Billionaire Caught Her Janitor Teaching His Daughter Math—Then His Tattoo Exposed a Shocking Secret
Chapter 6
They left Bennett Global before sunrise.
Lucas drove an old black SUV.
Victoria sat in the passenger seat.
Emma slept in the back.
Victoria watched Lucas.
“You know how to disappear.”
“Yes.”
“You know how to fight.”
“Yes.”
“You know my company better than some executives.”
“Yes.”
“And you still cleaned bathrooms.”
He smiled.
“It was useful.”
She almost laughed.
“I don’t know whether to be impressed or offended.”
“Both are acceptable.”
Victoria smiled.
Then became serious.
“Did Daniel know you loved Emma?”
Lucas glanced at her.
“Loved?”
“You know what I mean.”
“Yes.”
“He trusted you.”
“He trusted me to protect her.”
“Not me.”
Lucas looked at the road.
“Your husband loved you.”
Victoria looked away.
“Then why did he hide everything?”
“Because he knew what happens when powerful people get scared.”
“What happens?”
“They control.”
She sighed.
“That sounds familiar.”
Lucas glanced at her.
“You don’t control Emma.”
“No.”
“You try to protect her.”
“There’s a difference?”
“Yes.”
He looked at her.
“Protection gives someone a choice.”
“Control takes it away.”
The words stayed with her.
They arrived at a farmhouse outside the city.
Lucas had prepared it.
Food.
Medical supplies.
A small bedroom for Emma.
A security system.
Victoria looked around.
“How long have you had this?”
“Three years.”
“For Emma?”
“Yes.”
She stared.
“You prepared for this.”
“I hoped we’d never need it.”
Emma woke.
“Are we safe?”
Lucas nodded.
“For now.”
Emma looked at him.
“Can we do math?”
Victoria almost laughed.
“Right now?”
Emma nodded.
Lucas sat beside her.
He gave her a sheet of numbers.
Within minutes, Emma was solving patterns.
Victoria watched.
The way Lucas spoke to her was different.
Patient.
Never patronizing.
“Why don’t you just tell her the answer?” Victoria asked.
“Because then she learns nothing.”
“You’re right.”
He smiled.
“She doesn’t need someone to solve the problem.”
“What does she need?”
“Someone who believes she can.”
Victoria went quiet.
Those words felt personal.
Lucas looked at her.
“You doubt yourself too much.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“You’ve been watching me.”
“For three years.”
“That is concerning.”
He smiled.
“Maybe.”
They became quiet.
Then Victoria asked,
“What happened to your family?”
Lucas’s expression changed.
“My brother worked for Orion.”
“Did he survive?”
“No.”
“I’m sorry.”
“My mother too.”
“I’m sorry.”
He nodded.
“Daniel found me afterward.”
Victoria looked down.
“So Daniel saved your life.”
“Yes.”
“And you repaid him by protecting Emma.”
“Yes.”
“Why did you stay after he died?”
Lucas looked at her.
“Because the promise didn’t end.”
Victoria felt a strange warmth.
Then Emma shouted,
“I found it!”
They both turned.
Emma held up the paper.
The numbers formed a shape.
A map.
Lucas stared.
“That’s impossible.”
“What?”
“She solved the Orion pattern.”
Victoria stepped closer.
“What does it show?”
Lucas pointed.
“Bennett headquarters.”
Victoria frowned.
“We’re here.”
“No.”
He pointed at another section.
“The old underground archives.”
Victoria’s heart raced.
Her father had built an underground archive beneath the original Bennett headquarters.
She had never seen it.
Lucas continued.
“The system is still active.”
“But you said it was shut down.”
“I thought it was.”
Emma looked at them.
“Can we go?”
Victoria shook her head.
“No.”
Lucas looked at Emma.
Then Victoria.
“We have to.”
“Why?”
“Because someone is already inside.”
Victoria felt a chill.
“How do you know?”
Lucas checked his phone.
A security alert appeared.
ARCHIVE ACCESS DETECTED.
Then another.
USER: VICTORIA BENNETT.
Victoria stared.
She hadn’t accessed anything.
Someone had cloned her identity.
Again.
And whoever was inside the archive knew the one thing that could destroy Orion.
Her daughter.
