A Single Dad Took His Drunk Friend Home — Then the CEO Who Watched Him All Night Asked Him to Stay
Chapter 6
The next two days were spent reconstructing the past.
Ethan contacted the retired accountant who had worked beside his father.
The man lived in Wisconsin.
They drove there.
Victoria insisted on coming.
Lily stayed with Ethan’s sister.
The old accountant’s name was Henry Mason.
He answered the door slowly.
When he saw Ethan, his face changed.
“You look exactly like him.”
Ethan swallowed.
“You knew my father?”
“Better than most.”
“Was his death an accident?”
Henry looked away.
“No.”
Ethan felt the world stop.
“What happened?”
Henry let them inside.
He explained that Ethan’s father had discovered a private network moving illegal funds through transportation contracts.
The network involved wealthy investors.
Government contractors.
Company executives.
People who could destroy anyone who exposed them.
Ethan’s father had copied the records.
He planned to take them to federal investigators.
Before he could, his brakes failed.
Henry had believed he was killed.
But he never had proof.
“Why didn’t you speak?”
Henry looked ashamed.
“I was afraid.”
Victoria asked:
“Did anyone else know?”
“One person.”
“Who?”
Henry hesitated.
“Richard Sterling.”
Victoria’s face went pale.
“My father.”
Henry nodded.
“What did he do?”
“He tried to stop your father.”
Ethan looked at Victoria.
“So my father was working against yours.”
“Yes.”
“Then why did you protect me?”
Victoria looked at him.
“Because I spent years trying to repair what my father destroyed.”
Henry stood.
“There is something else.”
He walked to an old cabinet.
Pulled out a metal box.
Inside was a ledger.
The original.
The evidence Ethan’s father had hidden.
Ethan opened it.
Names.
Accounts.
Payments.
And at the bottom:
Sterling Global.
Victoria stared.
Her father’s company had been deeply involved.
Not just as a victim.
As a participant.
She whispered:
“My family built part of its empire on this.”
Ethan didn’t blame her.
He simply closed the ledger.
“We need to expose it.”
Henry nodded.
“Then you better move quickly.”
A car had just stopped outside.
Someone knew they were there.
