The Cousin Who Sold a Secret
Chapter 04 - The Cousin Who Sold a Secret
They found Lucas in the underground parking garage beneath Mercer Tower. He was sitting alone inside his car, the signet ring missing from his hand and a bruise darkening one cheek. When Julian opened the door, Lucas did not try to run.
“I didn’t take Evelyn,” he said immediately.
Julian pulled him out of the car. “Then why were you at the greenhouse?”
Lucas admitted that he had disabled the cameras, but someone else had entered the garden using his ring. Six months earlier, Graham had discovered that Lucas owed a private lender more money than he could repay. Graham offered to erase the debt in exchange for harmless access codes.
The requests did not stay harmless.
At first, Lucas copied meeting schedules. Then he opened archived servers. Finally, Graham demanded the greenhouse security code and the family ring. When Lucas tried to refuse, Graham threatened to frame him for the stolen foundation funds.
“I thought he wanted old papers,” Lucas said. “I didn’t know Evelyn was involved until last night.”
He had seen Evelyn leaving Charles’s office with the blue ledger. In the garage, Graham confronted her. She dropped her shopping bag during the argument, then deliberately picked up a different black bag from a nearby bench. Lucas realized later that she had switched them.
Evelyn had created two evidence packages.
The one Charles received contained the phone and clues. The other—the one Graham believed he had taken—contained nothing but catalogs and an old charger.
Lucas also remembered hearing Graham tell a driver to go to Harbor House, an abandoned corporate retreat near the river.
Julian wanted to leave at once, but Mara insisted that Lucas turn over his devices and give a recorded statement. Trust could no longer be granted simply because someone shared the family name.
Lucas agreed. Before handing over his phone, he showed them one last message from Graham.
BOARD MEETING AT TEN. MAKE SURE JULIAN VOTES AGAINST HIS FATHER.
Charles looked at his son. “That is exactly what he expects.”
Julian’s anger had already helped Graham isolate Charles in front of the entire company. Now it could be used again.
“Then let him think it worked,” Julian said.
The plan was dangerous but simple. Charles would attend the emergency board meeting. Julian would publicly support Graham’s motion to remove him. While Graham celebrated, Mara would search Harbor House, and Lucas would trace the shell-company server.
Before they separated, Charles put a hand on Julian’s shoulder.
“This only works if you look like you hate me.”
May you like
Julian glanced toward the elevator. “Tonight, that may be the easiest part.”
But as the doors closed between them, he realized hatred had never been the truth. Hurt was.
