CEO Asked a Single Dad for a Ride—Then Froze at What Hung From His Mirror
Chapter 9
Victoria’s uncle was named Richard Sterling.
He had built the company into the empire it was today.
To the public, he was respected.
Generous.
Charitable.
A respected businessman.
But Emily’s recording had changed everything.
Daniel and Victoria couldn’t simply accuse him.
They needed proof.
The ledger contained financial evidence.
The video proved Emily’s knowledge.
But they needed the missing pages.
Marcus believed Richard had them.
They returned to Sterling Tower.
Victoria entered through the main lobby.
Employees immediately surrounded her.
She was still the CEO.
Still respected.
Still powerful.
Daniel followed from a distance.
Victoria walked into her uncle’s office.
Richard stood beside the window.
“You’ve been busy.”
Victoria closed the door.
“My father trusted you.”
Richard smiled.
“Your father was naive.”
Victoria’s expression hardened.
“You betrayed him.”
“He was going to destroy everything.”
“You killed him.”
Richard looked at her.
“No.”
Victoria froze.
“I didn’t kill your father.”
“Then who did?”
Richard turned.
“Your father is alive.”
Silence.
Victoria couldn’t breathe.
“What?”
Richard smiled.
“He disappeared because he wanted you protected.”
“Where is he?”
“I’ll tell you.”
He placed a folder on the desk.
“But first, I want the ledger.”
Victoria stared at him.
“You threatened Daniel’s daughter.”
Richard shrugged.
“I needed leverage.”
“You don’t understand.”
Richard smiled.
“I understand perfectly.”
He opened the folder.
Inside was a photograph of Thomas Sterling.
Alive.
Older.
Standing in an undisclosed location.
Victoria’s hands trembled.
“Where is he?”
Richard leaned closer.
“Bring me the ledger.”
Meanwhile, Daniel and Marcus had discovered something else.
The missing pages had been uploaded to a hidden server.
They traced the location.
It was inside Sterling Dynamics.
Daniel realized the truth.
Richard wasn’t the mastermind.
Someone else was using him.
The server logs pointed to an encrypted account.
The name was one Daniel recognized.
His father’s.
Daniel stared at the screen.
“That’s impossible.”
Marcus shook his head.
“Your father may have created a dead-man system.”
“What does that mean?”
“If he died, the evidence would automatically release.”
Daniel looked at the files.
The system was scheduled to activate in forty-eight hours.
If they could survive two days, the entire network would be exposed.
But Richard had discovered the system too.
He was trying to stop it.
Daniel called Victoria.
“Don’t give him the ledger.”
She whispered:
“I know.”
“Your father may be alive.”
“I know.”
“Richard has him.”
Victoria’s voice broke.
“Then we have to get him.”
Daniel looked at Marcus.
Marcus nodded.
They needed to rescue Thomas.
But they also needed to keep the evidence alive.
They decided to make a trade.
They would give Richard a fake ledger.
In exchange, he would reveal Thomas’s location.
Then they would activate the dead-man system.
For the first time, Daniel realized that the little wooden lighthouse hanging from his mirror had never been a warning.
It was a promise.
Always come home.
And now Daniel was determined to bring everyone home.
