Chapter 4: The Call
The phone in my hand rang a third time.
I stared at the screen.
*ANSWER, DADDY.*
Emma had called me Daddy every day of her life.
Nobody who didn't know our family would have chosen that word.
Nobody who hadn't been watching.
“Give me the phone,” my security chief, Marcus, said.
I didn't move.
The nanny stood frozen near the stairs.
“Is Emma upstairs?”” I asked.
“Yes,” she whispered.
“She's with Mrs. Wilson.””
“Keep her there.””
Marcus stepped closer.
“Sir, we need to secure the device.””
“I know.””
The phone rang again.
I pressed answer.
For three seconds, there was nothing.
Then a man's breathing came through the speaker.
Slow.
Calm.
Close enough to make the hair on my neck rise.
“Hello?””
A distorted voice finally answered.
“You should have listened.””
I looked toward the front door.
“Who are you?””
A low chuckle.
“You ask the wrong questions.””
Marcus signaled to another guard.
I shook my head.
Nobody moved.
“Why are you doing this?”” I asked.
“Because you refused to understand.””
“You went after my daughter.””
“No.””
The voice became colder.
“We went after what makes you weak.””
My hand tightened around the phone.
“Say her name.””
Silence.
Then:
“Emma.””
I closed my eyes for one second.
When I opened them, I was no longer angry.
I was focused.
“You have ten seconds to tell me where you are.””
Another laugh.
“You still think money solves everything.””
“No.””
I looked at Marcus.
“I think people do.””
The caller went silent.
I waited.
He finally said, “Check your office.””
The line went dead.
Marcus moved instantly.
“Stay here.””
I followed him toward the stairs.
“My office is locked,” I said.
“It won't matter.””
Two guards moved ahead of us.
The house suddenly felt different.
Too quiet.
Too large.
Every shadow looked occupied.
We reached the hallway outside my study.
The door was closed.
Marcus held up a hand.
One guard checked the handle.
Unlocked.
I frowned.
“I locked that.””
He looked at me.
“So did I.””
He pushed the door open.
Nothing moved.
The curtains were still.
The lights were off.
My desk sat exactly where it had been that morning.
Except for one thing.
A white envelope rested in the middle of my desk.
My name was written across it.
*DANIEL CARTER*
My pulse slowed.
That's what happened when I became truly angry.
Everything inside me became still.
I walked into the room.
Marcus followed.
“Sir, don't touch it.””
I stopped.
“You open it.””
He put on gloves, picked up the envelope, and carefully tore it open.
Inside was a single photograph.
I recognized the building immediately.
My company headquarters.
At the bottom of the photograph, somebody had written:
*YOU BUILT YOUR EMPIRE ON A LIE.*
Marcus turned it over.
Nothing.
I stepped closer.
“What's on the back?””
He held it up.
A second line.
*ASK RICHARD BELL WHO SIGNED THE FIRST AGREEMENT.*
I stared at the words.
Richard Bell.
Again.
There was no way this was coincidence anymore.
Marcus looked at me.
“Who is he?””
“Businessman.””
“That doesn't explain why he's in your house.””
“He isn't.””
Marcus looked toward the door.
“Then someone wants you to think he is.””
I nodded.
“Exactly.””
My phone buzzed.
This time it was a message from my CFO, Victor Hale.
*We need to talk. Alone.*
I stared at it.
Marcus noticed.
“That's the man connected to the company vehicle?””
“Yes.””
“Don't meet him.””
I looked back at the photograph.
“I'm going to.””
Marcus frowned.
“Sir—”
“If he's involved, he'll expect me to confront him.””
“And if he's not?””
“Then he'll tell me that himself.””
Marcus crossed his arms.
“You're walking straight into an ambush.””
“I know.””
“Then why go?””
I looked toward the staircase.
Because somewhere upstairs was a little girl who had already paid the price for a fight she didn't understand.
“Because this ends tonight.””
My phone rang.
Victor.
I answered.
“What?””
His voice sounded breathless.
“Daniel, where are you?””
“At home.””
“You shouldn't be there.””
I froze.
“Why?””
“Because they know.””
“Who?””
He took a shaky breath.
“Richard isn't the one controlling this.””
I stared at Marcus.
Victor continued.
“You've got to listen to me.””
“Start talking.””
“I found the transfers.””
“What transfers?””
“Money moving through the Bell development accounts.””
My mind raced.
“From where?””
“Your company.””
I didn't speak.
Victor said, “Someone has been siphoning millions from one of our acquisition funds.””
“Who?””
“I don't know.””
“You said you found the transfers.””
“I found where they went.””
“Where?””
He hesitated.
Then he whispered a name.
“Carter Children's Foundation.””
My stomach dropped.
That was mine.
A foundation I'd created after Emma's surgery to fund pediatric rehabilitation.
It supported children who needed prosthetics, therapy, and mobility equipment.
Money went through the foundation every month.
Millions had passed through it.
“That's impossible,” I said.
“No.””
Victor sounded terrified.
“I checked twice.””
