I Thought My Coworker Was Flirting With Someone Else Until She Pulled Me Aside and Told Me the Truth
Chapter 6
My father’s name was Michael Carter.
He had died when I was fifteen.
I remembered him as a quiet man who repaired broken radios and loved old detective novels.
That was all.
At least, that’s what I thought.
Hannah took me to her car.
She sat behind the wheel.
“Your father worked for Elias.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“He never mentioned the company.”
“Because he wasn’t an employee.”
“What was he?”
“A private investigator.”
I stared.
“For Elias?”
“For himself.”
Hannah gave me a file.
Inside were photographs.
My father.
Elias.
Daniel.
And several people I didn’t recognize.
“These were taken eighteen years ago.”
I looked at my father.
He looked younger.
Alive.
Angry.
“What was he investigating?”
“The same system.”
I frowned.
“He knew about Orion?”
Hannah nodded.
“Your father discovered that Elias was secretly collecting information on the company’s employees and competitors.”
“Then why didn’t he expose him?”
“He tried.”
“What happened?”
“He disappeared from the project.”
“And then?”
“Three months later, he died.”
My hands shook.
“How?”
“Officially, heart attack.”
“Officially?”
Hannah looked at me.
“The medical report was altered.”
I stared.
“You think my father was murdered?”
“I think someone wanted him silent.”
We sat in silence.
Then I asked,
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I wasn’t sure.”
“You knew my father’s name was in the files.”
“Yes.”
“You knew he was connected to Elias.”
“Yes.”
“And you still worked beside me every day.”
She looked down.
“Because I needed to know whether you were part of it.”
I felt hurt.
“Did you think I was?”
“At first.”
“And now?”
“No.”
“Why?”
She looked directly at me.
“Because you care too much about people.”
I laughed bitterly.
“That is a strange test.”
“It worked.”
She took out another folder.
“This is what I found in your employee file.”
The old report.
Michael Carter’s son.
Potential risk.
Monitor closely.
I stared.
“I was recruited because of my father.”
“Yes.”
“Then why did they wait eighteen years?”
“Because you were never supposed to remember him.”
My chest tightened.
“What does that mean?”
Hannah hesitated.
“Your father left something.”
“What?”
“A key.”
“To what?”
“We don’t know.”
She reached into the glove compartment.
Pulled out a small metal key.
“This was found in the company archive.”
I recognized it.
I had seen it before.
In my father’s desk.
I thought it was a broken spare key.
Hannah looked at me.
“Your father left it for you.”
I swallowed.
“How do we know?”
“Because the number matches your birthday.”
The key was stamped 0419.
My birthday.
I stared.
“He planned this.”
“Maybe.”
Then she said something I hadn’t expected.
“There is another reason I pulled you aside.”
“What?”
She looked down.
“I was afraid you were going to hate me.”
I smiled sadly.
“I don’t.”
“You should.”
“Maybe.”
She looked at me.
“I care about you.”
Those words stopped me.
“I’ve cared about you for a long time.”
I didn’t know what to say.
She continued.
“That’s why I couldn’t let them destroy you.”
I looked at her.
“Then why not tell me from the beginning?”
“Because if I told you, you would have done exactly what you’re doing now.”
“What?”
“Stayed.”
I looked away.
She was right.
I would have.
Then my phone buzzed.
An email.
From my company’s internal system.
Subject:
Termination Notice
I opened it.
Your employment is terminated effective immediately due to suspected financial misconduct.
I looked at Hannah.
She closed her eyes.
“They moved.”
“What now?”
She started the engine.
“Now we stop hiding.”
“Where are we going?”
“To your father’s old house.”
“What for?”
“The key.”
“And then?”
She looked at me.
“We find the truth before Elias finds us.”
