Chapter 6 - THE MAN WITH THE SILVER WATCH
The man in the dark coat was identified as Owen Mercer, a former driver for the Vane organization.
He had disappeared after the ambush and was presumed dead.
Matteo found his last known address in a small apartment above a closed repair shop. The place had been abandoned, but a neighbor remembered a woman visiting twice a week.
Her name was Elise Warren.
Nathan recognized it.
Elise had been his fiancée.
She had left five months after his accident, telling him she couldn't spend the rest of her life watching him disappear inside himself. He had not heard from her since.
“Why would Elise be connected to Mercer?” Nathan asked.
Matteo placed a second photograph on the desk. It showed Elise leaving a restaurant with Grant.
Nathan stared at it.
“When?”
“Three weeks ago.”
The date was written on the back.
Nathan felt something inside him go cold.
He remembered Grant telling him Elise had moved overseas. He remembered the sympathy in his friend's voice when he said she had asked not to be contacted.
“Find her,” Nathan said.
Matteo hesitated. “Boss, if she's involved—”
“Find her. Don't touch her.”
Meanwhile, Claire and Lily were staying at a modest hotel near the lake. Claire had begun applying for new cleaning jobs, but every reference call ended with the same polite rejection.
On the third afternoon, a woman in a cream coat approached her in the hotel lobby.
“Claire Dawson?”
Claire stood immediately.
“Who are you?”
“Elise Warren.”
Claire recognized the name from the mansion's staff conversations.
“What do you want?”
Elise looked toward Lily, who was drawing at a small table.
“I need to speak with you. Privately.”
“I don't think so.”
“Please. It's about Nathan.”
Claire's expression hardened. “If you have something to tell him, tell him yourself.”
“I tried. Grant won't let me near him.”
“Then why come to me?”
Elise glanced at Lily.
“Because Grant is going to use that little girl to get what he wants.”
Claire stepped between them.
“Stay away from my daughter.”
Elise lowered her voice. “I don't want to frighten you. I want to warn you. Grant arranged the ambush. He didn't intend for Nathan to survive with enough power to challenge him, but he did. After the accident, Grant kept control by pretending to be loyal.”
Claire felt sick.
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because I helped him.”
The confession was quiet.
Elise explained that she had given Grant information about Nathan's private meetings. She believed the plan was to scare Nathan into stepping down, not kill him. When the ambush happened, she panicked and left. Grant later threatened to expose her role unless she continued helping him.
Claire wanted to hate her.
She did hate her.
But Elise's next words stopped her.
“Grant has a copy of the missing page. It proves who approved the route change. He's going to destroy it tonight.”
“Where?”
“Under the old boathouse on the estate.”
Claire called Matteo.
Before she could finish speaking, the hotel lights went out.
May you like
A hand grabbed her shoulder.
Lily screamed.
