Chapter 2 - THE RED BOXDaniel read Claire’s letter until the words blurred.
Sophie stood beside him.
“What did Mommy say?”
Daniel folded the letter quickly.
“Something I need to understand.”
“Was Grandpa lying?”
Daniel looked into his daughter’s frightened eyes.
“Yes.”
“About me?”
“Yes.”
Sophie’s shoulders relaxed slightly.
Daniel knelt.
“You never have to prove that you belong with me.”
“Even if my blood is different?”
“Especially then.”
He kissed her forehead.
“But I don’t think it is.”
Behind them, Marcus entered the blue room.
“Sir.”
Daniel stood.
“What?”
“Your father is demanding his attorney.”
“He can demand anything he wants.”
Marcus hesitated.
“There’s another problem.”
Daniel followed him into the hallway.
“What problem?”
“The police are at the front gate.”
Daniel frowned.
“Already?”
Marcus handed him a tablet.
On the security feed, six patrol vehicles were parked outside.
Graham appeared behind them with two guards.
His expression had returned to calm confidence.
“I called them before you locked the estate.”
Daniel looked at him.
“When?”
“When Sophie fell.”
“You mean when you thought she was dead.”
Graham did not answer.
Daniel understood.
“You were preparing the story.”
Graham smiled faintly.
“A tragic accident involving an unstable elderly employee.”
Agnes began crying again.
“You were going to blame me.”
“Of course.”
Daniel stared at his father.
“You planned all of it.”
Graham’s eyes hardened.
“You still don’t understand what is at stake.”
“Then explain it.”
“I tried for years.”
“No. You controlled me for years.”
Daniel held up Claire’s letter.
“And my wife knew it.”
For the first time, Graham looked genuinely alarmed.
“Where did you get that?”
Daniel noticed.
That reaction mattered.
“The blue room.”
Graham moved toward him.
Marcus stepped between them.
“That room was sealed.”
“Apparently not well enough.”
Graham looked at Sophie.
Then at Agnes.
“You stupid old woman.”
Agnes lifted her chin.
“You told me Mrs. Claire was confused.”
“She was.”
“You told me the letters were nonsense.”
“They were.”
Daniel walked toward the red box.
Inside were folders.
Bank statements.
Corporate documents.
Photographs.
A flash drive.
And another laboratory report.
Daniel opened it.
PATERNITY ANALYSIS.
Daniel Vale.
Sophie Claire Vale.
Probability of biological paternity:
99.9998%.
Daniel closed his eyes.
Sophie was his.
Not that he needed the paper.
But Graham had known.
He had always known.
Daniel handed the report to Marcus.
“Photograph everything.”
Graham said sharply, “That document is fraudulent.”
Daniel laughed without humor.
“Interesting.”
“What?”
“You recognized it from fifteen feet away.”
Silence.
Graham realized his mistake.
Daniel walked closer.
“You knew exactly what was in this box.”
Graham did not reply.
The doorbell echoed through the mansion.
The police.
Daniel descended the staircase carrying the red box.
Detective Aaron Blake entered first.
Daniel knew him.
They had attended high school together before their lives went in completely different directions.
Aaron looked from Daniel to Graham to Sophie.
“What happened?”
Daniel pointed upstairs.
“My daughter was pushed over the railing.”
Aaron’s expression changed.
“By who?”
Agnes stepped forward.
“Me.”
Aaron looked at her.
“I did it.”
Sophie grabbed Daniel’s hand.
Daniel said, “She was ordered to.”
Aaron turned.
“By who?”
Daniel pointed directly at his father.
“Graham Vale.”
Every officer in the room seemed to stiffen.
Graham chuckled.
“This is absurd.”
Daniel held up the fake DNA test.
“He claims Sophie isn’t my biological child.”
Then he held up the second.
“This says she is.”
Aaron examined both documents.
“Why would that matter?”
Daniel answered.
“Apparently my daughter inherits something in three days.”
Graham interrupted.
“She inherits nothing.”
Agnes suddenly spoke.
“The Rosalind Trust.”
Everyone looked at her.
Daniel frowned.
“What is that?”
Graham shouted, “Enough!”
Aaron turned toward him.
“Mr. Vale, I suggest you stop interrupting.”
Agnes continued.
“Your grandmother created it, Daniel.”
“My grandmother died when I was seventeen.”
“Yes.”
“She left me a college fund.”
Agnes shook her head.
“No.”
Daniel stared at her.
“She left you Vale International.”
The room went silent.
Daniel almost laughed.
“My father owns Vale International.”
“No.”
Agnes looked at Graham.
“He manages it.”
Daniel slowly turned.
Graham’s face revealed the truth.
Agnes continued.
“Rosalind never trusted him.”
Graham snapped, “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I was there when she signed it.”
Daniel’s mind raced.
“Why didn’t anyone tell me?”
Agnes swallowed.
“Because your grandmother placed the controlling shares in trust until the next generation reached a specific condition.”
“What condition?”
Agnes looked at Sophie.
“A living child of Daniel Vale reaching the age of ten.”
Sophie whispered, “Me?”
Agnes nodded.
“The moment you turn ten, your father receives temporary voting control and you become the beneficiary.”
Daniel looked at Graham.
“So you lose the company.”
Graham answered quietly.
“No.”
“You lose control.”
“No.”
“You lose the house.”
Graham’s jaw tightened.
“You don’t understand business.”
“And you don’t understand fathers.”
Aaron stepped toward Graham.
“Sir, I need you to come with me.”
Graham actually laughed.
“Detective, do you have any idea who I am?”
Aaron said, “At the moment? A man accused of ordering an attempted murder.”
Two officers approached.
Graham’s expression changed.
“You have no evidence.”
Daniel lifted Claire’s letter.
“I think we’re just getting started.”
Suddenly Sophie pulled on his sleeve.
“Daddy.”
“What?”
“There’s something else in the box.”
At the bottom was an old cellphone.
Daniel pressed the power button.
To his surprise, it came alive.
There was one audio file.
No title.
Daniel pressed PLAY.
Claire’s voice filled the room.
“If Daniel ever hears this, Graham has done exactly what I was afraid he would do.”
Daniel stopped breathing.
Claire continued.
“I found the missing money.”
Graham’s face became gray.
“Over one hundred and eighty million dollars.”
Aaron looked at him.
Claire’s voice continued.
“But the money isn’t the worst part.”
Daniel tightened his grip on the phone.
“If I disappear, Graham will tell Daniel I died.”
Daniel looked up.
Nobody moved.
“He will show him a body.”
Sophie began crying.
Daniel listened.
“But it won’t be mine.”
The recording ended.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Daniel looked directly at his father.
“My wife died three years ago.”
Graham said nothing.
Daniel stepped closer.
“I buried her.”
Still nothing.
Daniel’s voice cracked.
“Did I?”
A crash suddenly sounded from outside.
Marcus looked toward the window.
One of the estate’s black SUVs exploded into motion, smashing through the side security barrier.
Aaron shouted.
“Who’s driving that?”
Marcus stared at his tablet.
His face changed.
“Nathan Brooks.”
Daniel knew the name.
The Vale family attorney.
The man who had handled Claire’s death certificate.
The man who had arranged her funeral.
The man who had told Daniel there was no reason to identify the body because the crash had made viewing impossible.
Daniel ran for the door.
Nathan’s SUV disappeared down the road.
Marcus looked at the tracking system.
Then at Daniel.
“Sir.”
“What?”
“The vehicle is heading north.”
“Toward what?”
Marcus swallowed.
“The private medical facility owned by your father.”
Graham closed his eyes.
May you like
And Daniel finally understood.
Claire might not be dead.
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