Chapter 9 - The Husband Who Held the Second Key
Grant stepped toward the terminal.
His hand shook.
“You knew?”
I asked.
“No.”
Daniel looked between us.
“The system was designed by Elias Vale.”
Grant placed his hand beside mine.
The scanner flashed.
AUTHORIZATION ACCEPTED.
The transfer stopped.
I stared at him.
“My grandfather gave you access.”
“He trusted me.”
“Why?”
“Because he knew I loved you.”
I looked away.
For six years, I had believed Grant had stopped loving me.
Maybe I had been wrong.
But love didn't excuse what he had done.
“You still cheated.”
“Yes.”
“You still humiliated me.”
“Yes.”
“You still signed those papers laughing.”
His face fell.
“I was afraid.”
“Of what?”
“That if I showed you I still loved you, they would know I was protecting you.”
I stared at him.
“Who is they?”
“Victoria.”
He told me everything.
Victoria had been secretly controlling a network of shell companies.
She had used Grant's career ambition against him.
She promised him the bank presidency if he helped remove me from the trust.
Grant had agreed at first.
Then he discovered what she planned to do.
She wanted control of the entire Vale estate.
And she intended to eliminate anyone who could expose her.
Including me.
Grant had tried to reverse course.
Victoria threatened him.
She threatened me.
So Grant played the role of the arrogant husband.
He made me hate him.
He wanted me to leave before Victoria could use me as leverage.
But then Madison appeared.
I looked at her.
She nodded.
“Grant asked me to pretend we were together.”
I stared.
“You knew?”
“I knew he was trying to protect you.”
“Then why did you wear that ring?”
“Because Victoria was watching.”
Grant looked at me.
“I never stopped loving you.”
I closed my eyes.
The words should have healed something.
Instead, they hurt.
Because they came six years too late.
Daniel interrupted.
“We have another problem.”
The screen changed.
A live video appeared.
Victoria stood in the bank's main lobby.
Behind her were armed security guards.
She held a document.
“Eleanor,” she said through the camera.
I stared.
“You have something that belongs to me.”
“What?”
“The original trust charter.”
I looked at Daniel.
He nodded.
“It must be in the archive.”
Victoria continued.
“Bring it to the lobby.”
“No.”
She smiled.
“Then your mother dies.”
My blood froze.
I turned.
My mother was gone.
The archive door stood open.
Daniel's face changed.
“She was taken.”
Grant grabbed my hand.
“Don't go.”
I pulled away.
“I have to.”
Victoria's voice came through the speakers.
“You have ten minutes.”
Then the screen went black.
Grant looked at me.
“She's not bluffing.”
I picked up the trust charter.
Daniel shook his head.
“If you hand this over, she controls everything.”
I looked at the document.
Then at Grant.
“We're not handing it over.”
“Then what?”
I closed the folder.
“We're giving her something else.”
May you like
The elevator doors opened.
And the person standing inside was the last person I expected to see—
