A man who had helped move company money.
A man who had apparently disappeared and returned only recently.
Richard's mind replayed the photograph.
Thomas Mercer.
Elias Ward.
James Bennett.
His father.
Four men connected to the same secret.
And now someone was manipulating the company's security system.
Richard looked at Daniel.
“Where is Thomas?”
Daniel pulled out his phone.
“I'll check.”
He called Facilities.
No answer.
He tried again.
Still nothing.
Richard's expression hardened.
“Try his office.”
Daniel did.
No answer.
Margaret looked at Richard.
“Maybe he's in a meeting.”
Richard shook his head.
“Maybe.”
Then Daniel's phone vibrated.
He looked at the screen.
“What?”
Richard watched him.
“What happened?”
Daniel turned the phone around.
A message had arrived from Thomas's number.
DO NOT TRUST CLARA.
Margaret's eyes widened.
Richard looked at Clara.
She remained motionless.
Daniel received another message.
SHE KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED TO SAMUEL.
Clara's face went white.
Richard looked at her.
“What does that mean?”
Clara didn't answer.
“Clara.”
She lowered her head.
“I was there.”
Richard's voice became quiet.
“Where?”
“The night your father disappeared.”
Richard froze.
“My father didn't disappear.”
Clara looked up.
“Richard…”
“You told me he died in the hospital.”
“I know.”
“You were there?”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
Clara's hands began shaking.
“Your father had received a phone call.”
“From whom?”
“Elias.”
Richard stepped closer.
“What did he say?”
“He said he wanted to meet.”
“Where?”
“The old factory.”
Richard's heart began pounding.
“What happened there?”
Clara looked at him.
“Your father went alone.”
“And?”
“He didn't come back.”
Richard stared.
“But he died twelve years later.”
Clara shook her head.
“No.”
Richard's voice broke.
“What?”
“Your father didn't die when you were told he did.”
Margaret looked horrified.
“Then what happened?”
Clara whispered,
“He survived the attack.”
Richard couldn't move.
His entire understanding of his father's final years collapsed.
“You're saying my father was attacked?”
“Yes.”
“And he survived?”
“For several months.”
Richard stared at her.
“Where was he?”
Clara looked toward the window.
“Hidden.”
“By whom?”
She didn't answer.
Richard grabbed the edge of his desk.
“Clara.”
She finally looked at him.
“By James.”
Richard's blood ran cold.
“My uncle?”
“Yes.”
“Why would he save him?”
“Because your father had something James wanted.”
“What?”
Clara reached into her folder.
She removed one final document.
It was a handwritten letter.
She gave it to Richard.
He recognized his father's handwriting immediately.
Richard unfolded it.
The letter contained only a few paragraphs.
He read silently.
Then his face changed.
Margaret watched him.
“What does it say?”
Richard handed her the letter.
She read.
Her eyes widened.
“Richard…”
He said nothing.
Margaret looked up.
“Your father says Elias isn't the real threat.”
Richard nodded.
“He says Elias was working for someone.”
Clara whispered,
“Yes.”
Richard looked at her.
“Who?”
Clara's voice was barely audible.
“The person your father feared most.”
“Who?”
Clara stared directly into Richard's eyes.
“You.”
Richard frowned.
“What?”
“Your father believed the greatest danger wasn't someone taking control of Whitmore.”
She swallowed.
“He believed the greatest danger was someone convincing you that the company belonged to you.”
Richard didn't understand.
Then Clara pointed toward the letter.
“Read the final line.”
Richard looked.
He had missed it.
Written at the bottom, almost as an afterthought, were seven words:
The company was never meant to be yours.
Richard stared at the sentence.
Margaret whispered,
“What does that mean?”
Before Richard could answer, every computer screen in the office suddenly turned on.
A live video appeared.
Richard's office.
Filmed from above.
They were watching themselves.
Then the screen changed.
A man's face appeared.
Older.
Gray-haired.
Thin.
Richard had never seen him before.
But Clara immediately recognized him.
She whispered,
“Elias.”
