Chapter 4 - What His Father Knew
Asher had been twenty-six when his father died.
Richard Lennox’s private jet had gone down outside Geneva during a winter storm.
The official investigation concluded mechanical failure worsened by severe weather.
Three people died.
Richard.
His chief financial officer.
And the pilot.
For years, Asher had considered the accident the dividing line of his life.
Before it, he had been the impatient heir who wanted to prove he could build something without his father.
After it, he became responsible for an empire worth billions.
Now Charles Whitmore was telling him there had been a threat.
Asher closed the hospital suite door and locked it.
“What exactly did the letter say?”
Charles remained standing.
“Asher, this is not the place.”
“This is precisely the place.”
Laney watched silently.
The twins slept.
From the neighboring room came the faint sound of cartoons from Malik’s television.
Asher lowered his voice.
“Twelve years ago, my father received a threat. You hid it from me. Today, someone used the same language against my family.”
Charles sat.
For the first time since Asher had known him, the attorney looked afraid.
“The letter arrived at Richard’s office.”
“What did it say?”
“I don’t remember every word.”
“You remember enough.”
Charles rubbed his forehead.
“It accused him of interfering with a financial arrangement inside the company.”
“What arrangement?”
“He never told me.”
“Who sent it?”
“No signature.”
“And the sentence?”
Charles looked up.
“‘You should have let sleeping things stay buried.’”
Asher frowned.
“That isn’t the same.”
“No.”
Charles hesitated.
“But later in the letter, it said, ‘You should have let him stay missing.’”
Asher felt cold.
“Who was missing?”
“I don’t know.”
Laney spoke.
“Could it have been an employee?”
Charles looked toward her.
“Possibly.”
Asher’s frustration rose.
“You are giving me fragments.”
“Because fragments are all I have.”
“You were his attorney.”
“I was not his confessor.”
Asher stepped toward the window.
The city glittered beyond the glass.
Somewhere below, people went to dinner.
Taxis moved through intersections.
Life continued as if Asher’s had not split open.
“What happened after the letter?”
“Richard became increasingly secretive.”
“As opposed to his usual warmth?”
Charles almost smiled.
Almost.
“He hired investigators without involving company security.”
“Names?”
“I don’t know.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I expect you to understand your father trusted almost no one.”
“Including you.”
“Including me.”
Asher turned.
“Did my mother know?”
Charles hesitated.
“Yes.”
Laney closed her eyes.
Asher’s voice became softer.
“Of course she did.”
Charles continued.
“Richard and Vivienne fought repeatedly during those final weeks.”
“About what?”
“I was not present for every conversation.”
“One you were present for.”
Charles remained silent too long.
Asher understood.
“Say it.”
“Richard wanted to remove someone from a trust.”
“What trust?”
“The Lennox family holding trust.”
Asher’s expression sharpened.
The holding trust controlled voting shares in Lennox Global.
Its beneficiaries included Asher, his mother, and several family foundations.
“Who?”
Charles looked toward the door.
Then at Asher.
“Vivienne.”
Nobody spoke.
Asher gave a short laugh.
“My father wanted to remove my mother from the family trust?”
“He wanted to suspend her voting authority pending an internal review.”
“Of what?”
“I don’t know.”
“You keep saying that.”
“Because Richard refused to explain.”
Asher leaned against the table.
“How close did he get?”
“To removing her?”
“Yes.”
“He signed preliminary documents.”
“And?”
“He died before they were executed.”
Asher stared at him.
A terrible idea formed.
“No.”
Charles read his face.
“Do not do that.”
“Do what?”
“Turn coincidence into murder.”
“I didn’t say murder.”
“You didn’t need to.”
Laney looked between them.
“Was the crash reinvestigated?”
Charles shook his head.
“There was no evidence of sabotage.”
“No evidence anyone looked for,” Asher said.
“They did.”
“People also searched for my wife for seven months.”
Laney flinched.
He immediately regretted the words.
She looked away.
Asher softened his voice.
“I didn’t mean—”
“I know.”
Charles exhaled.
“Richard’s death may have nothing to do with any of this.”
Asher looked at the message again.
YOU SHOULD HAVE LET HER STAY MISSING.
“Maybe.”
His phone rang.
Unknown number.
Everyone stared at it.
Asher answered.
