Chapter 13 - The Enemy at the Table)
Noah returned to the Vale mansion with one question.
Who had entered Vale International after Thomas Mercer supposedly died?
They gathered employee records.
Thousands of names.
Eleanor ordered a facial-comparison search against old photographs of Thomas.
Nothing.
Noah stared at the screen.
"He changed his face."
Margaret looked at him.
"Plastic surgery?"
"Maybe."
Adrian leaned against the desk.
"Or we're searching employees when we should search consultants."
Vanessa had returned too.
Nobody welcomed her.
Nobody removed her either.
For the first time in her life, she seemed comfortable not being important.
They expanded the search.
Contractors.
Lawyers.
Security companies.
Board advisers.
No matches.
Then Noah noticed something.
"What about companies?"
Eleanor looked at him.
"Meaning?"
"What if he never joined Vale as a person?"
Noah opened corporate acquisitions.
A security firm purchased twelve years ago.
Northline Strategic Protection.
Current provider of executive drivers and estate security.
The room went still.
Eleanor whispered, "Daniel Cross."
Daniel had worked for Northline before becoming her driver.
Noah searched the founder.
The name was fake.
But the birth date matched Thomas Mercer.
Adrian stood.
"Thomas owns Northline."
Margaret looked horrified.
"He has controlled Vale security for twelve years."
Noah understood the scale.
"He knew where everyone went."
"Yes," Eleanor said.
"He could access homes."
"Yes."
"Phones."
"Yes."
"Grace's old bedroom."
Eleanor's face tightened.
"Yes."
The warning message had not necessarily been meant to scare Noah.
It might have been Thomas communicating with him.
Don't trust the one who brings you home.
Daniel brought Noah home.
Daniel worked for Thomas.
But why warn Noah about his own operative?
Unless the message came from someone else using Thomas's network.
Grace?
Marcus?
They returned to the original eleven-second audio.
Margaret asked a forensic specialist to analyze it.
Hours later, the result arrived.
The recording was genuine.
Grace's voice.
Recorded less than six months ago.
Noah stared at the report.
"She's alive."
This time nobody argued.
Eleanor covered her mouth.
Noah felt seven years of grief crack open.
His mother was alive.
Somewhere.
But the joy lasted only seconds.
The recording had been made six months earlier.
Nothing proved she was alive now.
Marcus arrived that night.
Security tried to stop him.
Noah let him in.
Eleanor slapped him.
Hard.
Marcus accepted it.
"You hid my daughter from me for three years."
"She asked me to."
"Everyone uses that excuse."
"Because Grace gave impossible orders."
Noah stepped between them.
"Where did she go?"
Marcus looked at him.
"After three years, she discovered Thomas had infiltrated Northline. She left my safe house without warning."
"And you never found her."
"No."
"You're supposed to be good at this."
"I am."
"Not good enough."
Marcus's face showed pain.
"Correct."
Noah hated that answer because it left nothing to attack.
Marcus removed a flash drive.
"This is what Grace sent me the night she disappeared."
"The one you wouldn't give me."
"I'm giving it now."
"Why?"
"Because Thomas knows you're involved."
Noah connected it.
One video file appeared.
Grace sat in a dark room.
Older than Noah remembered.
Alive.
She looked directly into the camera.
"Noah, if you're watching this, then Marcus finally stopped being stubborn."
Marcus almost smiled.
Grace continued.
"I need you to know that Thomas Mercer is your father."
Noah's throat tightened despite knowing already.
"I loved him once. Part of me may still love the person I thought he was. But the man he became is dangerous."
She paused.
"Thomas doesn't want money. Money is only a tool. He wants control. Project Winter contains enough information to force executives, politicians, judges, and investors to obey him."
Noah looked at Eleanor.
Grace continued.
"He believes the Vale company belongs to him because he built its modern financial systems."
Then her expression changed.
Fear.
"If he cannot control the company through me, he will try through you."
The video flickered.
"Do not believe him when he says he wants to be your father."
Noah's eyes filled.
"He wants the shares."
Grace leaned closer.
"And Noah, there is one more thing."
The video stopped.
Error.
File corrupted.
Noah stared.
"One more thing what?"
Marcus shook his head.
"I never recovered the rest."
A security alarm sounded downstairs.
Every light in the mansion went out.
Darkness swallowed the room.
Emergency lights flashed red.
Then a voice came through the house speakers.
Calm.
Male.
"Hello, Noah."
Marcus went pale.
Eleanor whispered:
"Thomas."
May you like
The voice continued.
"I think it's time my son and I finally met."
