Chapter 13 - Victor Disappears.
Ethan stared at his own name in the ledger and felt something more dangerous than fear.
He felt uncertainty.
Someone had built the record to survive casual scrutiny.
The payment used an old company account.
The authorization used his name.
The restaurant visit matched his actual schedule.
If Mara had not stopped the fork, he might never have questioned any of it.
Rachel examined the file metadata.
“The ledger entry was created six weeks ago.”
Mara looked at Ethan.
“Who knew six weeks ago that you would eat at Aurelia tonight?”
Ethan thought back.
“The reservation was made seven weeks ago.”
“By Daniel?”
“His office.”
“Same thing.”
“Not necessarily.”
Mara gave him a look.
“Your loyalty is getting exhausting.”
“It isn’t loyalty.”
“Then what is it?”
“Discipline.”
Ethan pointed at the ledger.
“If someone is framing Daniel, I don’t want to help them by deciding he’s guilty early.”
Rachel nodded.
“He’s right.”
Mara sighed.
“I know.”
Her phone rang.
Victor.
She answered immediately.
“Where are you?”
No response.
“Victor?”
A scraping sound came through the speaker.
Then the line disconnected.
Mara called back.
Voicemail.
Ethan called Aurelia’s main number.
A floor manager answered.
“Put Victor on.”
The employee hesitated.
“Chef Hale left.”
“When?”
“About twenty minutes ago.”
“With Serena?”
“I don’t know.”
“Where is Serena?”
Another pause.
“She’s in her office.”
Ethan looked at Mara.
“Keep her there.”
The employee sounded alarmed.
“Sir?”
“Tell her a potential buyer is on the way.”
Ethan ended the call.
Rachel closed the laptop.
“You’re not going back there without counsel.”
“You’re counsel.”
Rachel stared at him.
“I was afraid you’d say that.”
They returned to Aurelia together.
The restaurant had closed early.
Only employees remained.
Serena waited in her office with the door open.
She looked composed again.
A black laptop case rested beside her desk.
Mara recognized Victor’s description.
“Where is Victor?”
Serena crossed one leg over the other.
“I was going to ask you.”
“He called me from here.”
“Then perhaps you know more than I do.”
Ethan noticed the absence of fear in her face.
Earlier she had been rattled.
Now she looked prepared.
“What did you remove from the security office?”
“Backup equipment.”
“Where is Carl?”
“He went home.”
“Victor says he vanished.”
“Victor says many things when he’s cornered.”
Mara leaned forward.
“What did you ask him about my sister’s files?”
Serena’s expression did not change.
“I asked whether you had taken proprietary records.”
“My apartment was entered tonight.”
“That sounds like a matter for the police.”
“It is.”
Mara watched Serena carefully.
“Did you know Claire was alive?”
For the first time, Serena blinked too slowly.
“I assumed she was.”
“You told people she extorted Aurelia.”
“I never said that.”
“Daniel did.”
Serena’s mouth curved slightly.
“Then perhaps you should ask Daniel why.”
Ethan stepped closer to the desk.
“Where are the seventeen marked plates?”
Serena looked genuinely puzzled.
“What plates?”
Mara almost laughed.
“You’re going with that?”
“I have no idea what you mean.”
Ethan called Victor again.
A phone rang somewhere nearby.
Everyone froze.
The sound came from Serena’s desk drawer.
Mara stared at her.
Serena slowly opened the drawer.
Victor’s phone lay inside.
Ethan’s face hardened.
“You were saying?”
Serena did not look afraid.
She looked irritated.
“He left it.”
“In your locked drawer?”
“He gave it to me.”
“Why?”
“He wanted to disappear.”
Mara stepped closer.
“From who?”
Serena looked directly at her.
“From Ethan.”
The answer landed harder than Mara expected.
Serena reached into the black laptop case and removed a sealed folder.
“He left this too.”
Ethan did not touch it.
“What is it?”
“His insurance.”
“Against what?”
May you like
Serena’s eyes remained on Mara.
“Against the moment you discover Ethan knew about Northstar before he ever walked into this restaurant.”