“Hello?”
Silence.
Then a distorted voice.
“Congratulations on the twins.”
Laney’s face went white.
Asher walked toward the far corner.
“Who is this?”
“You have a beautiful family.”
“If you come near them—”
“You always were like your father.”
Asher froze.
“Did you know him?”
The caller laughed softly.
“Better than you did.”
“Tell me your name.”
“You don’t need my name.”
“What do I need?”
“To stop asking questions.”
Asher looked toward Laney.
She clutched the blanket.
“You threatened my son.”
“I warned your wife.”
“You sent the photograph?”
“You should ask your mother.”
The line went dead.
Asher immediately called his head of security.
“Daniel.”
“Asher? I heard about Malik. Is he okay?”
“He’s fine. I need you at St. Catherine Medical Center immediately.”
“I’m fifteen minutes away.”
“Bring two teams.”
A pause.
“What happened?”
“Someone breached this floor and photographed my family.”
“I’m on my way.”
“And Daniel?”
“Yes?”
“Don’t tell anyone at Lennox Global.”
Another pause.
“Understood.”
Asher ended the call.
Charles stood.
“You’re making a mistake.”
“Which one?”
“Isolating yourself.”
“I’m isolating you.”
Charles looked insulted.
“I have protected your family for decades.”
“So did my mother.”
“Asher.”
“Did she tell you where Laney was?”
Charles’s face tightened.
“No.”
“Did you know?”
“I knew she was safe.”
“That was not my question.”
Charles sighed.
“I knew she had been moved outside New York.”
Asher went still.
Laney stared at him.
“You knew where I was?”
“No.”
“Your firm sent the custody paperwork to the safe apartment.”
Charles looked surprised.
Laney continued.
“A courier arrived four days after I moved there.”
Asher looked at Charles.
“You knew.”
“One of my associates handled service.”
“Who gave them the address?”
Charles did not answer.
Laney did.
“Vivienne.”
Asher’s anger became almost physical.
The door opened after a knock.
A tall man in a dark jacket entered.
Daniel Cross.
Former Secret Service.
Asher’s security director for eight years.
Daniel looked around the room, assessed every person, every window, every exit.
Then his eyes landed on the twins.
For the first time, his professional expression cracked.
“Well.”
Asher almost laughed.
“Not now.”
“Right.”
Daniel returned immediately to business.
“We caught the photographer.”
Asher looked up.
“Where?”
“Parking structure.”
“Who is he?”
“Freelancer named Eric Moss.”
“For which outlet?”
“He says none.”
“What does that mean?”
“He was paid cash.”
Daniel held up a phone inside an evidence bag.
“We found encrypted messages.”
Asher stepped closer.
“From who?”
“Still working on that.”
Daniel looked at Laney.
“Ma’am.”
“Daniel.”
He nodded.
“It’s good to see you alive.”
Laney’s expression tightened.
“Did you search for me?”
“Every day.”
“Did Vivienne control your search?”
Daniel frowned.
“She recommended several leads.”
“And told you which ones not to pursue?”
His silence answered her.
Asher closed his eyes.
Even Daniel had been manipulated.
“Secure this floor.”
“Already done.”
“No Lennox employees.”
Daniel nodded.
“Understood.”
“And move Malik into this room.”
“Asher—” Laney began.
“I want everyone together.”
Her expression softened.
Daniel turned toward the door.
Then stopped.
“There’s something else.”
“What?”
“The photographer had three pictures on his phone that weren’t taken today.”
Asher’s stomach tightened.
“Show me.”
Daniel unlocked a tablet and opened the first image.
Laney walking into a grocery store while pregnant.
The second showed her entering a small apartment building.
The third showed her standing beside an older woman Asher recognized.
“Aunt Rosa.”
Laney looked horrified.
“They were watching me.”
Daniel nodded grimly.
“For months.”
Asher’s mind raced.
“If they knew where she was, why didn’t they hurt her?”
No one answered.
Then Laney whispered.
“Because they were waiting.”
“For what?”
She looked toward the newborn twins.
“For them to be born.”
Asher stared.
“Why?”
Laney’s eyes filled with tears.
“Because I don’t think the money is why your mother wanted me gone.”
“What do you think she wanted?”
May you like
Laney took a breath.
“The twins.”
