Chapter 4: The Man Who Knew My Father
The words followed me long after Alexander said them.
*“The daughter is next.””*
I had heard threats before.
Not like this.
Not from someone who knew my name.
Not from someone who knew my father.
I stood in the middle of the ballroom surrounded by strangers wearing designer clothes and diamond jewelry, yet I had never felt more alone.
My hand still burned from the cut.
My heart still raced from everything I had learned.
My father wasn’t who I thought he was.
Alexander Cross wasn’t a stranger.
And someone out there wanted me silenced.
“Claire.””
Alexander’s voice pulled me back.
I looked at him.
“What?””
“We need to leave.””
The urgency in his tone scared me.
“Leave?””
“Yes.””
I looked around.
“The gala isn’t even over.””
“I don’t care about the gala.””
His eyes moved toward the entrance.
“They know where you work. They know who you are. They know you’re here.””
I swallowed.
“Who is ‘they’?””
Alexander didn’t answer immediately.
That bothered me.
“Alexander.””
He looked at me.
“The people who made sure your father never finished his work.””
A chill moved through me.
I wanted to ask more.
I wanted answers.
But before I could, Mark, my supervisor, rushed over.
His face was filled with panic.
“Claire.””
I turned.
“Mark…”
He looked at my hand.
“Are you okay?””
I nodded.
“I’m fine.””
He looked at Alexander, then back at me.
“I don’t understand what just happened.””
Neither did I.
Mark lowered his voice.
“Are you in trouble?””
The honest answer was yes.
But I couldn’t say that.
Not here.
Not in front of everyone.
“I don’t know.””
Mark looked around nervously.
“Claire, listen to me. Whatever this is, stay away from it.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“I’m serious.””
His expression was different.
Not like a boss worried about losing an employee.
Like someone who was afraid.
“Why are you saying that?””
Mark opened his mouth.
Then stopped.
That hesitation told me everything.
“Mark.””
He looked away.
“I shouldn’t have said anything.””
“Shouldn’t have said what?””
Before he could answer, Alexander stepped closer.
“What do you know?””
Mark immediately became pale.
“Nothing.””
Alexander’s voice stayed calm.
“Try again.””
“I don’t know anything.””
“You’re lying.””
Mark looked at me.
“I’m sorry.””
My stomach tightened.
“Sorry for what?””
But before he answered, the lights flickered.
Once.
Twice.
The ballroom went dark.
Gasps filled the room.
People shouted.
The musicians stopped.
For several seconds, there was nothing but confusion.
Then emergency lights turned on.
Dim red lights along the walls.
And that was when I noticed something.
Lena was gone.
My chest tightened.
“Where is Lena?””
Nobody answered.
Alexander immediately turned to Natalie.
“Find her.””
Natalie nodded and disappeared into the crowd.
I looked around.
“What’s happening?””
Alexander didn’t look at me.
“This wasn’t an accident.””
“How do you know?””
“Because the security system doesn’t fail during a private event unless someone makes it fail.””
I felt my pulse quicken.
Someone had planned this.
Someone had entered the ballroom.
Someone had taken Lena.
Or worse.
“Wait.””
I grabbed Alexander’s arm.
His eyes dropped to my hand.
Then back to my face.
“Lena was involved in my father’s project.””
“Yes.””
“She knows something.””
“Yes.””
“Then whoever did this took her because of what she knows.””
Alexander’s silence confirmed it.
I felt sick.
A woman in a wheelchair had been targeted because she tried to tell the truth.
The same truth my father died protecting.
A sudden sound came from behind us.
A glass breaking.
Everyone turned.
A waiter stood near one of the tables.
His tray had fallen.
But he wasn’t looking at the broken glass.
He was looking at me.
Then he turned and walked quickly toward the side exit.
Alexander noticed.
“Stay here.””
I almost laughed.
“Absolutely not.””
“Claire.””
“I’m already involved.””
His expression hardened.
“This isn’t a game.””
