Single Dad Lost His VIP Seat to a Wealthy Passenger—5 Minutes Later, Everyone Was Evicted
Chapter 8
The safe location was an old government-owned property outside the city.
It was surrounded by trees.
There were no nearby houses.
No signs.
No public roads leading directly to it.
Daniel hated every second of it.
Noah thought they were on an adventure.
That made it easier.
“This place looks like a secret spy house,” Noah said.
Daniel forced a smile.
“Something like that.”
Noah looked around.
“Are spies here?”
“No.”
“That’s disappointing.”
Evelyn almost smiled.
She had been working with them constantly.
Daniel still didn’t fully trust her.
But he trusted her more than he trusted almost anyone else.
That night, Evelyn sat with Daniel in the kitchen.
“Tell me about James.”
Daniel rubbed his eyes.
“I don’t know what you want me to say.”
“Anything unusual.”
Daniel thought.
“Nothing.”
“Think carefully.”
Daniel stared at the table.
Then something came back to him.
“Six months ago, James asked me to sign a transfer.”
“What kind?”
“Ownership transfer.”
Evelyn leaned forward.
“Of what?”
“One of our properties.”
“Which one?”
“A warehouse.”
“Did you sign?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because the paperwork was strange.”
Evelyn’s expression sharpened.
“What was strange?”
“The buyer.”
“Who?”
“I don’t remember.”
“Daniel.”
He closed his eyes.
“I remember the company name.”
“What was it?”
“Northbridge Holdings.”
Evelyn immediately wrote it down.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
She pulled out her laptop.
A few minutes later, she looked up.
“Northbridge Holdings owns a warehouse.”
Daniel nodded.
“Where?”
“Three miles from the airport.”
Daniel felt uneasy.
“What does that mean?”
“We don’t know yet.”
Evelyn continued searching.
Then she found something.
“Northbridge was incorporated twenty years ago.”
“By who?”
She looked at him.
“Richard Harrington.”
Daniel leaned back.
“So Harrington owned it.”
“Apparently.”
“But why would James want me to transfer my property to one of his companies?”
“Maybe because the property wasn’t really yours.”
Daniel frowned.
“What do you mean?”
Evelyn showed him a document.
The warehouse had been purchased using money from Carter Construction.
But the money had originated from an account connected to Harrington Holdings.
Daniel stared.
“They used my company to buy property.”
“Exactly.”
“Why?”
Evelyn hesitated.
“Because they needed legitimate assets to hide illegal money.”
Daniel felt his stomach turn.
“So my company was a laundering vehicle.”
“Without your knowledge.”
Daniel stood.
“I should have noticed.”
“No.”
“I trusted him.”
“That’s not a crime.”
Daniel looked at her.
“I should have known.”
Evelyn shook her head.
“People like James survive because they make themselves useful.”
Daniel sat again.
Noah entered the kitchen.
“Can I have some water?”
Daniel smiled.
“Of course.”
Noah filled a glass.
Then he looked at Evelyn.
“Are you a spy?”
Evelyn laughed.
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Pretty sure.”
Noah nodded.
Then he left.
Evelyn looked at Daniel.
“He’s a good kid.”
“He’s everything.”
“Then keep him safe.”
Daniel nodded.
Later that night, Daniel couldn’t sleep.
He walked outside.
The property was quiet.
Too quiet.
Then he heard something.
A branch snapping.
He froze.
Another sound.
Footsteps.
Daniel reached for his phone.
Before he could call anyone, a shadow moved between the trees.
Daniel shouted:
“Who’s there?”
No answer.
Then headlights appeared in the distance.
A vehicle drove away.
Evelyn ran outside.
“What happened?”
“Someone was here.”
She grabbed a flashlight.
They searched the perimeter.
Nothing.
But near the fence, Daniel found something.
A small metal box.
It had been hidden beneath leaves.
Evelyn opened it carefully.
Inside was a flash drive.
And a handwritten note.
Daniel read it.
If you want to know why Harrington needed your company, look beneath the airport.
He stared at Evelyn.
“What does that mean?”
She looked toward the darkness.
“I think we’re about to find out.”
