Chapter 6 - THE SECOND MAN
Daniel heard the footsteps before he saw the shadow.
Fast.
Heavy.
Coming down the hallway.
Marcus whispered, “Run.”
The stranger entered.
Daniel barely ducked before a metal flashlight swung at his head.
He tackled the man around the waist.
They crashed through a side table.
The attacker drove an elbow into Daniel’s back.
Daniel rolled away.
“Who are you?”
No answer.
The man wore a dark cap and a cloth mask.
Marcus grabbed the broken lamp and swung.
The attacker blocked it, punched Marcus in the stomach, and shoved him into the wall.
Daniel lunged again.
This time he ripped the mask down.
For a split second he saw the face.
Gray beard.
Broken nose.
A scar beneath the right eye.
Then the man smashed Daniel’s head against the wall and ran.
Daniel chased him into the stairwell.
Too late.
The emergency door slammed three floors below.
Daniel returned to the apartment.
Marcus was struggling to breathe.
“Who was that?”
Marcus shook his head.
“I don’t know.”
“You’re lying.”
“I swear.”
Daniel picked up the flash drive.
“I’m taking this to the police.”
Marcus laughed bitterly.
“Which police?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Your father paid cops. Judges. Inspectors.”
“My father is dead.”
“His money isn’t.”
Daniel stared at him.
“You think Vivian has someone inside law enforcement?”
“I think everyone in this story has someone.”
At the hospital, Emily woke suddenly.
The room was dark.
Noah slept curled on the visitor sofa.
A heart monitor beeped softly.
Emily sensed movement near the door.
“Daniel?”
No answer.
A figure entered.
A woman.
Emily reached for the nurse button.
“Don’t.”
Vivian stepped into the dim light.
Emily’s heart rate exploded.
“What are you doing here?”
Vivian shut the door.
No white suit this time.
Black jeans.
Gray hoodie.
Hair tied back.
She looked less like a wealthy socialite and more like someone running for her life.
Emily pressed the nurse button.
Nothing happened.
Vivian held up the disconnected cord.
“I need thirty seconds.”
“You pushed me into a pool.”
“I know.”
“You nearly killed my daughter.”
Vivian’s jaw tightened.
“I know.”
“You have five seconds before I scream.”
“Marcus is trying to kill you.”
Emily froze.
“You expect me to believe you?”
“No.”
“Good.”
“But believe this.”
Vivian removed a small recorder from her pocket and placed it on the bed.
She pressed play.
Marcus’s voice filled the room.
“If Emily dies first, Daniel falls apart. If Daniel falls apart, the board removes him. Then we get everything.”
A second voice asked, “And Vivian?”
Marcus answered.
“Blame the wife’s death on her.”
Emily’s skin went cold.
She looked at Vivian.
“You pushed me.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Vivian’s eyes filled with something Emily did not expect.
Shame.
“Because I wanted to scare you.”
“You call that scaring me?”
“I thought you could swim.”
“I’m eight months pregnant!”
“I know.”
“You knew I had placenta complications earlier in the pregnancy.”
Vivian looked away.
Emily understood.
“Daniel told you.”
Silence.
That hurt in an entirely new way.
Vivian whispered, “I hated you.”
“Why?”
“Because every time he was with me, he talked about you.”
Emily laughed in disbelief.
“That makes you feel better?”
“No.”
“Good.”
Vivian leaned closer.
“But I never planned to kill you.”
Emily pointed at the recorder.
“And that?”
“Marcus did.”
Then Vivian said the sentence that changed everything.
“He’s not working alone.”
“Who is?”
Vivian looked toward the sleeping Noah.
May you like
“Your husband’s mother.”
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