Chapter 7 - THE MAN WITH THE SCAREdmund Vale was supposed to be a ghost.
No public address. No bank accounts in his name. No active passport. No social media, no company titles, no tax filings. As far as official records were concerned, Victoria’s father had slipped quietly out of the world.
But ghosts still cast shadows if you knew where to look.
Marcus found the first shadow in an old private aviation manifest.
Twelve years ago, two days before Daniel Parker’s plane crash, Edmund Vale had flown from New York to Denver under the name Edward Vance.
The second shadow was a hotel invoice paid in cash near the airport.
The third was security footage from the hotel lobby.
Grainy. Dated. Half corrupted.
But clear enough.
Daniel Parker walked through the lobby at 11:42 p.m.
Edmund Vale followed three minutes later.
Daniel died forty-six hours after that.
Alexander watched the footage in his office at Parker Global Tower, eighty floors above Manhattan. Below him, the city moved on like people did not betray, bleed, or bury secrets every day.
Olivia stood near the screen.
“This reopens the question of your father’s death.”
Alexander’s face was unreadable.
“Question?”
Olivia sighed.
“Fine. It lights the old investigation on fire.”
Marcus placed another file on the desk.
“There’s more.”
Alexander opened it.
Photos. Bank transfers. Shell companies. Old emails recovered from a server Daniel thought had been destroyed.
One email subject line caught Alexander’s eye.
EVELYN WILL NOT SIGN.
The sender was Daniel.
The recipient was Edmund Vale.
Alexander opened the printout.
She is becoming emotional. I may need another solution after the anniversary dinner. Make sure the girl is ready.
The girl.
Victoria.
Alexander felt sick.
Olivia read it over his shoulder.
“Daniel was planning to remove your mother from control.”
“And Victoria was the backup.”
“Yes.”
“She was supposed to enter my life earlier.”
“Possibly.”
Alexander turned the page.
Another email.
If anything happens to me, Vale gets nothing. Make sure he understands that.
Daniel had tried to betray Edmund too.
And then Daniel’s plane fell from the sky.
Alexander leaned back slowly.
“So my father made a deal with a snake, then tried to cut off its head.”
“And the snake waited,” Olivia said.
“For me.”
“Yes.”
Marcus’s phone buzzed.
He stepped aside, listened, then returned.
“Sir, we located Edmund’s town car.”
“Where?”
“Abandoned near the East River.”
“And Edmund?”
“No sign.”
Alexander stood.
“Victoria knows where he is.”
Olivia shook her head.
“Maybe. But she won’t tell you because she’s more afraid of him than prison.”
“Then we give her something worse to fear.”
Olivia raised an eyebrow.
“That sounded illegal.”
“It wasn’t.”
“Good. Try to keep it that way in front of your attorney.”
Alexander turned to Marcus.
“Bring Victoria to the tower.”
Within the hour, Victoria Vale was escorted into Alexander’s private conference room.
She had changed clothes. Black dress. Minimal makeup. Hair tied back. She looked less like a socialite and more like someone preparing for trial.
Alexander stood at the window.
“You asked to see me?” she said.
“No. I allowed you to see the future.”
He turned on the conference screen.
A live news broadcast appeared.
The anchor spoke breathlessly.
“Breaking development: Parker Global has announced an emergency board review following allegations of attempted murder inside Alexander Parker’s private residence. Sources close to the investigation suggest Victoria Vale may be connected to a decades-old financial conspiracy…”
Victoria’s face drained.
“You released my name.”
“No,” Alexander said. “I released the truth.”
“My father will—”
She stopped.
Alexander smiled coldly.
“There he is.”
Victoria’s hands curled into fists.
“You have no idea what he can do.”
“I know exactly what cowards do. They hide behind daughters.”
She slapped him.
The sound cracked through the room.
Marcus moved forward, but Alexander raised one hand.
Victoria was breathing hard.
“You think I wanted this?” she hissed. “You think I dreamed of smiling next to you while your mother looked at me like I was dirt?”
“She saw you clearly.”
“She saw what your family made me!”
Alexander’s eyes narrowed.
“My family?”
“My father gave Daniel everything. Introductions. Offshore routes. Political protection. And when Daniel got rich enough, he treated us like servants.”
“Daniel is dead.”
“Because he tried to cheat us!”
Silence.
Victoria realized what she had admitted.
Olivia, seated in the corner where Victoria had not noticed her, looked up from her recorder.
“Well,” Olivia said calmly, “that was useful.”
Victoria turned slowly.
Her face went from rage to horror.
Alexander stepped closer.
“Where is Edmund?”
Victoria swallowed.
“I can’t.”
“You can.”
“He’ll kill me.”
Alexander’s voice lowered.
“My mother is in a hospital bed because of you. Give me your father, and I will let the court know you cooperated.”
“And if I don’t?”
Alexander looked at the screen, where her face now filled national news.
“Then you won’t just be Edmund Vale’s daughter. You’ll be his shield.”
Victoria trembled.
For the first time, she looked young.
Then she whispered an address.
Marcus wrote it down.
Alexander turned to leave.
Victoria grabbed his sleeve.
“There’s something else.”
He looked at her hand until she released him.
“What?”
“My father kept proof. Not just about Daniel. About your company. Judges. Senators. Police. If he thinks he’s cornered, he’ll burn everyone.”
Alexander’s face did not change.
“Then we’ll bring water.”
Victoria shook her head.
“No. You don’t understand.”
May you like
Her voice dropped.
“He has someone inside your mother’s hospital.”
