Chapter 6 - THE BOARD’S BETRAYAL
By sunrise, my name was everywhere.
BILLIONAIRE HOTEL CEO HIDES HOMELESS HOUSEKEEPER AND HER CHILDREN.
WELLINGTON GRAND FACES SECURITY SCANDAL.
BOARD QUESTIONS MARTIN'S LEADERSHIP.
The photographs had been leaked.
Every photograph.
Anna entering the suite.
The twins sleeping in my bed.
Me standing beside them.
Even the stuffed elephant.
The internet didn't care about context.
People saw a powerful billionaire using his hotel to shelter an employee.
Some called me compassionate.
Others called me reckless.
The board called me incompetent.
At 8:00 a.m., they demanded my resignation.
I walked into the conference room alone.
Richard Hale stood at the head of the table.
"You've embarrassed this company."
I looked at him.
"Sit down."
He didn't.
"You're finished."
"Try again."
He slammed a folder onto the table.
"Investors are panicking."
"Then calm them down."
"You're not listening."
"I am."
I opened the folder.
Inside was the custody petition.
"The Whitmore family filed this."
Richard said nothing.
"Why does the petition contain confidential employee records?"
Silence.
"Why does it contain private hotel surveillance?"
No answer.
"And why was it prepared three days before Anna entered my suite?"
Richard's face tightened.
I smiled.
"That's what I thought."
One board member whispered:
"Martin..."
I turned toward him.
"Someone planned this."
Richard shook his head.
"You're paranoid."
"No."
I placed another folder on the table.
"You're careless."
Inside were bank records.
Payments from a Whitmore subsidiary to a consulting company.
That consulting company had paid someone inside the Wellington Grand.
I looked at Richard.
"Your brother owns the consulting firm."
His face went pale.
The room erupted.
Everyone began talking.
I raised my hand.
Silence.
"You're not removing me."
Richard stared at me.
"How did you—"
"I have accountants."
Then I stood.
"You have thirty minutes to resign."
Richard laughed.
"You think this ends with me?"
"No."
I looked directly at him.
"I think you're the first domino."
My phone rang.
Security.
"Mr. Martin, there's been an incident."
"What?"
"Someone tried to access the children's room."
My blood went cold.
I ran.
When I reached the twenty-fourth floor, two guards were unconscious.
The door was open.
Anna was inside.
Holding Samuel.
Sophia was missing.
"Where is she?"
Anna screamed.
"They took her!"
I froze.
"Who?"
"I don't know!"
I ran into the hallway.
The elevator was moving downward.
I called security.
"Lock the building!"
But the elevator stopped at the lobby.
By the time we arrived, there was no one.
Then I saw the camera.
A woman carrying Sophia.
Not a man.
A woman.
She wore a Wellington Grand housekeeping uniform.
Anna arrived behind me.
She saw the footage.
Her face changed.
"I know her."
"Who?"
"That's my sister."
I stared at her.
"You said your sister lived in Texas."
Anna shook her head.
"I have two sisters."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I haven't spoken to her in six years."
"Why?"
"She works for Charles Whitmore."
Everything went silent.
Then a text appeared on my phone.
COME ALONE.
A location followed.
An abandoned warehouse near the river.
BRING ANNA.
Underneath:
OR THE GIRL DISAPPEARS FOREVER.
I looked at Anna.
She was crying.
"I'm going."
"No."
"I have to."
"We're calling the police."
"They'll kill her."
"We don't know that."
Anna grabbed my arm.
"You don't understand."
"I understand enough."
She looked into my eyes.
"They already took my daughter once."
I froze.
"What?"
She whispered:
"When Sophia was born, she disappeared for eleven hours."
My stomach tightened.
"What happened?"
"I found her in Daniel's father's house."
"How?"
"Daniel helped me."
She wiped her tears.
"He was the only person who ever tried to protect us."
I looked at the location.
Then I made a decision.
"We go together."
Anna shook her head.
"No."
"Yes."
"You'll get hurt."
"I've survived worse."
She looked at me.
"Why?"
I didn't answer.
Because I finally understood something.
This wasn't about protecting an employee.
It wasn't about a hotel.
It wasn't even about money.
It was about a mother who had spent three years running from people powerful enough to make her afraid of every locked door.
And somehow, I had become the person standing between her and the people chasing her.
We drove toward the warehouse.
Neither of us noticed the black SUV following us.
Inside it sat David Reynolds.
And beside him sat Charles Whitmore.
Charles smiled.
"Tonight," he said, "we take back everything."
David looked nervous.
"And Martin?"
Charles stared through the windshield.
"Martin will either cooperate..."
May you like
He paused.
"...or he will disappear with the rest of them."
