She Was Fired for Helping a Homeless Stranger — The Next Day He Walked In as the Owner
Chapter 9
Richard confronted Jonathan at his apartment.
“You’ve embarrassed this family.”
Jonathan remained calm.
“You’ve been stealing from this company.”
Richard laughed.
“Do you believe that?”
“I’ve seen the records.”
“Records can be manipulated.”
“That’s true.”
Jonathan stepped closer.
“Which is why the bank accounts are being subpoenaed.”
Richard’s expression changed.
“You wouldn’t.”
“I already did.”
For the first time, fear appeared in Richard’s eyes.
“You’re my brother.”
“You stopped being my brother when you decided family was an opportunity.”
Richard’s voice hardened.
“You think that woman is loyal to you?”
Jonathan paused.
“Emma?”
Richard smiled.
“You don’t know anything about her.”
The sentence stayed with Jonathan.
“What does that mean?”
Richard simply walked away.
Jonathan immediately called Emma.
She answered.
“What’s wrong?”
“Richard knows about you.”
There was a pause.
“What does he know?”
“I don’t know.”
The following morning, Emma discovered that someone had accessed her personal records.
Her address.
Noah’s college.
Her bank information.
Everything.
She immediately told Jonathan.
He hired security for her apartment.
But Emma wasn’t comfortable.
“This is because of me.”
“No.”
“They’re targeting me.”
“They’re targeting anyone close to the investigation.”
She looked at him.
“I can leave.”
Jonathan shook his head.
“That’s what they want.”
Emma took a breath.
Then she asked the question she had been avoiding.
“Why do you care so much about me?”
Jonathan didn’t answer immediately.
Because the truth was becoming impossible to ignore.
“You were kind before you knew I mattered.”
Emma looked down.
“You mattered anyway.”
Jonathan stepped closer.
“Maybe.”
He stopped.
“That’s the problem.”
“What problem?”
“I don’t know how to separate what I need from what I feel.”
Emma’s heartbeat quickened.
She understood.
Neither moved.
Then the phone rang.
Emma answered.
It was Claire.
Her voice trembled.
“I know where the original contracts are.”
“Where?”
“In the old owner’s archive.”
“Can you get them?”
“I already did.”
“Then bring them to us.”
Claire hesitated.
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“I think someone followed me.”
The call ended.
Emma looked at Jonathan.
“We need to find her.”
They left immediately.
But when they reached Claire’s apartment, the door was open.
The room was empty.
On the table was a single folder.
Inside was one document.
A contract transferring control of the hotel.
Signed years earlier.
But the buyer wasn’t Richard.
It was someone else.
Someone who had been working with him.
Someone much closer to Jonathan than either of them realized.
