been located.""
"Where?""
"In Mrs. Hale's vehicle.""
I looked at my father.
"Does that mean she stole the documents?""
He didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he turned toward Ethan.
"Is the envelope in Danielle's storage box the only original copy?""
Ethan shook his head.
"No.""
My father frowned.
"Then where is the other one?""
Ethan looked at me.
And I saw something in his expression that terrified me.
"There were two copies," he whispered.
"Where's the second?"" my father asked.
Ethan swallowed.
"Victor has it.""
My father stared at him.
"Then why would he need the envelope?""
Ethan looked toward the door.
"Because the second copy doesn't prove who approved the payments.""
He paused.
"The original has a handwritten authorization attached to it.""
My father went completely still.
"What authorization?""
Ethan's voice was barely audible.
"The signature of the person who ordered the money transferred.""
I looked between them.
"Whose signature?""
Ethan closed his eyes.
Then he answered.
"Robert Brooks.""
My father didn't move.
For several seconds, the only sound in the room was Grace breathing softly against my chest.
Then my father spoke.
"That's impossible. I never authorized those payments.""
Ethan shook his head.
"I know.""
My father stared at him.
"Then why is my signature on the document?""
Ethan looked at me.
"Because someone forged it.""
Before my father could respond, Catherine's tablet chimed.
She looked at the screen.
Then she whispered:
"Robert... the document case isn't the only thing missing.""
"What else?""
Catherine turned the tablet toward him.
A record showed that someone had accessed the hotel's archive remotely just minutes earlier.
The file name was simple.
*BROOKS_FAMILY_CONTINGENCY_PLAN.*
My father stared at it.
I felt Grace's tiny hand close around my finger.
And then Catherine read the final line on the screen.
"There's a note attached.""
She swallowed.
"It says, 'If Danielle refuses to cooperate, proceed with the original arrangement involving the child.''"
My father slowly looked at me.
May you like
And for the first time in my life, I saw genuine fear in his eyes.
"Danielle," he whispered, "I think Grace is the reason they wanted you here.""
