Chapter 5 - The Man Who Stood Behind Her Father
The video froze.
Elena stared at the screen.
She knew that face.
She had seen it thousands of times.
At family dinners.
At company meetings.
At her wedding.
The person standing behind her father that night was Dominic Marlowe.
Her husband.
The man who had kissed her goodbye before leaving for a business trip.
The man who told her Harold's death was a tragedy.
The man who held her while she cried at the funeral.
For several seconds, Elena couldn't process what she was seeing.
The room became silent.
Not peaceful.
Heavy.
Like the air itself was waiting for her reaction.
"No."
The word came out quietly.
Nobody answered.
Elena looked at Dominic.
He wasn't shocked.
He wasn't confused.
He was standing completely still.
And that was worse.
Because innocent people looked surprised when they were accused.
Dominic looked like someone who had been caught.
"You were there."
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
Dominic looked away.
"Elena..."
"No."
She stepped back.
"You don't get to say my name like that."
For years, she had heard him say her name with affection.
Now it sounded different.
Like a stranger pretending to be familiar.
Richard lowered his eyes.
"I tried to stop this."
Elena turned toward him.
"You knew?"
Richard didn't answer.
"You knew he was involved?"
His silence became another betrayal.
Elena laughed softly.
A painful laugh.
"Everyone knew."
She looked around the room.
"Everyone knew except me."
Dominic took a step forward.
"Listen to me."
She raised her hand.
The gesture stopped him.
That surprised him.
Because Elena had never done that.
She had always listened.
Always waited.
Always tried to understand.
Not anymore.
The video continued playing.
The security footage moved again.
Harold Bennett entered the building.
He looked tired.
But he was walking normally.
He was alive.
Then Dominic appeared behind him.
The footage showed them entering the executive floor.
Ten minutes passed.
Then twenty.
Then forty.
Harold left.
But Dominic didn't.
The camera angle changed.
Another person entered the hallway.
Elena leaned closer.
The image was blurry.
The person wore a dark coat.
Their face wasn't visible.
But they handed Dominic a folder.
Dominic accepted it.
Then something happened.
The video ended.
Elena looked at the screen.
"That's it?"
Richard nodded.
"That's all we recovered."
"Recovered?"
Richard hesitated.
"Someone deleted most of the footage."
Elena looked at Dominic.
"By who?"
Nobody spoke.
Then her phone rang.
The sound made everyone turn.
Unknown number.
Elena answered.
"Hello?"
A woman's voice came through.
"Elena."
She froze.
She knew that voice.
But it couldn't be.
Her hand tightened around the phone.
"Who is this?"
A pause.
Then:
"You need to stop trusting the people standing beside you."
Elena's eyes moved toward Dominic.
"Who are you?"
The woman breathed quietly.
"I was there the night your father disappeared."
Elena felt her heartbeat increase.
"How do you know me?"
Another pause.
"Because your father asked me to protect you."
The call ended.
Elena stared at the phone.
Dominic immediately asked:
"Who was it?"
She looked at him.
"You tell me."
His expression changed.
Only slightly.
But enough.
Elena noticed.
Again.
Every small reaction.
Every hesitation.
Every moment where the truth almost escaped.
She had spent years ignoring those things.
Now she saw everything.
Richard stepped closer.
"Elena, you need to leave."
She looked at him.
"Why?"
"Because if Dominic knows you're investigating, you're no longer safe."
Dominic laughed once.
A cold, empty sound.
"Safe?"
Everyone looked at him.
He shook his head.
"You still don't understand."
Elena stared.
"What don't I understand?"
Dominic walked toward the desk.
"You think I am the villain because I wanted control of the company."
He picked up the photograph of her father.
"But your father was never innocent."
Elena's expression hardened.
"Don't."
"It's true."
"My father spent his life building Bennett Harbor."
Dominic looked at her.
"Your father spent his life hiding things."
The sentence bothered her.
Not because she believed him.
Because a small part of her wondered.
"What things?"
Dominic didn't answer.
Instead, he looked at Richard.
"You never told her."
Richard's face changed.
"Don't involve me."
Dominic smiled.
"You were involved the moment you signed the documents."
Elena turned toward Richard.
"What documents?"
Richard looked trapped.
"Elena..."
"What documents?"
The room went quiet.
Finally, Richard spoke.
"The original Bennett Harbor ownership agreement."
Elena waited.
"When your grandfather built the company, he created a private clause."
"What clause?"
Richard looked at Dominic.
Then back at her.
"A clause that prevents the company from being inherited by someone who is not a true Bennett family member."
Elena frowned.
"I am a Bennett."
Richard nodded.
"Yes."
"Then why does it matter?"
Richard swallowed.
"Because your father wasn't your biological father."
The world stopped.
Elena stared.
She didn't hear anything after that.
Not Dominic.
Not Richard.
Nothing.
"My father..."
Richard looked devastated.
"Harold loved you more than anyone."
Elena's eyes filled with confusion.
"Then why are you telling me this?"
"Because Dominic found out."
She looked at Dominic.
His face was unreadable.
Richard continued.
"He discovered the truth before your wedding."
Elena turned slowly.
"You knew?"
Dominic said nothing.
"Did you know?"
His silence answered.
The betrayal felt different this time.
Not because he hid a secret.
Because he built an entire marriage around one.
"You married me because you thought I wasn't even my father's daughter."
Dominic's expression hardened.
"No."
"Then why?"
"Because Harold was going to expose everything."
Elena stepped back.
"What everything?"
Dominic looked at her.
For the first time, he seemed tired.
Not powerful.
Not confident.
Tired.
"Your father didn't just protect you."
A pause.
"He protected you from your real family."
The words made no sense.
"My real family?"
Dominic nodded.
"Elena, you don't know who you are."
Her phone vibrated.
Another message.
This time from the unknown woman.
A photo appeared.
Elena opened it.
It was old.
Very old.
A hospital room.
A newborn baby.
A young woman holding the child.
And standing beside her...
Harold Bennett.
The caption below was only four words.
"Your father found you."
Elena stared.
Then another message appeared.
"Ask him who your real mother was."
She looked up.
But before she could speak...
the lights in the penthouse suddenly went out.
Darkness covered the room.
A second later, a voice came from the hallway.
A woman's voice.
A voice Elena had heard only once before.
On the phone.
May you like
"Elena..."
The bedroom door slowly opened.
