CHAPTER 4 — THE MAN WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD
The board vote was suspended.
Samuel Price was taken to a secure Montrose apartment while Claire prepared his sworn statement.
His story began four years earlier.
Damian had approached him weeks before the wedding.
At the time, Samuel was struggling with medical bills and debt. Damian offered enough money to save his home.
All Samuel had to do was notarize several documents.
“I thought they were backup estate papers,” he said.
“They were not?”
Samuel shook his head.
“They were transfer agreements, proxy forms, and medical authorization documents. Most of them were incomplete when I stamped them.”
Isabella sat across from him.
“Why fake your death?”
“Because I learned what Damian intended to do with them.”
Damian’s plan had been patient.
First, he would marry Isabella.
Then he would isolate her from Montrose Global while allowing her to continue rescuing Cross Meridian.
After years of marriage, he would create evidence that she was unstable and financially dishonest.
If she resisted, the forged agreement would place her shares under his control.
“And Vanessa?” Isabella asked.
“She was part of it before the wedding.”
The words should have shocked Isabella.
They did not.
Somewhere inside her, she had already understood.
Damian had never fallen in love with a poor, ordinary woman.
He had known exactly who she was.
He had simply waited for the right moment to reveal that his affection had always been another investment.
Samuel pointed to the brass key.
“It opens a private office behind the mansion library. Damian kept copies of everything there.”
“Why would he leave evidence inside the house?”
“Because he believed no one could enter without him.”
Samuel looked toward Marcus.
“He changed the electronic locks last month. The key only opens the first door. You will still need a six-digit code.”
“What is it?”
Samuel hesitated.
“Vanessa’s birthday.”
Claire ordered a legal preservation notice and requested an emergency search order.
Before the order could be approved, Marcus received a security alert.
Someone had located Samuel.
Three black vehicles were approaching the apartment building.
Marcus moved toward the window.
“Get everyone away from the glass.”
The building’s power suddenly failed.
The room dropped into darkness.
Samuel began breathing rapidly.
“They found me.”
Emergency lights flickered on.
Marcus led Isabella, Claire, and Samuel toward the secure stairwell.
As they reached the landing, a loud crash sounded from the apartment.
Men had entered through the service corridor.
The group descended two floors.
Then Samuel stopped.
“My daughter,” he whispered.
“What about her?” Isabella asked.
“She isn’t in Baltimore.”
May you like
His face filled with terror.
“She is still inside the Cross mansion.”
