Chapter 3 - THE FILE THAT SHOULD NOT EXIST
It took Natalie forty-three minutes to find the first reference.
The document was not stored in Voss Global’s normal corporate archive.
It existed inside an encrypted database created eleven years earlier.
Two months before Elena’s father died.
Natalie called Elena into the records room.
“I found something.”
Elena approached the terminal.
A scanned document filled the screen.
PROJECT MONARCH — SUCCESSION CONTINGENCY AGREEMENT.
Elena read the date.
Her stomach tightened.
Her father had signed it.
So had someone else.
The second signature was partially damaged.
But the surname remained visible.
Voss.
Elena stared at it.
“That isn’t my signature.”
“I know.”
“My mother?”
“No.”
“My father didn’t have another authorized family representative.”
Natalie looked uncomfortable.
“Elena, there’s another possibility.”
Elena turned toward her.
Natalie opened a second file.
A birth certificate appeared.
The name made Elena stop breathing for a moment.
ADRIAN VOSS.
Father.
Alexander Voss.
Elena’s father.
Elena stepped backward.
“No.”
Natalie remained silent.
“No.”
Elena looked at her again.
“My father had one child.”
Natalie swallowed.
“According to the public records.”
Elena stared at the screen.
Adrian Voss had been born four years before Elena.
His mother was listed as Catherine Mercer.
Elena had never heard the name.
“Where is he?”
“We don’t know.”
“Find him.”
“We’re trying.”
Elena looked at the Monarch agreement.
“What did my father give him?”
Natalie enlarged several paragraphs.
“Potential succession rights.”
“To Voss Global?”
“Not exactly.”
Natalie pointed toward the language.
“If certain conditions were met, Adrian could receive control of the Legacy Trust.”
Elena felt cold.
“What conditions?”
“That portion is missing.”
“Missing?”
“The original file appears to have been altered.”
“By whom?”
“We don’t know.”
Marcus entered.
“We may have another problem.”
Elena turned.
“Damian is gone.”
“What?”
“He left the building.”
“I told you to keep him downstairs.”
“We did.”
Marcus looked furious with himself.
“Someone triggered a fire alarm in the parking structure.”
“Damian?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
“We’re reviewing footage.”
Elena immediately understood.
The insider.
“Find him.”
Marcus nodded.
Elena looked again at Adrian’s birth certificate.
“Find him too.”
Marcus glanced at the screen.
“Who is Adrian Voss?”
Elena answered quietly.
“Apparently my brother.”
Across the city, Damian entered the back seat of a waiting sedan.
The driver pulled away before Damian closed the door completely.
A man sat beside him.
Gray suit.
Silver hair.
No expression.
Damian looked furious.
“You were supposed to warn me sooner.”
The man continued looking out the window.
“You became careless.”
“She took everything.”
“You still have what matters.”
Damian reached inside his jacket.
He removed a small flash drive.
The man finally looked at him.
“Is that the complete archive?”
“Almost.”
“Almost?”
Damian’s expression darkened.
“Elena found Monarch.”
For the first time, the older man reacted.
“How?”
“I told you she was smarter than you thought.”
The man took the flash drive.
“Then we accelerate.”
Damian looked toward him.
“And Adrian?”
May you like
The man smiled faintly.
“Bring him home.”
