Chapter 5
Clara watches Martha with wide, disbelieving eyes, while Daniel narrows his gaze, assessing the young woman’s motives. In a household where every loyalty is bought and paid for by Evelyn’s bottomless bank accounts, trust is a rare and dangerous commodity. Daniel steps between Martha and the door, his posture guarded.
"Why would you risk everything for us, Martha?" Daniel asks, his voice cold and analytical. "My mother pays your wages. She could ruin you with a single phone call to her legal team."
Martha sets the silver tray down on the mahogany dresser, her movements calm and deliberate. She lifts her hands, showing the raw, white bandages wrapped tightly around her palms. "Your mother doesn't pay me enough to live with blood on my conscience, Mr. Daniel. I saw what she did today. I saw what she tried to do. And three months ago, I saw how the previous estate manager was 'let go' right after he started asking questions about the missing offshore accounts tied to your father’s will."
Clara gasps, pressing a hand to her mouth. The mention of the missing accounts sends a visible jolt through Daniel. His father’s sudden death six months prior had been ruled a heart attack, but doubts had always lingered in the periphery of Daniel’s mind. Evelyn had inherited sole control of the conglomerate overnight, freezing Daniel out of any executive power.
"What do you know about my father's accounts, Martha?" Daniel asks, leaning in closer, the urgency in his voice sharpening.
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"I know they were moved the night before he died," Martha replies steadily. "And I know the transfer signatures match your mother’s handwriting, not your father’s. If you want to survive long enough to get out of this house with your wife and your child, you need those digital ledger keys. And they aren't in the main safe in the study. They’re in Evelyn’s private studio on the third floor, locked behind a biometric scanner that only she—and someone with her exact security clearance—can bypass."
Clara looks at Daniel, her fear momentarily replaced by a fierce determination. "We have to find them. If we leave empty-handed, Evelyn will hunt us down across the globe. We need leverage."
