The File No One Was Supposed to See
Chapter 02 - The File No One Was Supposed to See
Richard entered Grace's room without asking permission. His silver hair was damp from the storm, and the black folder never left his hand. Ethan tried to block him, insisting that Grace needed rest, but Richard placed the folder on the bed.
Inside was a traffic-camera photograph of the black SUV. The license plate was clear. The vehicle belonged to Cole Strategic Services, a shell company controlled by Vanessa.
Vanessa laughed once, but the sound was brittle. She claimed the SUV had been stolen two days earlier. Richard turned the page and revealed a parking-garage record showing Vanessa had used the same vehicle that morning. Her face appeared beside the driver's door.
Ethan stared at her. “Why were you following my wife?”
Vanessa did not answer. Instead, she reached for a stack of papers on the bedside table. They were emergency power-of-attorney forms. If Grace signed them, Ethan would gain temporary control of her inheritance, including the controlling shares in Bennett Medical Systems.
Grace finally understood. Her late mother had left her the shares with one condition: if Grace had a child, ownership would pass into a protected family trust. Until the baby was born, Grace alone could approve a merger Ethan and Vanessa had been trying to force through.
“I never agreed to sell,” Grace said.
Ethan looked genuinely confused. Vanessa had told him Grace changed her mind after the accident and wanted him to sign for her. The forged emails on his phone suddenly looked different.
Richard opened another document. It showed millions of dollars moved from the company into an overseas account linked to Vanessa. She had not only planned the merger; she had been stealing from both families for years.
Vanessa backed toward the door. “This is ridiculous.”
Then Maya entered with a sealed evidence bag. Inside was a silver bracelet recovered from Grace's car. Vanessa was wearing its matching half. Maya explained that Grace had grabbed the driver's wrist through the broken window just before the SUV sped away.
Ethan's face hardened. He asked Vanessa whether she had caused the crash. She said nothing, and the silence became an answer.
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But the danger was not over. Grace's monitor began to fail again. The baby's heartbeat weakened, and the obstetrician announced that an emergency delivery might be necessary.
As the medical team rushed Grace toward surgery, Vanessa slipped out of the room unnoticed—with the original trust documents hidden beneath her coat.
