The phone call replayed in my mind.
*Nathan made the same mistake Claire made.*
Whoever called knew Claire.
They knew Nathan.
They knew things about my family that only someone close could know.
And they were afraid.
Not of Nathan.
Of what Nathan had found.
Daniel stood beside the car, watching me carefully.
“Ethan.””
I looked up.
“We need to decide our next move.””
I placed Nathan’s notebook into my coat pocket.
“No.””
Daniel frowned.
“No?””
“Not our next move.””
I looked toward the hotel.
“Their next move.””
He understood immediately.
“You think they’re watching?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Because they left the phone here.””
Daniel looked back at the vehicle.
“You think the call was intentional?””
I nodded.
“They wanted me to find Nathan’s things.””
“Why?””
I stared at the dark windows of the Grand Regent.
“Because they wanted me to know Nathan was involved.””
Daniel was quiet.
“Or they wanted you to believe he was.””
Exactly.
That was the part that bothered me.
Someone had spent the night giving me pieces of information.
The threatening note.
The messages.
The security footage.
The archive room.
Every discovery had been placed in front of me.
Like a trail.
And trails existed for one reason.
To lead someone somewhere.
I looked at Daniel.
“Find Robert Hayes.””
Daniel’s expression changed.
“Our head of security?””
“Yes.””
“Do you want him brought here?””
“No.””
“Why not?””
“Because if Robert is involved, he already knows we’re investigating.””
Daniel nodded.
“So we watch him.””
“Quietly.””
“Understood.””
Before we could move, my phone rang.
A number I didn’t recognize.
I answered.
“Hello?””
For several seconds, there was only breathing.
Then a voice.
A familiar voice.
A voice I had not heard in two years.
“Ethan.””
My entire body froze.
“Nathan?””
Daniel looked at me.
I stepped away.
“Nathan, where are you?””
Silence.
Then:
“You shouldn’t have found the notebook.””
My grip tightened.
“You left it for me.””
“No.””
His voice sounded exhausted.
“I left it because I knew someone else would find it first.””
“Then why did you disappear?””
Another silence.
Longer this time.
“Because Claire asked me to.””
The words hit harder than I expected.
“What?””
“She knew she was in danger.””
I closed my eyes.
“Stop speaking in riddles.””
My voice shook.
“Claire died, Nathan.””
“I know.””
“You disappeared.””
“I know.””
“You let me believe you abandoned us.””
His voice cracked.
“I know.””
For the first time, I heard something in him.
Pain.
Real pain.
Not an excuse.
Not a performance.
Pain.
“I wanted to come back.””
“Then why didn’t you?””
“Because the person who killed Claire was still watching.””
The world went quiet.
I looked around the parking area.
Rain fell softly.
The hotel stood above us.
Beautiful.
Expensive.
Dangerous.
“What did you just say?””
Nathan lowered his voice.
“I said Claire wasn’t supposed to die.””
My heart raced.
“Tell me everything.””
“I can’t.””
“Why?””
“Because you’re not alone.””
I looked at Daniel.
“What does that mean?””
“It means someone close to you has been listening for years.””
I felt a chill.
“Nathan.””
“I need you to understand something.””
“What?””
“Claire didn’t discover a financial problem.””
I waited.
“She discovered a plan.””
“What plan?””
“To take control of the Grand Regent.””
I looked back at the hotel.
“Thomas?””
Nathan didn’t answer.
And that silence told me enough.
“It’s Thomas, isn’t it?””
“No.””
I froze.
“No?””
“It’s bigger than Thomas.””
Daniel stepped closer.
I covered the phone slightly.
“Nathan says it’s bigger than Thomas.””
Daniel’s face became serious.
I returned to the call.
“Then who?””
Nathan whispered:
“The person who taught Thomas everything he knows.””
My mind searched.
Someone above Thomas.
Someone with influence.
Someone who could manipulate the entire company.
Then Nathan spoke again.
“Ethan, listen carefully.””
“What?””
“Do not trust anyone who says they’re protecting Claire’s legacy.””
I frowned.
“What does that mean?””
Before he answered, another sound came through the phone.
A door closing.
Nathan’s breathing changed.
“Nathan?””
No response.
“Nathan?””
Then he whispered.
“They found me.””
The call ended.
I immediately called back.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
Daniel looked at me.
“What happened?””
I looked at the phone.
“He’s in trouble.””
We returned to the hotel without telling anyone what happened.
Not the employees.
Not security.
Not even Thomas or Olivia.
Especially not them.
Daniel moved quickly.
He contacted a private investigation team he trusted and started reviewing all internal access records.
Meanwhile, I sat beside Lily.
She was still asleep.
Unaware that her family’s past had opened like a wound.
I watched her hold the rabbit.
The same rabbit Nathan bought for her first birthday.
I remembered that day.
Nathan had walked into our house carrying a huge stuffed animal.
Claire laughed.
“Nathan, she’s one year old. She can’t even hold that.””
Nathan smiled.
“Then I’ll help her.””
And he did.
He always did.
That was why this hurt.
Because no matter what happened, Nathan had loved Claire.
He had loved Lily.
He had loved our family.
Someone had turned him into a stranger.
A sound came from the hallway.
I looked up.
Daniel entered.
“We found something.””