“You think somebody is laundering money through the foundation?””
“I think somebody is using the foundation to hide something much bigger.””
“Why didn't you tell me earlier?””
“Because the person who has access to the files is—”
A sharp noise came through the phone.
Then silence.
“Victor?””
Nothing.
“Victor!””
The line went dead.
I immediately called back.
Straight to voicemail.
Marcus watched my face.
“What happened?””
I turned toward him.
“Call the police.””
He didn't argue.
Then a scream came from upstairs.
“Daddy!””
Emma.
I ran.
I took the stairs two at a time.
Marcus and two guards were right behind me.
Emma's bedroom door was open.
The nanny stood in the hallway crying.
“I was right beside her!””
I rushed inside.
Emma was sitting on her bed.
Her face was white.
“Daddy!””
I knelt beside her.
“What happened?””
She pointed toward the window.
“There was someone outside.””
Marcus moved to the glass.
“Nothing there.””
Emma grabbed my shirt.
“I saw him.””
“Tell me what he looked like.””
“He had a black hat.””
My heart slammed against my ribs.
“The same man from the picture?””
She nodded.
“He waved at me.””
I looked at the window.
“Did he say anything?””
Emma's lips trembled.
“He said my daddy was going to be very sorry.””
I pulled her against me.
“You're safe.””
“He said you lied.””
I went still.
“What?””
Emma looked into my eyes.
“He said... you took something from his family.””
Marcus came closer.
“Sir.””
I looked at him.
He pointed toward the floor.
Something was lying beneath the window.
A small wooden object.
I recognized it.
It was the same kind of stick Daniel had used at school.
Except this one had something carved into the handle.
Three letters.
*E.B.C.*
I stared at them.
Marcus asked, “Do those mean anything?””
I nodded slowly.
“They're initials.””
“For who?””
“Evan Bell Carter.””
Marcus frowned.
“Who's that?””
I looked at Emma.
Then back at him.
“My grandfather.””
The room went silent.
My grandfather had been dead for twenty-two years.
And he had founded the company before I ever took over.
Marcus studied the carved letters.
“Why would somebody leave this here?””
“I don't know.””
My phone buzzed again.
Unknown number.
A text appeared.
*THE TRUTH IS IN THE OLD HOUSE.*
I knew immediately which house they meant.
The Carter family estate outside Houston.
The place had been empty for fifteen years.
Nobody went there anymore.
Not after my father's final year.
Not after my grandfather's death.
Not after the documents surrounding the company's original land acquisitions had vanished.
I remembered something my father once told me.
He'd been drunk that night.
He'd looked me straight in the eyes and said:
“Never open the red room.””
I'd been seventeen.
I'd thought it was another one of his drunken secrets.
Now I wasn't so sure.
Marcus read the text over my shoulder.
“We're not going there tonight.””
“Yes, we are.””
“No.””
I looked at him.
“My daughter was attacked at school.””
“Exactly.””
“Someone entered my property.””
“Exactly.””
“Someone is inside my company.””
“Exactly.””
“And someone is telling me the answer is in a house my family abandoned fifteen years ago.””
Marcus shook his head.
“That is exactly why you should not go.””
I picked up the carved stick.
The wood was old.
Much older than something left behind by a group of schoolchildren.
I turned it over.
There was a tiny metal plate fastened beneath the handle.
My grandfather's initials were engraved into it.
Not painted.
Engraved.
I stared at it.
“That wasn't made for Daniel.””
Marcus went quiet.
“No.””
“It belonged to my grandfather.””
A noise came from the hallway.
Footsteps.
Everyone turned.
One of the guards drew his weapon.
A man's voice called from downstairs.
“Daniel!””
Richard Bell.
My entire body tightened.
He had found my house.
And he had come alone.
I walked toward the bedroom door.
Marcus blocked me.
“Stay here.””
Richard shouted again.
“Daniel, you need to come downstairs!””
I stepped into the hallway.
“Why?””
His voice changed.
There was panic in it now.
“Because I know who sent the message.””
I stopped.
Marcus moved beside me.
Richard looked up from the bottom of the stairs.
His tie was loose.
His face was pale.
And for the first time, the powerful businessman looked genuinely terrified.
He stared at the carved wooden stick in my hand.
Then he whispered:
“Where did you find that?””
“In my daughter's bedroom.””
Richard closed his eyes.
“Oh, God.””
I descended one step.
“What does it mean?””
He looked at me.
“You need to leave this house.””
“Not without an explanation.””
“You don't understand.””
“Then explain.””
Richard glanced toward the windows.
“The man you're looking for isn't after your money.””
“Then what does he want?””
Richard swallowed.
“Your name.””
I took another step.
“My name?””
He nodded.
“And the company your grandfather left you.””
“Why?””
Richard's voice dropped to almost a whisper.
“Because your grandfather didn't build that company.””
He looked directly at me.
“He stole it.””
I stopped.
Richard looked toward the front door.
May you like
Then back at me.
“And tomorrow morning, Daniel, you're going to learn exactly who he stole it from.””
