Chapter 7 - Fire at the Vale Estate
Daniel opened an old storage cabinet.
Behind it was a narrow passage.
"Your father built this."
Charlotte almost smiled.
"Apparently my parents loved secret exits."
Gunfire shattered the upstairs windows.
They entered the passage.
Daniel closed the panel behind them.
"Who followed you?"
"I don't know."
"That's not comforting."
"It wasn't supposed to be."
They crawled beneath the house.
Above them, boots crossed the wooden floors.
A voice shouted.
"Find the girl!"
Charlotte recognized Marcus.
Daniel stopped.
"Marcus Reed?"
"He's with Adrian."
Another man shouted from outside.
"Burn it if you have to."
Charlotte's stomach dropped.
Seconds later, smoke entered the tunnel.
Daniel pushed forward.
"Hurry."
The passage ended near the boathouse.
They climbed out beside the frozen shoreline.
Flames already climbed from the lake house roof.
Charlotte stared at the burning windows.
Another piece of her family was disappearing.
Daniel pulled her toward the trees.
"Move."
A man emerged near the dock.
He raised a gun.
Daniel fired first.
The man dropped behind a railing.
Charlotte and Daniel ran.
They reached Daniel's SUV hidden near a service road.
Once inside, Charlotte opened the ledger.
"We need to release everything."
Daniel shook his head.
"Not yet."
"Why?"
"Because Adrian owns half the institutions you'd send it to."
"The FBI?"
"Some people can be trusted."
"Then call them."
Daniel looked at her.
"Your mother tried."
Charlotte fell silent.
"What happened?"
"Two agents died in a highway accident three days later."
Charlotte stared at him.
"This is bigger than the hotel."
"Much bigger."
The lake house exploded behind them.
Charlotte watched through the rear window as flames rose into the sky.
Then Daniel's phone rang.
He answered on speaker.
A woman's voice spoke.
"Daniel Mercer."
Daniel's face hardened.
"Who is this?"
"You have something that belongs to Mr. Cross."
Charlotte leaned closer.
The woman continued.
"Return Charlotte Vale and the ledger."
Daniel gripped the steering wheel.
"Or?"
"We kill Samuel."
Charlotte's heart stopped.
"He's alive?"
The woman paused.
Then Samuel's voice came through the phone.
"Charlotte, don't—"
A sharp impact silenced him.
Charlotte grabbed Daniel's phone.
"Where is he?"
"Midnight."
"Solmere Hotel."
"Come alone."
The call ended.
Daniel immediately shook his head.
"Absolutely not."
"They have Samuel."
"It's a trap."
"I know."
"They'll kill you."
Charlotte looked at the burning remains of her childhood home.
"They're going to kill him anyway."
Daniel exhaled.
Then he noticed something inside the black ledger.
A folded legal document.
He opened it.
His expression changed.
"What?"
Daniel handed it to Charlotte.
It was a notarized emergency succession order signed by Eleanor Vale.
Charlotte read the first paragraph.
Then the second.
Her hands began trembling.
According to the document, Charlotte had become controlling owner of Solmere Holdings at the exact moment Eleanor died.
Adrian had never legally controlled anything.
Every decision he had made since Eleanor's death was unauthorized.
Every board appointment was invalid.
Every dollar he moved could be traced as theft.
Daniel looked at Charlotte.
"You're not going back to that hotel as a trespasser."
Charlotte raised her eyes.
May you like
"No."
"I'm going back as the owner."
