THE BILLIONAIRE’S DAUGHTER FELL IN LOVE WITH HER UBER DRIVER
Chapter 7
Ethan immediately moved Lily to his sister’s house.
Sophia went back to her father’s estate.
Not because she wanted to.
Because Ethan insisted.
“You have security.”
“So do you.”
“I can’t protect you.”
“I don’t need protection.”
“You’re not listening.”
Sophia stared at him.
“What if this is because of my family?”
“It probably is.”
“Then I’m not leaving.”
Ethan sighed.
“You make everything difficult.”
“You’re one to talk.”
He smiled despite himself.
Then he kissed her forehead.
“Please.”
She nodded.
That night, Sophia confronted Charles again.
She placed the photograph on his desk.
His face changed.
“Who took this?”
“I don’t know.”
He immediately called security.
Sophia stopped him.
“No.”
“What do you mean no?”
“I need the truth first.”
Charles sat down.
“You’re in danger.”
“I know.”
“Then let me protect you.”
“You had seven years to protect people.”
Charles looked down.
Sophia sat opposite him.
“Tell me everything.”
He was silent for a long time.
Then he began.
Gerald Bennett had been obsessed with expanding into aviation.
He created shell companies.
Moved money.
Manipulated contracts.
When Charles discovered the maintenance fraud, he confronted him.
Gerald threatened to expose confidential Bennett Capital deals if Charles went public.
“I should have gone to the authorities.”
“Yes.”
Charles looked at his daughter.
“I was afraid.”
Sophia had never heard her father say that.
“After Gerald died, I found evidence he had manipulated the investment.”
“What about Ethan?”
“I ordered an internal review.”
“You could have hired him.”
“I could have.”
“But you didn’t.”
Charles shook his head.
“By then, the lawyers had convinced me that admitting the truth would destroy Bennett Capital.”
Sophia stared at him.
“So you let Ethan lose his career.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I knew what you would think of me.”
She looked away.
“I already think differently.”
Charles nodded.
“I deserve that.”
Then he reached into his desk.
He removed a small USB drive.
“This contains everything I found after Gerald died.”
Sophia stared.
“Why didn’t you give this to authorities?”
“Because I was a coward.”
She took it.
“Does Ethan know?”
“No.”
They spent the next hour examining the files.
Payment trails.
Internal emails.
Legal memos.
Aircraft records.
And one document that made Sophia stop.
A list of people who had access to the original maintenance data.
At the bottom was a name.
Victor Hale.
But next to it was another.
Ava Morgan.
Sophia frowned.
“Who is she?”
Charles looked confused.
“I don’t know.”
They searched.
Ava Morgan was a former Atlas Aviation accountant.
She had disappeared shortly after Ethan filed the report.
Sophia called Ethan.
“We found another person.”
“Who?”
“Ava Morgan.”
Ethan went silent.
“I remember her.”
“Who was she?”
“She helped me compile the report.”
“Where is she?”
“I don’t know.”
Charles looked at Sophia.
“She’s alive.”
Sophia stared at him.
“How do you know?”
“Because I received a letter from her last year.”
“What did it say?”
Charles shook his head.
“I never opened it.”
Sophia looked at him.
“You never opened it?”
“It arrived after Gerald’s death.”
“Where is it?”
Charles pointed toward a safe.
They opened it.
Inside was the unopened envelope.
Sophia read the handwriting.
It was addressed to Charles.
The message was short.
I know who ordered the sabotage.
And it wasn’t Gerald.
Sophia’s heart stopped.
She looked at Ethan.
“What if Gerald wasn’t the top?”
Ethan’s expression hardened.
“Then we haven’t reached the real person yet.”
