Chapter 7 - Evelyn’s Last Minutes
Adrian could barely speak.
“How long?”
Thomas lowered his eyes.
“Maybe four minutes.”
Adrian grabbed his coat.
“What did she say?”
“She was badly hurt.”
“WHAT DID SHE SAY?”
Thomas did not flinch.
“She asked about Lily.”
“I told her I had the baby.”
Thomas swallowed.
“She smiled.”
Adrian’s grip loosened.
“She knew Lily was alive?”
“Yes.”
Thomas’s voice became softer.
“She made me promise you would never bury your daughter.”
Adrian turned away.
He had buried an empty casket anyway.
Thomas continued.
“Then Evelyn told me Marcus had been questioning her about the trust.”
“She had discovered money missing from the South Branch project.”
“Millions.”
“She believed Marcus was creating private accounts and buying loyalty inside your organization.”
Adrian looked back.
“Did she say Marcus ordered the ambush?”
“No.”
“But I heard one of the attackers.”
Thomas’s face changed.
“Owen Pike.”
“He shouted that the baby had to be found.”
“Then another man answered over the radio.”
“Marcus.”
Adrian’s expression hardened.
“You heard him?”
“I heard Marcus say, ‘No heir, no problem.’”
Silence filled the studio.
Thomas pulled a folded document from inside his jacket.
“I’ve spent eight months gathering proof.”
“Why didn’t you come to me?”
“Because every time I moved, Marcus’s men moved too.”
Thomas pointed toward the flash drive.
“Evelyn created that.”
“I’ve been trying to find it.”
Adrian connected the drive to an offline laptop.
Financial records filled the screen.
Payments.
Shell companies.
Security bonuses.
Political donations.
And one transfer made forty-eight hours before Evelyn’s death.
Three million dollars.
Authorized by Marcus Reed.
Paid to Owen Pike.
Adrian stared at the amount.
He finally had proof.
Then his phone rang.
Grace.
He answered immediately.
Her voice was shaking.
“Adrian.”
“What happened?”
“Someone found us.”
A crash sounded behind her.
Emma screamed.
Adrian stood.
“Grace!”
May you like
“They’re inside the house.”
The call went dead.
