Chapter 17 - THE NIGHT DANIEL DIED
Rebecca finally told the truth.
Not part of it.
Not the edited version she had carried for three years.
Everything.
Daniel had left San Diego at 6:21 p.m.
Rebecca followed him.
Helena had ordered her to recover the ledger.
Nothing more.
Daniel noticed.
He accelerated.
Rebecca stayed behind him.
Near Yuma, another vehicle joined them.
A black sedan belonging to Charles Ashford’s security team.
Rebecca had not expected Charles.
Daniel tried to exit.
His car lost control.
The sedan did not strike him.
But its aggressive pursuit forced him toward the shoulder.
Daniel’s vehicle rolled.
Rebecca stopped.
Charles’ team arrived seconds later.
They pulled Daniel from the wreck.
Alive.
Bleeding.
Confused.
But conscious.
“He asked for Nora.”
Rebecca said.
Nora stood perfectly still.
“He kept saying your name.”
Tears streamed down her face.
“What did you do?”
“I called emergency services.”
“Charles stopped me.”
“What did he do?”
Rebecca looked down.
“He said if Daniel survived, the entire network would fall.”
Nora could barely breathe.
“Did he kill him?”
“No.”
“Then what happened?”
“Daniel had internal injuries.”
“He was fading.”
“Charles ordered his men to take the drive.”
“They searched the vehicle.”
“They couldn’t find it.”
“Daniel laughed.”
Nora closed her eyes.
She could imagine him.
Stubborn.
Defiant.
Even dying.
Rebecca continued.
“Charles asked where the ledger was.”
“Daniel said, ‘With the only person you’ll never understand.’”
“Who?”
“We thought he meant you.”
“He meant Taylor.”
Nora looked toward her daughter’s room.
Daniel had hidden clues in Taylor’s toys.
Songs.
Names.
Things criminals would dismiss as childish.
Rebecca’s voice broke.
“By the time the ambulance arrived, Daniel had stopped breathing.”
“They tried.”
“They couldn’t save him.”
Nora stared.
“So Charles didn’t physically kill him.”
“No.”
“But he delayed help.”
“Yes.”
“He let him die.”
“Yes.”
Nora slapped Rebecca.
Once.
Hard.
Rebecca accepted it.
Did not raise her hands.
Did not complain.
Nora’s voice shook.
“You were there.”
“Yes.”
“You could have stopped him.”
“Yes.”
“You could have called me.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“Because I was a coward.”
The honesty took some of Nora’s anger away.
Not forgiveness.
Never that quickly.
But certainty.
Rebecca hated herself.
That mattered later.
Not now.
Gavin left for Palm Springs with Rebecca and federal agents.
Nora stayed with Taylor.
For the first time since the engagement party began, mother and daughter were alone in a quiet room.
Taylor sat at the kitchen table eating cereal.
It was nearly four in the morning.
Children did not care about federal investigations.
They still became hungry.
Nora watched her.
Daniel’s daughter.
Helena’s granddaughter.
Heiress to something neither of them wanted.
Taylor looked up.
“Mommy sad?”
Nora nodded.
“Yes.”
“Daddy?”
Nora’s throat tightened.
“Yes.”
Taylor climbed off the chair.
She hugged her mother’s legs.
Nora cried silently.
Then Taylor said.
“Daddy says secrets hurt tummy.”
Nora pulled back.
“What?”
“Daddy said.”
“When?”
Taylor shrugged.
“In video.”
Nora froze.
“What video?”
“Bunny video.”
The red rabbit had contained the memory card.
But Evelyn copied its files before Priscilla took it.
Nora called Evelyn.
“Do you still have the memory card?”
“Yes.”
“Taylor says there’s another video.”
They searched.
Hidden file.
No title.
It opened.
Daniel sat inside their old apartment.
Taylor was a newborn sleeping against his chest.
Nora covered her mouth.
Daniel smiled at the camera.
“If you found this because Taylor remembered something I said, then my daughter is smarter than all of us.”
Nora laughed through tears.
Daniel continued.
“Nora.”
“I owe you the truth.”
“My name was David Voss.”
“I changed it because I wanted a life that belonged to me.”
“I planned to tell you after Harbor Crown.”
“I kept saying after.”
“After the project.”
“After the investigation.”
“After I knew my mother couldn’t reach us.”
“I was afraid if I told you, you would leave.”
Nora whispered.
“You idiot.”
Daniel looked almost as though he could hear her.
“If you are angry, be angry.”
“You deserve to be.”
“But never believe our marriage was false.”
“You were the first real thing in my life.”
Nora broke.
Taylor crawled into her lap.
The video continued.
“My mother will eventually discover Taylor.”
“If I’m gone, she may try to use the Voss trust.”
“Do not let her turn our daughter into another piece on her board.”
“Taylor does not belong to a company.”
“She belongs to herself.”
Nora nodded through tears.
Then Daniel said something unexpected.
“There is one person inside Helena’s organization who helped me.”
“Rebecca.”
Nora stared.
“She made terrible choices.”
“But she warned me.”
“She gave me the code to the ledger.”
“If she ever comes to you willingly, listen before you decide what she deserves.”
Nora closed her eyes.
Daniel had known his aunt’s guilt.
And still left space for complexity.
Annoyingly optimistic.
Exactly like him.
Then the video shifted.
Daniel’s face became serious.
“Gavin Roberson is not involved.”
“If he ever learns what happened, tell him his father tried to stop it.”
“Tell Evelyn William never betrayed her.”
“And tell Gavin something his father told me.”
Daniel looked directly at the camera.
“A company can survive losing money.”
“It cannot survive losing the truth.”
The video ended.
Nora held Taylor.
Something inside her settled.
Not healed.
Settled.
She finally knew enough about Daniel to be angry with him and love him at the same time.
Meanwhile, Gavin reached Palm Springs.
Police lights surrounded the property.
Rebecca led them toward the abandoned hotel.
Service tunnel.
Dark.
Dust.
They entered.
At the far end was a wine cellar beneath Arthur’s estate.
Arthur was tied to a chair.
Alive.
Barely conscious.
Helena was gone.
On the table beside him sat a syringe.
And a note.
Gavin approached.
Arthur opened his eyes.
“William?”
Gavin froze.
“No.”
“It’s Gavin.”
Arthur began crying.
“I’m sorry.”
Gavin stared at the man who had helped raise him.
“Did you kill my father?”
Arthur nodded.
One movement.
“Yes.”
No excuse.
No denial.
Gavin felt nothing at first.
Then everything.
Arthur whispered.
“I changed his medication.”
“I wanted one day.”
“One day to fix it.”
“He died.”
“I spent five years telling myself it was an accident.”
Gavin stepped away.
Agents began cutting Arthur free.
Then Arthur grabbed Gavin’s wrist.
“Helena has Priscilla.”
“What?”
“She took her from federal transport.”
“How?”
“Inside help.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know.”
Arthur coughed.
“But she doesn’t want Priscilla.”
“She wants Taylor.”
Gavin’s heart stopped.
Arthur stared at him.
“And she knows Nora is alone with her.”
Gavin grabbed his phone.
He called Nora.
No answer.
Again.
No answer.
Back in San Diego, Nora’s apartment door stood open.
The cereal bowl was still on the table.
Daniel’s video remained frozen on the laptop.
May you like
Nora’s phone lay on the floor.
And Taylor’s chair was empty.
