Lauren kissed his forehead.
“You did something very brave.”
Detective Harris carefully took the drive.
“We’ll need to make a forensic copy before examining it.”
Ethan nodded.
“Do whatever it takes.”
But before Harris could leave, the computer technician called from the command center.
“Detective! You need to see this!”
Everyone rushed into the library.
The technician had connected the drive to an isolated forensic computer.
A folder appeared.
CALDWELL FINANCIAL RECORDS — CONFIDENTIAL
Inside were hundreds of documents.
Bank transfers.
Fake companies.
Offshore accounts.
Photographs.
And one video file.
The filename made Lauren’s blood run cold.
FINAL_AGREEMENT_VANESSA_RICHARD.mp4
Harris clicked the file.
The screen flickered.
Richard appeared, sitting behind his office desk.
Vanessa was beside him.
Richard spoke first.
“Once the documents disappear, nobody can connect us to the operation.”
Vanessa smiled.
“And Lauren?”
Richard looked directly into the camera.
“She already knows too much.”
Vanessa leaned forward.
“Then we should make sure she never remembers.”
The video suddenly ended.
Nobody moved.
Ethan’s fists clenched.
Lauren stared at the screen, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Her own father had discussed destroying her life as casually as discussing business.
Then another document appeared.
Harris opened it.
His expression changed immediately.
“Wait a minute.”
“What?” Ethan asked.
Harris enlarged the document.
It was a transfer agreement dated three days before Lauren’s accident.
The beneficiary wasn’t Richard.
It wasn’t Vanessa.
It was Marcus Vale.
And the amount was nearly forty million dollars.
Harris whispered:
“There’s someone else behind all of this.”
11:50 a.m. — Boston Harbor
Richard Bennett stood inside his private penthouse.
His phone rang.
“Sir, we have a problem.”
Richard turned sharply.
“What?”
“They found the USB drive.”
For the first time, Richard looked genuinely terrified.
“Are you certain?”
“Yes. And federal investigators have already opened the files.”
Richard slowly sat down.
Then his phone rang again.
This time, the caller ID showed a name he hadn’t seen in years.
MARCUS VALE.
Richard answered.
“What do you want?”
Marcus’s voice was calm.
“You were supposed to handle your daughter.”
