Chapter 7: The Enemy Inside the Room
The photograph sat between my fingers.
I couldn’t stop staring at it.
My father.
A younger Adrian.
Standing together.
Smiling.
Like they were friends.
Like they had trusted each other.
But someone wanted us to believe otherwise.
“Who took this?”” I asked.
Nobody answered.
That scared me.
Adrian took the photo carefully.
His eyes stayed fixed on the image.
“I was twenty-four when this was taken.””
“You knew my father?””
He nodded.
“I knew him better than I realized.””
My mother looked surprised.
“You never told me.””
Adrian looked at her.
“Because I thought he died before he could finish what he started.””
Victoria laughed quietly.
Everyone turned.
“You all still don’t understand.””
Adrian looked at her.
“Explain.””
She smiled.
“You’re looking for an enemy outside.””
She pointed around the room.
“But the person who destroyed your families was always closer.””
My stomach tightened.
“Who?””
Victoria didn’t answer.
Instead, she looked at Adrian.
“You really believed your father was innocent?””
Adrian’s expression hardened.
“Careful.””
“Or what?””
For the first time, Victoria sounded fearless again.
“My father built an empire because he knew how the world worked.””
Adrian stepped closer.
“And you destroyed lives because you learned from him.””
Her smile disappeared.
“Watch your words.””
The tension was unbearable.
Then Adrian’s phone rang.
He answered immediately.
“What?””
His expression changed.
“Repeat that.””
Silence.
Then:
“Send me everything.””
He ended the call.
“What happened?”” I asked.
He looked at me.
“The police found someone who accessed the company archives.””
“Who?””
He hesitated.
Then said:
“My father’s former assistant.””
Victoria’s face changed.
Only for a second.
But Adrian noticed.
“You know him.””
She looked away.
That was enough.
“You know him,” Adrian repeated.
Victoria remained silent.
My mother whispered:
“Who is he?””
Adrian looked at the photograph again.
“Thomas Reed.””
The name meant nothing to me.
But it clearly meant something to everyone else.
Later that afternoon, Adrian took us to his office.
I had never been inside a building like that.
The Bennett Technologies headquarters towered above the city.
Glass walls.
Private elevators.
People moving quickly with laptops and phones.
Everyone looked like they belonged.
I felt like I didn’t.
Adrian noticed.
“You’re uncomfortable.””
I looked at him.
“I’m a waitress standing in a billionaire’s office.””
“You’re also the person who exposed a powerful woman in front of three hundred people.””
“That doesn’t make me belong here.””
He looked at me seriously.
“Maybe belonging isn’t about where you start.””
I didn’t know how to answer.
Inside his private office, dozens of documents covered the table.
Lily was there too.
She looked exhausted.
“I found something,” she said.
Adrian turned.
“What?””
She handed him a file.
“These are old board records from my father’s company.””
He opened it.
Then frowned.
“What?””
Lily pointed.
“Look at the signature.””
I leaned closer.
A name appeared.
Thomas Reed.
My heart stopped.
“The same man?””
Adrian nodded.
“He was there the entire time.””
A terrible realization hit me.
“He helped Victoria.””
Lily shook her head.
“Not just helped.””
She looked at Adrian.
“He may have created the entire plan.””
Adrian sat down slowly.
“My father trusted him.””
“Everyone did,” Lily said.
The room became quiet.
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
Again.
Everyone looked at me.
I answered.
“Hello?””
A man’s voice spoke.
“Emma Carter.””
I froze.
“Who is this?””
“You don’t know me.””
“Then why are you calling?””
A pause.
Then:
“Because your father left something for you.””
My breathing stopped.
“What?””
“A message.””
“What message?””
The man lowered his voice.
“A warning.””
I stood.
“Who are you?””
Another pause.
Then he said:
“My name is Thomas Reed.””
The room went silent.
Adrian immediately reached for the phone.
But before he could take it, Thomas spoke one final sentence.
“Emma, your father didn’t die trying to expose Victoria Ashford.””
My hand tightened around the phone.
May you like
“He died trying to protect you from Adrian Bennett.””
The call ended.