The man on the screen smiled.
“Hello, Richard.”
Richard stepped toward the monitor.
“Where are you?”
Elias ignored the question.
“You've been asking the wrong questions.”
Richard clenched his fists.
“What do you want?”
Elias smiled.
“Nothing.”
“Then why are you doing this?”
“Because your father made a promise.”
Richard stared at him.
“What promise?”
Elias leaned closer to the camera.
“To give me back what was taken from me.”
Richard shook his head.
“You mean money.”
Elias laughed.
“No.”
He paused.
“I mean the company.”
The screen went black.
Richard stood in silence.
Then his phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
A distorted voice spoke.
“Mr. Bennett.”
“Who is this?”
“You should leave the building.”
Richard frowned.
“Why?”
“Because the surprise hasn't happened yet.”
The call ended.
Richard looked at Margaret.
Then Daniel.
Then Clara.
“What surprise?”
Nobody answered.
A second later, the lights on the executive floor flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Then every elevator door opened simultaneously.
Richard looked down the corridor.
Every elevator was empty.
Except one.
The doors of the center elevator remained open.
Inside was a man standing alone.
An elderly man.
Silver hair.
Dark coat.
Holding a black leather folder.
Richard stared at him.
The man slowly raised his head.
And Richard recognized the face from a photograph he had seen only once.
His father's younger brother.
James Bennett.
Alive.
Richard's uncle smiled.
And said,
“It's time you learned why your father lied to you.”
The elevator doors remained open.
Waiting.
For several seconds, Richard Bennett could not move.
The man standing inside the elevator was older than the photograph.
Much older.
His hair was almost completely white now, his face deeply lined, and his shoulders slightly bent beneath a dark wool coat. But there was no mistaking him.
Richard had seen that face countless times in old family photographs.
His uncle.
James Bennett.
The man whose death had been part of Richard's childhood.
The man his father had mourned.
The man whose name had been spoken only in whispers for years.
The man Richard had believed had been buried twenty-five years ago.
James looked directly at him.
Then he smiled.
“Richard.”
The sound of his name coming from that voice sent a strange chill through him.
Richard took one step forward.
“No.”
James remained inside the elevator.
“I know this is difficult.”
“You're dead.”
James sighed.
“That was the idea.”
Margaret stood behind Richard, speechless.
Daniel's hand moved instinctively toward his radio, but Richard stopped him.
“Don't.”
Daniel looked at him.
“Sir—”
“Not yet.”
Richard couldn't take his eyes off James.
“How?”
James stepped out of the elevator.
“I'll explain.”
“You'd better.”
James looked at Clara.
His expression changed.
For the first time, the calmness disappeared.
“You brought her.”
Richard followed his gaze.
“Yes.”
James's jaw tightened.
“She should have stayed retired.”
Clara stepped forward.
“You should have stayed dead.”
James looked at her.
“Perhaps.”
Richard raised his voice.
“Enough.”
Both turned toward him.
Richard walked closer.
“You're going to explain everything.”
James nodded.
“I knew you would eventually come looking.”
“You knew?”
“I've been waiting.”
“For what?”
“For you to become old enough to understand your father.”
Richard laughed bitterly.
“You disappeared when I was seventeen.”
“Yes.”
“You let me believe you were dead.”
“Yes.”
“You let my father bury a lie for decades.”
James's face hardened.
“I didn't ask him to.”
“You worked with Elias.”
James looked away.
“For a time.”
Richard's eyes narrowed.
“What does that mean?”
“It means things were more complicated than you think.”
“Then make them simple.”
James looked at him.
“Your father and I started Whitmore together.”
Richard froze.
Clara closed her eyes.
Margaret looked stunned.
“What?” Richard whispered.
James nodded.
“Samuel had the technical knowledge. I had the financial connections.”
Richard shook his head.
“My father told me he built the company himself.”
“He wanted you to believe that.”
“Why?”
“To protect you.”
Richard's voice rose.
“Everyone keeps saying that.”
“Because it's true.”
“No. It's convenient.”
James stepped closer.