Chapter 6 - THE SECOND HALF
We found the second video the next morning.
It arrived in a plain envelope at our hotel.
No return address.
No fingerprints.
Inside was a small flash drive.
Alexander stared at it.
“Don't play it.”
I looked at him.
“Why?”
“Because whoever sent it wants us to.”
“Maybe that's the point.”
He said nothing.
I inserted it.
The screen filled with static.
Then the warehouse appeared.
Jonathan was tied to a chair.
Victor stood in front of him.
My father stood behind him.
And Alexander was entering the room.
I watched my younger husband run toward his brother.
“Jonathan!”
Jonathan looked up.
“Alex, get out!”
Victor raised a gun.
Alexander stopped.
My father stepped forward.
“You should have stayed out of this.”
Alexander looked at him.
“You kidnapped my brother.”
“He stole from me.”
Jonathan shouted:
“No! He stole from you!”
My father slapped him.
I covered my mouth.
The video continued.
Jonathan looked at Alexander.
“It's your father.”
Alexander stared.
“What?”
“Your father is the one who moved the money.”
Victor raised his gun.
“Enough.”
Then my father spoke.
“You don't understand, Alex.”
Alexander looked at him.
“You were the one stealing from Blackwell Holdings?”
My father smiled.
“For years.”
I felt sick.
My father had stolen hundreds of millions.
Then he looked at Victor.
“And you were too arrogant to notice.”
Victor raised his gun.
My father reached for his own.
A gunshot exploded.
Victor collapsed.
Jonathan screamed.
Alexander ran toward his father.
The video suddenly cut.
I stared at the screen.
“That's it?”
“No.”
Alexander pointed.
“Look at the timestamp.”
I leaned closer.
There was another file.
Created three minutes later.
I opened it.
The camera angle was different.
Someone had been recording from outside.
My father was dragging Victor's body.
Jonathan was unconscious.
Then another man entered.
A man I didn't recognize.
He looked at my father.
“Where's the girl?”
My father answered:
“She doesn't know anything.”
The stranger said:
“She will.”
My father replied:
“Not if she marries Jonathan.”
My blood ran cold.
Alexander stared at the screen.
The stranger continued:
“If she marries your son, the Blackwell assets become accessible through the trust.”
My father nodded.
“That was always the plan.”
I whispered:
“They wanted to use me.”
Alexander looked at me.
“Yes.”
The stranger walked toward Jonathan.
“Kill him.”
My father shook his head.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because he's useful.”
Then my father looked toward the camera.
And said something that made me stop breathing.
“Alexander will take care of the rest.”
The screen went black.
I turned to my husband.
“What does that mean?”
He looked devastated.
“I don't know.”
“Did your father ask you to kill Jonathan?”
“No.”
“Then why did he say your name?”
“I don't know.”
“You keep saying that.”
“Because it's true.”
I stood.
“You knew my family wanted me to marry your brother.”
“Yes.”
“You knew your father was using me.”
“Yes.”
“And you still came into my life.”
“I loved you.”
“Was that the only reason?”
He stared at me.
“Yes.”
I wanted to believe him.
Then the door opened.
One of Alexander's security men rushed inside.
“Sir.”
“What?”
“We found Jonathan.”
Alexander went pale.
“Where?”
“He's at the old St. Matthew's hospital.”
I grabbed my coat.
We rushed there.
Jonathan was in an abandoned surgical ward.
Alive.
Barely.
When Alexander saw him, he stopped.
Jonathan looked up.
“Alex.”
Alexander fell to his knees.
“I'm sorry.”
Jonathan smiled weakly.
“You came.”
“I never stopped looking.”
Jonathan's eyes moved toward me.
“And this is Claire.”
I stepped forward.
“Yes.”
He smiled.
“I always wondered what you looked like.”
I frowned.
“You knew about me?”
Jonathan nodded.
“Before you met Alexander.”
“Why?”
“Because you were the girl everyone was fighting over.”
I felt cold.
“What do you mean?”
Jonathan reached for my hand.
“Your father didn't want you to marry me because he loved me.”
He paused.
“He wanted you to marry me because he needed access to the Blackwell trust.”
Then he looked at Alexander.
“And your brother saved you.”
I stared.
“What?”
Jonathan smiled sadly.
“Alexander didn't fail to save me six years ago.”
“He saved me.”
I looked at Alexander.
“Then why did everyone think you died?”
Jonathan's expression changed.
“Because someone had to disappear.”
“Who?”
He whispered:
“Your father.”
I stared at him.
“My father?”
Jonathan nodded.
“He disappeared six years ago.”
I felt the room spin.
“That's impossible.”
Jonathan looked directly at me.
“Claire, the man you think is your father died six years ago.”
My phone rang.
Mom.
I answered.
Her voice was shaking.
“Claire.”
“What?”
“Don't trust Jonathan.”
I looked at him.
“Why?”
My mother's voice dropped.
May you like
“Because he's the reason your father disappeared.”
:::