“I know.””
I stepped closer.
“My father spent years trying to protect people. Lena risked everything to tell me the truth. I’m not standing in a corner while everyone else decides what happens to me.””
For a moment, Alexander just stared.
Then something changed in his expression.
Respect.
Maybe even surprise.
“Fine.””
He looked toward the exit.
“But you stay behind me.””
I nodded.
We followed the man through the side doors.
The luxury of the ballroom disappeared.
The hallway behind it was cold and empty.
The sounds of the gala faded behind us.
The waiter moved quickly.
Too quickly.
“He’s not hotel staff,” Alexander said.
“How do you know?””
“Because Bellmont employees wear silver name tags.””
I looked.
The man had none.
We turned the corner.
The hallway split into two directions.
The waiter was gone.
“Where did he go?””
Alexander studied the floor.
Then pointed.
“There.””
A small trail of water.
From the rain outside.
Someone had entered through the service entrance.
We followed.
The back corridor smelled like cleaning supplies and old concrete.
Not exactly where I expected to uncover a billionaire conspiracy.
A door at the end slammed shut.
Alexander moved faster.
We reached it.
Locked.
He looked at me.
“Stand back.””
He pushed the door open.
Inside was a storage room.
Empty.
Almost.
On the table in the center sat a single envelope.
My name was written on it.
I froze.
“Claire Bennett.””
My name.
Again.
Someone wanted me to find it.
Alexander picked it up carefully.
“Don’t touch it.””
I looked at him.
“Why?””
“Because whoever left this wanted you to open it.””
“And?””
“And people who leave messages like this usually want a reaction.””
I stared at the envelope.
“What if I want answers?””
Alexander was quiet.
Then he carefully opened it.
Inside was a photograph.
My father.
Again.
But this time, he wasn’t alone.
He was standing beside a younger Alexander Cross.
Both of them were smiling.
I looked at the picture.
Then at Alexander.
“You knew him.””
He didn’t deny it.
“Yes.””
“You weren’t just someone who met him.””
“No.””
My voice became sharper.
“You were his friend.””
Alexander looked down.
“Yes.””
The answer hurt.
Because suddenly, everything became personal.
“You let me believe he was just some ordinary man.””
“I never lied to you.””
“You never told me the truth.””
He looked at me.
“I was trying to protect you.””
I laughed bitterly.
“Everyone keeps saying that.””
My fingers shook.
“My mother protected me. My father protected me. Now you’re protecting me.””
I held up the photograph.
“But nobody trusted me enough to tell me anything.””
Alexander didn’t respond.
Because he knew I was right.
I looked at the picture again.
My father’s smile.
Alexander’s younger face.
A friendship I never knew existed.
Then I noticed something in the background.
A person standing behind them.
A woman.
Her face was partially hidden.
But I recognized the necklace.
The same necklace Victoria Ashford had been wearing tonight.
I looked at Alexander.
“Is that her?””
He followed my eyes.
His expression changed.
“Claire…”
“Is that Victoria?””
He didn’t answer.
He didn’t need to.
Because the truth was already staring at me.
My father hadn’t just known Alexander.
He had known Victoria too.
And whatever happened years ago wasn’t just about stolen money.
It was about three people.
My father.
Alexander.
And the woman who had tried to hit Lena tonight.
I looked at Alexander.
“What did Victoria do to my father?””
His face went pale.
Then his phone rang.
He checked the screen.
The caller ID showed a name.
A name that made him immediately tense.
*Dr. Ethan Bennett.*
My brother.
I grabbed his arm.
“Why is my brother calling you?””
Alexander answered.
But he didn’t say hello.
Because on the other end of the line was not Ethan.
It was a stranger.
A man’s voice.
Calm.
Cold.
And the first thing he said was:
“Alexander Cross, if you want Claire Bennett to see her brother alive again…”
The voice paused.
May you like
My entire body went numb.
“…you’ll bring me the original research file your father hid twenty years ago.””
